Soccer Football - Euro 2024 - Group F - Czech Republic v Turkey - Hamburg Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany - June 26, 2024 Czech Republic players applauds fans after losing the match REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czechs head home from Euro 2024 after two stoppage-time losses that scuppered their hope of staying in the tournament but provided valuable experience for the competition's youngest squad as they target the next World Cup.
Headed into the tournament with a coach who took over in January after a disappointing end to their qualifying campaign, the surprise quarter-finalists at the last Euros were not expected to make much noise this time around.
But Ivan Hasek -- in his second stint leading the national team -- picked a squad with an average age of 25.5 years that came tantalisingly close to emerging from Group F.
"I am disappointed that we are going home because this team has potential," Hasek said. "We wanted to show it here at this tournament. The key factor in our failure was that we did not win against Georgia."
The opening match against Portugal marked the first time a number of players in the squad had participated in a major tournament and the nerves showed as the Czechs were on their back feet most of the game.
They gifted Portugal an own-goal before levelling against the run of play and conceded in stoppage time in a 2-1 loss that would have given the Czechs an unexpected point.
Centre back Robin Hranac scored the own goal but he and others like Slavia forward Mojmir Chytil gained valuable tournament experience and are players Hasek can build future squads around.
"We wanted a young team," said Hasek, who had 15 training sessions with the squad before the tournament. "We wanted the players to get experience and I really think we selected the best players for our team.
"This is not one cycle, this is the whole future."
The Czechs fought back to snatch a draw against Georgia after gifting their unfancied opponents a penalty but lost striker Patrik Schick to injury, a factor that compounded what Hasek and his players called the team's bad luck.
Hasek inserted Antonin Barak into the line-up for a must-win match against Turkey but the attacking midfielder picked up two first-half yellow cards and left the Czechs with 10 men.
They equalised in the second half but lost a second group game in stoppage time.
With the focus now on qualification for the 2026 World Cup, the Czechs can take positives.
"In every match we've had some bad luck," winger Lukas Provod said. "We showed character and fighting spirit. I believe that is something we can build on in the future."
(Reporting by Michael Kahn, Editing by Ed Osmond)
