‘The ball is round’: Czech coach confident ahead of Korea clash

SALT LAKE CITY — Czech Republic head coach Miroslav Koubek says his team is not heading to the World Cup merely to gain experience, and has already found a way to stop Korean captain Son Heung-min.

“We're not flying all the way to Mexico just to make up the numbers,” said Koubek from Germany in an exclusive written interview with the JoongAng Ilbo.

Sitting at No. 41 in FIFA's rankings, the Czech Republic has been drawn into Group A alongside Korea at No. 25, Mexico at No. 15 and the Republic of South Africa at No. 60 at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is to kick off on June 11 and will run through July 19. The Czech Republic is scheduled to begin the tournament against Korea, led by Hong Myung-bo, at 8 p.m. on June 11 at Guadalajara Stadium in Guadalajar, Mexico.

Korea and the Czech Republic are widely expected to battle for second place in the group behind Mexico.

Born in 1951, the 75-year-old Koubek is known in the Czech Republic as football’s ultimate troubleshooter.

With his trademark charisma, Koubek swiftly took charge of a squad low on confidence and demonstrated the leadership needed to guide them back to the World Cup. The Czechs won the European playoffs in April, beating both Ireland and Denmark in dramatic penalty shootouts.

Czech fans have since often referred to Koubek as “kouzelnik,” which translates to “wizard,” for rescuing the national team from crisis.

The achievement secured the Czech Republic's return to the World Cup for the first time in 20 years, the last being in the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Despite returning to the stage after two decades, Koubek showed confidence of his team advancing to Round of 32.

“It has been 20 years since the Czech Republic last played in a World Cup,” he said. “Preparation time has been short and we have not had enough time to adapt to local conditions, including Mexico’s high altitude. Still, at the very least, we expect to advance from the group stage.”

Koubek acknowledged the challenge awaiting his team.

“Group A is extremely difficult,” he said. “We will have to walk through a thorny path to reach the Round of 32,” he said. “Of course it won’t be easy, but Korea, Mexico and the Republic of South Africa are all teams we believe we can compete against. Advancing from the group stage is not just a dream.”

The veteran manager favors pragmatic, efficient football.

Rather than relying on individual brilliance, his teams focus on intense pressing, defensive organization and simple, direct play built around set pieces. His approach to the group stage reflects the same philosophy.

“We will approach every match ready to fight desperately,” Koubek said. “But we do not need to win every game. We simply need to collect the points required to advance. We will carefully decide when to go all out and when to conserve energy.”

Asked whether Korea could become their first victim, Koubek remained confident.

“Of course we will play for victory from the first match,” he said. “Korea is a strong team, but the ball is round. In football, there is no such thing as an opponent you can never beat.”

Stopping Korean captain Son of Los Angeles FC will be the Czech Republic's top priority.

“We know what kind of player he is,” Koubek said. “We are preparing for him.”

The Czech coach revealed that he dispatched a scout during Korea’s March friendlies against Ivory Coast and Austria.

“At the time, we had not even secured our place in the World Cup yet,” he said. “But we moved early and dissected Korea’s performances in detail.”

He continued, “As a result, we found a way to stop Son Heung-min.”

However, the manager refrained from giving out more details, saying, “These are internal team matters.”

When asked about his team's greatest strength, Koubek immediately pointed to their mentality. He cited the two penalty shootout victories in the playoffs as evidence.

“This team may not be a golden generation like the one in 2004,” he said. “But our teamwork and organization are stronger than ever. Even when we are behind, we never give up. We have the ability to come back.”

“Mental toughness is our greatest weapon,” he added. “In that respect, we are similar to Korea and its fighting spirit.”

Koubek also highlighted several key players.

“We have goalkeeper Matej Kovar [of PSV Eindhoven] who saved two penalty shootouts and captain and center back Ladislav Krejci [of Wolverhampton Wanderers] are the cornerstones of the team's defense," he said.

Koubek added, “Krejci is the backbone of the team. He combines leadership with the ability to score goals.”

In attack, Koubek singled out striker Patrik Schick of Bayer Leverkusen. Schick scored 16 Bundesliga goals during the 2025-26 season, the fourth-highest total in Germany’s top flight.

The Czech Republic will move to its base camp in Mansfield, Texas, to begin final preparations after playing against Guatemala in its final warm-up match at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey on Thursday.

Stuck at work or school when Korea kicks off? We've got you covered. The Korea JoongAng Daily is live-blogging every Korea match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, around the clock. Don't miss a moment.

BY PIH JU-YOUNG [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]