PRAGUE (AP) 鈥� Czech Republic coach Miroslav Koubek resigned on Monday after the team鈥檚 early .
The decision was mutual, Koubek and Czech Football Association head David Trunda said in a statement.
鈥淭he coach offered me his position at a personal meeting today and I decided to accept his offer after an open and fair debate,鈥� Trunda said.
Koubek said he was responsible for the poor results at the , where the Czechs lost to South Korea and Mexico and drew with South Africa. The Czechs finished on the bottom of Group A with one point.
Still, his announcement came as a surprise. After returning from the World Cup, Koubek originally said he was ready to continue as coach and Pavel Nedv臎d, the manager general of Czech teams, suggested Koubek remained the right person for the job.
鈥淎 media campaign against me based on some half-truths and fabrications also contributed to my decision,鈥� Koubek said. 鈥淚n such an atmosphere, my work for the Czech national team would no longer make sense.鈥�
It was not immediately clear who might replace him.
The 74-year-old Koubek took over in December, signing a contract for 2 1/2 years. He successfully qualified the Czechs for their first World Cup in 20 years. They earned European playoff wins against Ireland and Denmark.
Koubek’s resignation followed the international retirement of the team’s major star, , just hours after World Cup elimination.
___
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
