Soler
Established Member
Originally posted Sunday, 30 October 2005 5:08 AM
Buoyed by Thierry Henry's return from a groin injury, the Arsenal comfortably disposed of the group cellar dwellers two weeks ago in the thousand-year-old city of Prague. Henry was forced into coming into the game early on due to a rib injury to José Antonio Reyes, and did not take long to score his record equalling goal for Arsenal with a very special effort from outside the area, on the outside of his right foot that curled straight passed the Sparta keeper. The Arsenal skipper surged beyond Ian Wright's goal scoring record in the second half goal that not only handed him the record, but sealed a third consecutive victory in the Champions League for the Arsenal.
Železná Sparta (Iron Sparta), as they are known as, have been struggling this season. Despite being champions of the Gambrinus Liga last season, the Czech Republic's most successful and most famous side are languishing in mid-table, and ten points off league leaders Slovan Liberec and Teplice. Sparta were rocked by their coach, Jaroslav Hrebik, resigning inexplicably and unannounced, as well as club captain Karel Poborsky being suspended by the club after making some harsh comments towards the former Sparta coach. Poborsky said "The captain should be the extension of the coach, on the field. But I don't agree with the working methods." Since then, Porborsky has been at České Budějovice on loan.
Sparta fans are not used to languishing in the middle of the pack. As said, Sparta Prague is to the Czech Republic what Ajax is to the Netherlands, and what Arsenal are to London – the most successful clubs, and most likely the least liked. Sparta is the republic's most successful club, amassing 23 Czechoslovakian championships during the merge between Czechia and Slovakia, and only their greatest rivals Slavia have won nearly as much as Sparta. Ever since Czechoslovakia was disbanded in 1993 Sparta have won ten championships, only Slavia (1996) and Banik Ostrava (2004) have ever broken the trend of the republics flagship club not holding the trophy aloft at the end of the Gambrinus Liga season.
Sparta's history began over a century ago. On the 16th of November 1893, brothers Václav, Bohumil and Rudolf Rudl established a sports club: the Athletic Club Sparta, known internationally as Sparta Prague today. Like many clubs in Europe founded at the time, its name comes from ancient Greece. Sparta was inspired by the fighting spirit and courage of the people from the city of Sparta, much like how Ajax came from the warrior of the same name. The club's first general meeting took place a week from Christmas, where founders decided on the club's colours for their banner - blue to symbolise Europe, red to symbolise the royal city, and yellow as the colour of Prague.
Every football club has its golden era. For us, it was the 1930s under Herbert Chapman and George Allison, for Ajax it was the 1970s with Johan Cruyff as an instrumental part of the side, and for Thun ... well, it's right now. Sparta Prague's first golden era came before the Second World War, like ours, where the nickname "Iron Sparta" was first canonised in 1920. Names such as Peyer, Hojer, Perner, Káďa, Kolenatý, and Červený were prominent in not only the Sparta team, but for Czechoslovakia, as well as Oldřich Nejedlý who was top scorer at the 1934 World Cup. By now Czechoslovakia had established its own football league and Sparta were winning championship upon championship. By the time the Second World War had broke out across Europe, Sparta had won nine Czechoslovakian championships.
To go along with several Czech championships, Sparta Prague were also the kings of Central Europe. Sparta were the first club to ever win the old Mitropa Cup – a sort of precursor to the European Cup, where teams from Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Italy fought out a knockout tournament. Sparta were victorious in 1927, 1935 and 1964. Before the introduction of the old European Cup it was considered quite prestigious, but its latter years saw it easily eclipsed by the European Cup.
Every club has its golden era, but every club also has its dark era. Before 1975, Sparta had never been relegated, but in 1975 mostly for financial reasons Sparta were relegated to the second division. They only lasted a year in the second division before being emphatically re-promoted, and since then they've been winning many, many, many trophies.
Sparta Prague is an institution in Czech football. Generally speaking they have produced the bulk of the republic's greatest players. Modern day stars such as Pavel Nedvěd, Petr Čech and Tomáš Rosický, as well as giant Borussia Dortmund striker Jan Koller.
Arsenal and Sparta Prague do share a bit of history. The dark maroon kits the Arsenal are wearing this season, to commemorate Highbury, are the same worn by Sparta Prague. In fact, in 1906, the club president of the time Dr. Petřík was in London, and attended one of Woolwich Arsenal's matches. So impressed by our dashing maroon tops, he brought a set back to Prague, which gave birth to Sparta and Czech Republic club football's most famous colours. I guess it could be said that it's fate that in the final season of Highbury where we have re-worn the maroon that we would be drawn against a team we share a very special link with.
We do have prior history with Sparta in the Champions League before. In season 2000/2001 Arsenal faced Sparta in the first group stage, along with Shakhtar Donetsk and Lazio. We kicked off our campaign in Prague that season, a goal from current Barcelona left back Silvinho saw us beat the Czechs 1-0. In the home game Arsenal tore into the Czechs, winning 4-2 with goals coming from different sources than usual: Ray Parlour scored in the 5th minute, Lauren in the 8th, Lee Dixon in the 35th and our fourth by Kanu in the 59th. It was a distinctly different Arsenal side back then compared to the one that played in Prague two weeks ago, with David Seaman still in the nets but no Tony Adams. Instead it was Oleg Luzhny and Nelson Vivas playing as the centre backs alongside Lauren at right-back, from memory, with Kanu partnering Thierry Henry up front.
The team that battered Sparta back in October of 2000 has four survivors that are likely to play on Wednesday: Lauren, Píres, Bergkamp and Ljungberg. Henry and Cole were also in the match day squad that night, but there are still question marks over their fitness, specifically Henry and Cole are a long way from coming back yet.
I really have not watched enough of us this season to properly comment on the teams form and player fitness and tactics and whatnot. Living in Australia means you don't get to see every game, and for most of the games that have been on this season I have been busy with other things. So, all I can say is that I think we will win and we will win convincingly, because Sparta Prague's away record in European football is nothing to write home about. Last season Sparta finished rock bottom of Group D, taking only a point in six matches. Away from home Sparta lost 1-0 to Fenerbahçe, lost 4-1 at Old Trafford to Manchester United and were annihilated 5-0 by French club Olympique Lyonnais.
A win for the Arsenal will guarantee qualification to the second stage. It makes a refreshing change from most years, where we struggle almightily and leave it right until the death knell to secure qualification from the group stages. Sometimes winning emphatically is better than winning dramatically.
My prediction? A comfortable 2-0 win to the Arsenal with Ljungberg and Bergkamp scoring that will send us through to the next stage a lot earlier and lot less stressful than the last few years have been.
Buoyed by Thierry Henry's return from a groin injury, the Arsenal comfortably disposed of the group cellar dwellers two weeks ago in the thousand-year-old city of Prague. Henry was forced into coming into the game early on due to a rib injury to José Antonio Reyes, and did not take long to score his record equalling goal for Arsenal with a very special effort from outside the area, on the outside of his right foot that curled straight passed the Sparta keeper. The Arsenal skipper surged beyond Ian Wright's goal scoring record in the second half goal that not only handed him the record, but sealed a third consecutive victory in the Champions League for the Arsenal.
Železná Sparta (Iron Sparta), as they are known as, have been struggling this season. Despite being champions of the Gambrinus Liga last season, the Czech Republic's most successful and most famous side are languishing in mid-table, and ten points off league leaders Slovan Liberec and Teplice. Sparta were rocked by their coach, Jaroslav Hrebik, resigning inexplicably and unannounced, as well as club captain Karel Poborsky being suspended by the club after making some harsh comments towards the former Sparta coach. Poborsky said "The captain should be the extension of the coach, on the field. But I don't agree with the working methods." Since then, Porborsky has been at České Budějovice on loan.
Sparta fans are not used to languishing in the middle of the pack. As said, Sparta Prague is to the Czech Republic what Ajax is to the Netherlands, and what Arsenal are to London – the most successful clubs, and most likely the least liked. Sparta is the republic's most successful club, amassing 23 Czechoslovakian championships during the merge between Czechia and Slovakia, and only their greatest rivals Slavia have won nearly as much as Sparta. Ever since Czechoslovakia was disbanded in 1993 Sparta have won ten championships, only Slavia (1996) and Banik Ostrava (2004) have ever broken the trend of the republics flagship club not holding the trophy aloft at the end of the Gambrinus Liga season.
Sparta's history began over a century ago. On the 16th of November 1893, brothers Václav, Bohumil and Rudolf Rudl established a sports club: the Athletic Club Sparta, known internationally as Sparta Prague today. Like many clubs in Europe founded at the time, its name comes from ancient Greece. Sparta was inspired by the fighting spirit and courage of the people from the city of Sparta, much like how Ajax came from the warrior of the same name. The club's first general meeting took place a week from Christmas, where founders decided on the club's colours for their banner - blue to symbolise Europe, red to symbolise the royal city, and yellow as the colour of Prague.
Every football club has its golden era. For us, it was the 1930s under Herbert Chapman and George Allison, for Ajax it was the 1970s with Johan Cruyff as an instrumental part of the side, and for Thun ... well, it's right now. Sparta Prague's first golden era came before the Second World War, like ours, where the nickname "Iron Sparta" was first canonised in 1920. Names such as Peyer, Hojer, Perner, Káďa, Kolenatý, and Červený were prominent in not only the Sparta team, but for Czechoslovakia, as well as Oldřich Nejedlý who was top scorer at the 1934 World Cup. By now Czechoslovakia had established its own football league and Sparta were winning championship upon championship. By the time the Second World War had broke out across Europe, Sparta had won nine Czechoslovakian championships.
To go along with several Czech championships, Sparta Prague were also the kings of Central Europe. Sparta were the first club to ever win the old Mitropa Cup – a sort of precursor to the European Cup, where teams from Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Italy fought out a knockout tournament. Sparta were victorious in 1927, 1935 and 1964. Before the introduction of the old European Cup it was considered quite prestigious, but its latter years saw it easily eclipsed by the European Cup.
Every club has its golden era, but every club also has its dark era. Before 1975, Sparta had never been relegated, but in 1975 mostly for financial reasons Sparta were relegated to the second division. They only lasted a year in the second division before being emphatically re-promoted, and since then they've been winning many, many, many trophies.
Sparta Prague is an institution in Czech football. Generally speaking they have produced the bulk of the republic's greatest players. Modern day stars such as Pavel Nedvěd, Petr Čech and Tomáš Rosický, as well as giant Borussia Dortmund striker Jan Koller.
Arsenal and Sparta Prague do share a bit of history. The dark maroon kits the Arsenal are wearing this season, to commemorate Highbury, are the same worn by Sparta Prague. In fact, in 1906, the club president of the time Dr. Petřík was in London, and attended one of Woolwich Arsenal's matches. So impressed by our dashing maroon tops, he brought a set back to Prague, which gave birth to Sparta and Czech Republic club football's most famous colours. I guess it could be said that it's fate that in the final season of Highbury where we have re-worn the maroon that we would be drawn against a team we share a very special link with.
We do have prior history with Sparta in the Champions League before. In season 2000/2001 Arsenal faced Sparta in the first group stage, along with Shakhtar Donetsk and Lazio. We kicked off our campaign in Prague that season, a goal from current Barcelona left back Silvinho saw us beat the Czechs 1-0. In the home game Arsenal tore into the Czechs, winning 4-2 with goals coming from different sources than usual: Ray Parlour scored in the 5th minute, Lauren in the 8th, Lee Dixon in the 35th and our fourth by Kanu in the 59th. It was a distinctly different Arsenal side back then compared to the one that played in Prague two weeks ago, with David Seaman still in the nets but no Tony Adams. Instead it was Oleg Luzhny and Nelson Vivas playing as the centre backs alongside Lauren at right-back, from memory, with Kanu partnering Thierry Henry up front.
The team that battered Sparta back in October of 2000 has four survivors that are likely to play on Wednesday: Lauren, Píres, Bergkamp and Ljungberg. Henry and Cole were also in the match day squad that night, but there are still question marks over their fitness, specifically Henry and Cole are a long way from coming back yet.
I really have not watched enough of us this season to properly comment on the teams form and player fitness and tactics and whatnot. Living in Australia means you don't get to see every game, and for most of the games that have been on this season I have been busy with other things. So, all I can say is that I think we will win and we will win convincingly, because Sparta Prague's away record in European football is nothing to write home about. Last season Sparta finished rock bottom of Group D, taking only a point in six matches. Away from home Sparta lost 1-0 to Fenerbahçe, lost 4-1 at Old Trafford to Manchester United and were annihilated 5-0 by French club Olympique Lyonnais.
A win for the Arsenal will guarantee qualification to the second stage. It makes a refreshing change from most years, where we struggle almightily and leave it right until the death knell to secure qualification from the group stages. Sometimes winning emphatically is better than winning dramatically.
My prediction? A comfortable 2-0 win to the Arsenal with Ljungberg and Bergkamp scoring that will send us through to the next stage a lot earlier and lot less stressful than the last few years have been.
