Czechs considered Venables

Former England boss was in the frame for Czech Republic job

By Vasek Kadlec   Last updated: 19th July 2008

Terry Venables

Venables: Expressed interest in post

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It has been revealed that Terry Venables was a strong contender for the Czech Republic national team job.

The post has recently been handed to Petr Rada, but former England boss Venables was among those considered for the role.

Vice-chairman of the Czech FA, Jaroslav Vacek, had spoken a few weeks ago of a candidate that had been considered, but had then been ruled out of the equation.

It has now to come to light that he was talking about Venables, with two unnamed representatives from the Czech national team confirming that was the case.

Prestige

A source from the Czech FA also revealed that Venables had been keen on the job as his first two games in charge would have been a friendly with England on 20th August and a World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland on 10th September.

"The whole philosophy of this operation was based on the fact that the Czech Republic will play their first game with a new coach against England at Wembley and the second in Northern Ireland," an FA representative explained to Sport.

"This situation interested Venables. He was excited by the prestige of the role and had a desire to lead a third team into a game in England after being in charge of England and Australia.

"This was why he was prepared to accept a very average wage, which would have been boosted by bonuses if he lead the country to the World Cup finals in South Africa."

Despite Venables' willingness to take the role, the Czech FA eventually decided that a homegrown coach should lead the national team and plumped for Rada.

Principles

Meanwhile, Venables has had his say on the Cristiano Ronaldo saga which has dominated the summer headlines.

The veteran coach is disgusted by the manner in which the Manchester United winger is prepared to walk away from a lucrative contract just months after expressing his delight at penning a new deal.

Venables was one of those who fought to abolish the maximum wage for footballers in the 1960s, but admits he never imagined that players would eventually be able to so flagrantly abuse the freedoms they have inherited.

"What Ronaldo is doing completely cuts through the principles we fought for. And it hurts," Venables wrote in The Sun.

Immoral

"Not one of us ever imagined players could be given a contract and then be free to walk away at a whim, no matter how many years were still remaining. We wouldn't have dreamt of asking for such a thing.

"Ronaldo has four years left on a highly lucrative deal that he was overjoyed to sign 15 months ago.

"What on earth gives him the right, now, to just throw it in the air and say 'I've had enough, I'm off'?

"It's selfish, it's immoral, it's potentially devastating for the game as a whole. It's wrong. And it's only any good for Ronaldo."