West Ham star among three players sent home from international duty after partying in a nightclub less than 48 hours before crunch Euro 2024 qualifier
- Czech players Vladimir Coufal, Jakub Brabec and Jan Kuchta are banned
- According to reports, they visited a nightclub in the city of Olomouc until the early hours
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West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal is one of three players sent home by the Czech national team after breaking the rules by partying ahead of a crucial Euro 2024 qualifying match.
Coufal’s teammates Jakub Brabec and Jan Kuchta were also expelled from the squad on Saturday evening for ‘fundamentally violating the rules of the national team’ by visiting a nightclub in Olomouc.
After drawing 1-1 in Poland on Friday, the players had to recover and prepare for Monday night’s home qualifier against Moldova, where a win or draw would see them progress to the final.
However, Czech news channel iSport describes how the trio – together with Tomas Neumann, director of the Czech Football Association – partied until the early hours at the Belmondo nightclub.
iSport said they drank alcohol and photos and videos emerged showing Coufal, Kuchta and Brabec at the nightclub.
West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal (left) is one of three Czech players sent home by the squad after breaking the rules by visiting a nightclub until the early hours
Coufal, Jakub Brabec and Jan Kuchta went out less than 48 hours before the crucial Euro 2024 qualifier against Moldova in Olomouc
They partied together with amateur football players from the area who were celebrating the end of their season.
A video circulating on social media appeared to show Brabec walking onto the road before being led back to the sidewalk.
All three players were involved in the draw against Poland in Warsaw on Friday and would probably also have played against Moldova, which caused national coach Jaroslav Silhavy a selection headache.
A statement from the Czech Football Association said: ‘Three players fundamentally violated the internal rules of the national team on Saturday evening.
“Jakub Brabec, Vladimir Coufal and Jan Kuchta have left the national team meeting with immediate effect by decision of the management.”
Coufal, the 31-year-old right-back, has made 38 appearances for his country since 2017 and has made 15 appearances for the Hammers so far this season.
Central defender Brabec, 31, plays for Greek club Aris Thessaloniki and has made 40 appearances for his country since 2016, scoring two goals.
Striker Kuchta, 26, plays for Czech club Sparta Prague. Since his debut in 2021, he has scored three goals in fourteen international matches.
Coach Silhavy and captain Tomas Soucek, also a West Ham player, will give a press conference on Sunday afternoon prior to the match against Moldova.
Czech defender Jakub Brabec (right) was among those banned from the squad
Striker Jan Kuchta (right) in action for the Czechs during their 1-1 draw against Poland on Friday