Ještěd jednou prosím: Slovan Liberec - Czech football's Mr Consistent

 When taking a cursory glance at Slovan Liberec's Wikipedia page, one thing stands out in particular - since the formation of the Czech League as a result of Czechoslovakia's dissolution in 1993-94, Slovan Liberec have spent 31 seasons consistently in the top flight. Included within this timeframe are also three title wins and two cup successes, as well as many a European night since the turn of the millennium. Only Sparta and Slavia can boast similar top flight longevity as far as Czech football goes.

But who exactly are Slovan Liberec, and why should anyone care at this point? After all, the team has been solidly mid-table since 2016, with only a 5th place finish in 2020 granting them their most recent European endeavour. Sadly it was the year of the pandemic, meaning fans couldn't enjoy their last foray into the Europa League, in which they saw off Riterai of Lithuania, FCSB of Romania and APOEL of Cyprus en route to the group stage. 

They crashed out on seven points, with six of those coming from Belgian side Gent, the other a goalless draw at home to Red Star Belgrade. Shipping five goals away in Belgrade and at German outfit Hoffenheim did them no favours, nor did a 2-0 home loss against the German side who progressed along with Red Star.

So will the good times come back to Liberec? On this season's evidence, probably not for at least another season. The side on the German border also sit perilously on the border between the pointless mid-table group of four and the relegation group prior to their encounter with Sparta, who themselves are fresh off a derby win. Only a point separates Liberec and Slovacko, with Karvina and Teplice also not too far behind. 

While relegation seems virtually impossible, a finish in the top six seems unlikely barring a strong run of form. You could almost make the argument that Slovan Liberec are something of a sleeping giant, and given the poor results against fierce local rivals Jablonec this season (a 5-0 defeat and a goalless draw), a strong end to the season would be a huge boost.

After three years living in the Czech Republic, a trip to Liberec has always somehow eluded me, but now it felt like the right time to spend the weekend there. Though neither Slovan nor Sparta would like to admit it, neither has had the season they'd have hoped for - Sparta are currently ten points behind Slavia, and Slovan seem very much mid-table at the moment. That said, defeat for Sparta could open the door for Plzen or Ostrava in the race for Europe, and Slovan would like something to play for after the split.

A trip north - Slovan Liberec v Sparta Praha

Going into the fixture, I couldn't help but notice two of Slovan's last three fixtures finished goalless - the aforementioned derby with Jablonec last week, and a game against Bohemians two weeks back, with a 1-1 against a struggling Dukla sandwiched between. 

Sparta Prague meanwhile have hit some form, with their last failure to win in the league coming at home to Teplice in November. Naturally they've lost a few Champions League games in that time, but you have to go back to 2nd November for their last league defeat - a 3-1 loss at home to Banik Ostrava.

The head to head record is unsurprisingly one-sided, with Sparta tasting defeat against Liberec in July 2022 - a 2-1 loss at home. That said, Slovan did manage to complete a double over Sparta in the 2019-20 season.

I set off from the bus station at around 10 on the Saturday, with a five hour journey ahead. I'd arrive into Liberec at around 3, giving myself plenty of time to explore the city and grab some dinner before the game at 7pm.

When you arrive into Liberec, you can't help but notice the looming presence of Ještěd, which is pretty much visible from anywhere within the city. It's stunning, and certainly something I'd love a closer look at on a future visit. As for the city itself, it had a great deal of character and charm - you could certainly tell it was on the German border, though it still had an unmistakable Czech-ness about it.

The beautiful Ještěd, captured poorly by me, not a photographer...

I didn't find as much time to explore the city as I'd have liked though. I checked into the hotel, then grabbed some ribs at a nearby hospoda before heading to the game. Now here's where the fun begins.

I got to Stadion u Nisy, already impressed viewing from the outside. I would genuinely consider placing it above Sigma Olomouc as my new favourite - the stand built into the quarry is such an incredible and unique feature. My only gripe would be turning up at the wrong stand initially, then having to go all the way around via a mini expedition to get to the other side, with some useful guidance from a couple of local teens - shout out to them. 

That said, I saw a bober by the river walking to the stadium, so it wasn't all bad. And it did give me a bit of time to explore the local surroundings.

Bobr k***a!

The game itself is perhaps the most entertained I've been since my trip to Celje to watch their dramatic 3-2 win over TNS in December. While this wasn't a goalfest in the same way, it was unexpected and delightful.

The first half was pretty drab in all honesty. Sparta looked likelier to score, but Slovan held firm, with goalkeeper Tomáš Koubek making some crucial stops. Things livened up in the second half, with Slovan taking a shock lead 50 minutes in - Denis Visnovič's close range effort took a deflection and looped over Danish keeper Peter Vindahl's head, to the delight of the excellent home faithful.

As you might expect, Sparta huffed and puffed but couldn't find that equaliser, with each passing minute of stoppage time increasing the volume of the home support. Honestly, the atmosphere was absolutely electric - these are the kinds of nights that live with you for a long time. 

I've nothing specific against Sparta ot Slavia (okay, maybe a bit), but the main joy in seeing them lose comes in the fact that they never lose. Football is made for moments such as this, when the script isn't followed. It would be remiss to simply dismiss Slovan Liberec as some plucky underdog given their standing in the Czech game, but this could be a turning point for them. Top six is still possible, and we now know they can produce results like this. The good times may not return immediately this season, but it's a start.

Less war/poverty, more stadiums next to massive piles of sand.

Full time result - Slovan Liberec 1-0 Sparta Praha (Višňovský, 50)

Five things you didn't know about Liberec

1.) The reason behind the title of this blog is due to Liberec's most renowned and iconic symbol - Ještěd, a mountain just north of the city with one of the most unique hotels in the world sitting atop it. I would highly recommend watching the excellent video from The Tim Traveller on YouTube, who stayed there a year ago.

2.) Liberec is one of the few Czech cities to have a different name in German. That said, while the likes of Brno (Brunn) and Prague (Praga) still retain some degree of their original Czech names in German, Reichenberg is a complete departure. The rough translation is 'rich mountain', which given the previous point above seems a fair name.

3.) In 1938, the Munich Agreement awarded the city to Nazi Germany, leading to its darkest chapter in history. The Jewish and Czech population were both expelled, with the city's largest synagogue burned down. The city was Czechoslovak once more folllowing the end of the Second World War.

4.) The stadium is one of the most unique in Europe, let alone Czech Republic, and the reason for that is the huge main stand which is built into some rock face - around 600 metres cubed had to be blasted in order for these renovations to be made in the 1950s. The ground has hosted a few international matches, with the likes of Andorra, San Marino, Cyprus and Latvia being on the receiving ends of defeats.

5.) Liberec used to hold the unofficial title of the 'Manchester of Bohemia', due primarily to its booming textile industry. I will only start to believe that to be the case when I find a Korunovační ulice with the Czech equivalents of Roy Cropper and Steve McDonald...