CZEAUTSVKPOL #7: MFK Vyškov

The wonderful world of Czech football often means you can take in a couple of games a day, and this week was no different. The plan was Vyškov in the morning (this time I’d head to the correct ground having failed before), and Zbrojovka’s huge game against Sparta in the afternoon.

 

This week, Vyškov would host Varnsdorf, with the two sides occupying 4^th and 3^rd respectively. The away side would make the long trip from the German border town hoping to continue their solid start, but of course Vyškov were keen to do the same.

 

Home seems to be where the victories are for Vyškov, with only one defeat to table topping Líšeň at this early stage. Varnsdorf meanwhile have just the solitary away win to Jihlava this season. With last week’s prediction proving a disaster, I’ll go for a 1-0 home win.

 

After the game

The prediction wasn’t far off, with the hosts emerging 2-0 winners thanks to goals from the electric Burundi international Bienvenue Kanakimana and Zbrojovka loanee Barnabáš Lacík. The game could have gone either way in truth, but Vyškov were clinical where Varnsdorf were not.

 

With only two points separating the top five after the game, the FNL is beginning to take shape nicely, with the Moravian duo of Líšeň and Vyškov topping the pile.

 

As for Vyškov itself, I’m glad I found the right stadium this time, as Drnovice is a thing of beauty. Despite its location in the middle of a relatively small village, it looks absolutely stunning.

 

As a friend pointed out, it resembles a cross between Monaco and Watford, but it’s in the middle of a Moravian village. Getting there is relatively straightforward from Brno. You can either get the Regiojet train (or replacement bus in my case, which is actually quicker), or you can get the bus directly from Brno.

 

Once in Vyškov, you’ll need to hop on the bus to Drnovice, though there is often a free football bus from the station. It also goes back there later on, which is delightful.

 

The Klobasa was probably among the best I’ve encountered yet – so much so that a little Dachshund wished to befriend me in exchange for a bite. The home fans created a decent atmosphere given the relatively sparse attendance, with sirens, drums and megaphones aplenty.

 

Vyškov are incredibly unique and well worth a visit, even if they don’t encompass a big city like some of the other sides in Moravia. If you can stomach the early start, then it’s a great place to spend your morning.

Who are ya?

Finding the history of Czech clubs below the top tier is tough, though I have plenty to thank Czech Wikipedia for here. The club were founded in 1921 and went by the name SK Vyškov, only adopting its current name back in 2012. Prior to that, they went by various acronyms, namely HSK (1939), JTO Sokol (1949), DSO Slavoj (1953), TJ (1966), SK Rostex (1993), and finally MFK.

 

If you take a gander at their Wikipedia page, you’ll notice flags from Ivory Coast, Burundi, Cameroon and Nigeria, due in part to their Cameroonian owner Kingsley Pungong and his company, Rainbow Sports. Vyškov often finds itself with access to some of the most exciting African talents, with Pungong’s company running an annual football camp for talented young African players.

 

Though Vyškov aren’t Pungong’s only endeavour football-wise, they have helped produce some successful players in the Czech top tier, namely centre-back Momo Tijani – currently at Viktoria Plzen and an international with Benin.

 

The club mainly stayed in the third tier from 1939 to 1954, jumping between the 3^rd, 4^th and 4^th tiers respectively until 1965. I have no idea what happened to Vyškov that year, but their next season was in the 7^th tier almost 30 years later.

 

They won promotion to the 6^th tier in 1992, before dropping down again in 1994. They finally went back up again in 2000 and haven’t dropped since, even gaining successive promotions in 2001 and 2002. They spent 11 years in the 4^th tier, before promotion to the MSFL in 2014 as champions.

 

The last decade has seen mainly survival in this league, until the pandemic cut the season short in 2020-21 with Vyškov in 3^rd. Amazingly, this was enough for promotion to the 2^nd tier they find themselves in currently. Having survived relatively comfortably last season, Vyškov’s stock continues to rise.