Thirty Years of the Czech First League - Where are the class of 1993/94 now?

For those unfamiliar with Czechoslovak history, the country was dissolved in 1993, meaning the two separate states we see today - Czech Republic and Slovakia - became sovereign states. With that separation came two new football leagues in both countries, and the 1993-94 Czech First League season is exactly what this blog will be examining.

So just who is/are Boby Brno? What on earth is a Cheb, and why should you care? Why are Vitkovice so bad nowadays? Well, all of these questions and more will be answered as we take a look back at the Czech League in its maiden year, and where the 16 teams featured in the ‘Class of 94’ ended up thirty years on. 

Given that it’s the midway point of the season, positions indicated will be based on their current position at the time of writing (late January), and will indicate First League unless otherwise stated in brackets. I should also thank Callum Blyth for the inspiration with his excellent video on Scottish football with a similar idea, which inspired a look back into Czech football - perhaps I’ll do another one of these for Slovakia.

In any case, here are the 16 teams and how the last 30 years have treated them.

Dukla Prague

1994: 16th

Now: …it no longer exists…well, kind of…

One team in and we’re already off to an incredibly confusing start. You might look at the team sitting 2nd in the FNL and think…well, they clearly still exist. But the Dukla Prague that occupied this bottom spot in 1994 dissolved only a couple of years later in 1996, with all the illustrious titles and European semi-finals of yesteryear consigned to the dust. 

The legal successor actually sit two places below and four points behind the current iteration of Dukla Prague in the form of FK Příbram. The two clubs merged into Dukla Příbram, which eventually became just 1.FK Příbram in 2008, though there have been multiple name changes since 1996. Dukla Prague would reform and take the place of TJ Tatran Jakubčovice in the 2nd tier in 2011.

MFK Vítkovice

1994: 15th

Now: 10th in Divizie F (fourth tier)

Based in Ostrava-Vitkovice, Vítkovice have long been overshadowed by their Silesian rivals Baník, perhaps now more than ever before with Vítkovice languishing in the fourth tier while their rivals hold their own in the top flight. Czechoslovak champions in 1986 and UEFA Cup Quarter finalists the following year, the club has really fallen on hard times of late.

They dropped into the MSFL (third tier) in 2010, before dropping out mid-season due to insolvency issues - reportedly having 15 million koruna of debut. They made a return in 2015, but the financial problems continue to rear their ugly head, with 2020 seeing their relegtion back into the fourth tier.

Bohemians Praha

1994: 14th

Now: 9th

The Kangaroos have appropriately spent the lion’s share of the last three decades bouncing between the leagues - from the first to the localised third tier. They’ve been a mainstay in the top division for over a decade now, however, and often tend to occupy the top half at the very least. That said, rising from 14th to 4th last season gives you a good indication as to how unpredictable the Prague side are.

Hradec Králové

1994: 13th

Now: 12th

On the face of it, not much changes in Northern Bohemia, but Votroci (or slaves in English) have changed stadiums in recent history for one. They won the Czech Cup in the 2nd Czech season, but like many teams of their respective stature in the Czech top two divisions, they would bounce between the divisions, with five successive seasons of relegation or promotion from 2012-17. They’ve been back in the top flight since 2021, and they’ve managed to steady the ship. But unless you’re one of the big dogs, safety is never guaranteed in Czech football.

Boby Brno

1994: 12th

Now: 6th in FNL (second tier)

Ah, the artist formerly known as Boby Brno, now of course bearing the name Zbrojovka Brno, and very much of the same yo-yo ilk as the team that finished just below them in 1994. The last six seasons bar one have included either a promotion or a relegation, and it looks as if that turbulence may finally be at an end if this season’s disappointing start is anything to go by. It’s been eight years since their 6th placed finish in the First League, and it would be fair to say things haven’t gone to plan since at all.

Svit Zlín

1994: 11th

Now: 15th

As with most clubs in this country, Zlín go under a new moniker these days - the simple, but surprisingly efficient FC Zlín. I covered their recent decline in great detail in another blog, which you can check out here. The long and the short of it is that they’ve bounced between the divisions in the last thirty years, but have somehow been relative mainstays in the top tier, despite a torrid few years of multiple managers and goals shipped on a weekly basis. 

FK Drnovice

1994: 10th

Now: …it no longer exists

So this is why nearby Vyškov play in a massive stadium in the middle of a nearby village. It was this confusion that first led me to watch MFK Vyškov U18 v Hodonin U18 instead of the senior match I’d intended to watch as I’d foolishly assumed Vyškov would have played in their own town. 

It’s an excellent stadium, though it’s a huge white elephant given its obscure location. The club that initially played there had spent most of their existence in the lower divisions, but they’d risen to the top division just as Czech Republic gained its independence. They held their own in the top flight until disaster struck in 2002, with Drnovice demoted to the MSFL (third tier) due to financial issues. Though they achieved two successive promotions and an 8th placed finish, they opted to drop into the second tier, before finally going bankrupt in 2006. A modern iteration of them play as FKD, but they only play in the regional leagues.

Slovan Liberec

1994: 9th

Now: 8th

Slovan have been the definition of steady as far as Czech football goes, having never experienced relegation in the Czech league - their last taste of second tier football was actually the season before independence. It’s not as if they’ve come close to dropping out either, with a 12th placed finish in 2015 the lowest they’ve ever finished in the Czech system. Even then, they won the cup that season, and they’ve regularly made Europe, on occasion making the group stages. 

Viktoria Žižkov

1994: 8th

Now: 15th in FNL (second tier)

One of many Czech sides that could also be a woman’s name, Vikki Žižkov (I’m sorry) aren’t in the best shape right now it would be fair to say. They currently occupy the relegation zone of the 2nd tier, having just got promoted there last season. Some good displays against the likes of Zbrojovka aside, the step-up has been pretty daunting for the Prague based side. Much like Slovan Liberec, they were promoted the season before independence, but they’ve been yo-yoing between tiers 1 and 3 since 2004. Some European ties against Chelsea and Rangers aside, it’s not been a happy few decades for Viktorka.

Sigma Olomouc

1994: 7th

Now: 5th

Much like Slovan Liberec, Sigma Olomouc are a great example of stability in the Czech game these days. Unlike the aforementioned, however, they have dropped into the 2nd tier, though their stays have often been brief. 2013-17 was particularly tumultuous, with Hanaci spending each of those four seasons in a different league. 

They’ve had European football on numerous occasions too, as well as a Czech Cup win in 2012. They’re still waiting for group stage football, but given their steady improvement over the last few years, it might not be far away. In recent years, Sigma Olomouc were the side with most homegrown players in Europe, and it’s a model that seems to be working,

České Budějovice

1994: 6th

Now: 16th

Things are not currently rosy in the land of Budvar it would be fair to say. Remarkably, the South Bohemian outfit have bounced back immediately four times after having been relegated, until 2015’s relegation, which took four seasons to recover from. Another spell down in the doldrums beckons unless they can sort themselves out sharpish, as they currently sit at the foot of the table. They can take some heart from the fact many of the sides around them are just as poor, and should remain in touching distance if things do pick up.

Viktoria Plzeň

1994: 5th

Now: 3rd

The other Viktorka of this First League season, Plzeň have always been relative big-hitters as far as Czech football is concerned. It wasn’t smooth sailing, with relegations and promotions aplenty from 1998-2005, though they’ve been a top division mainstay ever since. Winning the cup in 2010 seemed to have a snowball effect, as Viktorka became one of the most successful sides in the modern Czech era - six league titles from 2010 until now. It’s incredible what some shrewd investment and care in a club can do, and it’s equally extraordinary how few other Czech clubs have realised this over the years.

Union Cheb

1994: 4th

Now: 14th in Divizie B (fourth tier)

Situated in the very west of the country, Union Cheb’s demise is almost in polar opposition to a side like Plzeň. The club was founded in 1951, but went bankrupt a couple of seasons after the first Czech season in 1996. They reformed in 2001 in the lower leagues, only playing as high as the third-tier in the last couple of decades. They currently ply their trade in the Fourth Division Divize A, and it would be fair to say they’re not having a great time of things right now either. 

Baník Ostrava

1994: 3rd

Now: 6th

Another good example of relative stability in the Czech game, Baník have only tasted relegation once in 2016, and naturally they bounced back at the first time of asking. They even won the league in 2004, followed by the cup the following season. Though they’ve stuck around in the top flight, they’re capable of finishing anywhere, a little like a Czech Everton. After a 3rd-placed finish in 2010, they finished 14th three seasons in a row - impressive in many ways. Since promotion in 2017, however, they’ve troubled the top half with a lot more frequency.

Slavia Prague

1994: 2nd

Now: 2nd

The more things change, the more they stay the same, and these two giants still being at the top of the pile - by quite some distance already I should add - exemplifies that to a tee. It’s no real surprise given the resources invested in both of these sides, as well as the revenues accumulated from Champions League group stages over the years. They’ve won seven leagues and seven cups since Czech Republic became independent, and they’ll hope to capitalise on their game in hand, and any Sparta slip-ups given the five point gap between them currently.

Sparta Prague

1994: 1st

Now: 1st

Winners of the top division no fewer than 37 times in all iterations of whichever top domestic league they so happen to be in, it’s looking likely they’ll be getting number 38 in 2024. They’ve won seven Czech Cups since independence, and 13 of those league titles came in the Czech era. In fact, from 1996 to 2003, they won an extraordinary six of those titles, before intermittent title wins, and a rare dry spell after 2014. They made up for that last season, however, with a first title in just under a decade.