"PRAGUE -- The Czech Republic soccer association stripped Tomás Soucek of his captaincy Tuesday and denied financial bonuses to national team players as punishment for ignoring their fans after their final World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar. Czechia, who had been assured of second place in Group L, won the home game 6-0 in Olomouc on Monday, but the players didn't go thank the diehard fans who were critical of their performance in the qualifying campaign."
"The association apologized to fans and said the players won't receive the financial bonuses for the game. Instead, the money will go to charities. West Ham will lose his captaincy for the team's next match. "The fans have a full right to express their disagreement with the unsatisfactory performance in the recent games," the association said in a statement. "The reaction of the players should have been quite the contrary. They should have thanked the active fans.""
The Czech Republic soccer association removed Tomás Soucek as captain and withheld match bonuses after national team players failed to acknowledge fans following a 6-0 win over Gibraltar. The withheld bonus money will be donated to charities. Czechia secured second place in Group L and will be seeded in the 16-team playoff draw for four European World Cup spots. Supporters repeatedly chanted "Fight for Czechia" amid criticism of the qualifying campaign. Coach Ivan Hasek was fired after a loss to the Faroe Islands; assistant Jaroslav Köstl led recent wins. A new coach could be named for the playoffs; the team last qualified in 2006.
Read at ESPN.com
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