Dukla Prague facts for kids
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| Full name | Dukla Prague | |
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| Founded | 1948 | |
| Dissolved | 1996 (became FC Dukla Příbram) | |
| Ground | Stadion Juliska, Prague |
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| Capacity | 18,000 | |
| League | Czechoslovak League (1949–1993) Czech League (1993–1994) Czech Third League (1994–1996) |
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| Final season 1995–96 |
3rd in ČFL |
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Dukla Prague (Czech: Dukla Praha) was a famous football club from Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1948 as ATK Praha. This club became one of the most successful teams in Czechoslovakia's history.
Dukla Prague won an amazing 11 league titles and eight national cups. They even reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1966–67. In 1962, seven Dukla players helped the national team win a silver medal at the World Cup. That same year, Dukla's star player, Josef Masopust, was named the best player in Europe!
Even though the football club doesn't exist in its original form anymore, other sports clubs named Dukla Praha still train world-class athletes. These clubs are supported by the Czech Army.
Contents
The Story of Dukla Prague
Early Days and Name Changes
Dukla Prague started in 1948 as "Armádní tělovýchovný klub (ATK) Praha". This means "Army Physical Education Club". It was part of the Czechoslovak Army and had seven different sports teams. The football team immediately joined the top league in Czechoslovakia.
In 1953, the club changed its name to "Ústřední dům armády (ÚDA) Praha". This translates to "Central House of the Army". That year, they won their very first league title! In 1956, they won another league title and changed their name again to "Dukla Praha". This new name honored the soldiers who fought bravely at the Battle of Dukla Pass in 1944. They won their third league title in 1957–58.
Golden Era: Winning Trophies
The 1960–61 season was special because it was the first year of the Czechoslovak Cup. Dukla won both the league and the cup that season, which is called a "double"! They almost did it again in 1962, winning the league but losing the cup final.
The year 1962 was also important for the World Cup. Seven Dukla players were on the national team that reached the final. They lost to Brazil, but Dukla's Josef Masopust scored in the final and later won the 1962 Ballon d'Or, an award for the best football player in Europe.
Dukla then won the league for four years in a row! They won the cup again in 1964–65 and completed another "double" in 1965–66. Their last trophy of that decade was the cup in 1968–69. In the first nine years of the cup competition, Dukla reached six finals and won four of them.
The cup format changed after 1969. Dukla won more cups in 1980–81, 1982–83, 1984–85, and 1989–90. In 1985–86, they had their biggest win ever, beating Dynamo České Budějovice 10–0!
Dukla Prague in Europe and America
European Cup Appearances
Between 1955 and 1991, Dukla played more matches in the European Cup (45 games) than any other team from Czechoslovakia. Five players from the Czechoslovak league who played the most European Cup games were all from Dukla: Josef Masopust, Jozef Adamec, Jiří Čadek, Josef Vacenovský, and Dušan Kabát.
American Challenge Cup Success
Dukla Prague also made a big impact in the United States. They won the American Challenge Cup four times between 1961 and 1964. A Czech writer named Ota Pavel even wrote a book about Dukla's first win, called Dukla mezi mrakodrapy (Dukla Among Skyscrapers).
Dukla was so good that the organizers of the International Soccer League created the American Challenge Cup just for them. Dukla would play against the winners of the group stage. They won three of these cups:
- Against Brazil's America-RJ in 1962 (1–1 and 2–1).
- Against West Ham United from England in 1963 (1–0 and 1–1).
- Against Zagłębie Sosnowiec from Poland in 1964 (3–1 and 1–1).
Dukla's total record in these American competitions was 11 wins, four draws, and only one loss.
A Cult Song
Many years later, Dukla Prague became famous in the United Kingdom thanks to a cult song by the band Half Man Half Biscuit. Their 1986 song "All I want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague away kit" made the team popular among football fans who like unique or less common teams. This song even led to a demand for replica Dukla Prague shirts!
The End of an Era and a New Beginning
Changes in the Czech Republic
In 1994, Dukla Prague's connection with the military ended. At the same time, the club lost its place in the top football league. In the 1993–94 Czech First League season, Dukla finished last. They only won one of their thirty matches, a 1–0 victory against Hradec Králové. They even lost one game 7–0!
After that, Dukla played in the third-tier Bohemian Football League for two seasons, finishing third both times.
Merging and Moving On
In 1996, the original Dukla Prague club merged with a second-division team called FC Portál Příbram. The new club eventually became known as 1. FK Příbram. This new team played one season in Prague at Dukla's old stadium, Juliska. Then, in 1997, they moved to the city of Příbram. The very last home match at Juliska for this merged club was a 2–2 draw on June 1, 1997.
Dukla's Name Returns
The name Dukla Prague disappeared from Czech football for a few years, but it didn't vanish forever! A local Prague team called Dukla Dejvice, founded in 1959, started playing at Juliska stadium. They even adopted Dukla Prague's famous yellow and red colors.
This new club joined the Prague Championship in 2001. In 2006, the management of Dukla Prague announced that they would take over the rights of another team to play in the second league. This meant the legendary Dukla name was back! In 2011, the club returned to the Czech top league, continuing the legacy of Dukla Prague.
Managers
Many different people managed Dukla Prague over the years. In 1948, there were two managers at the same time.
- Ladislav Ženíšek, Jiří Zástěra (1948)
- Ladislav Ženíšek (1949–50)
- Karel Kolský (1951–52)
- Bohumil Musil (1953)
- Karel Kolský (1954–59)
- Bohumil Musil (1959–60)
- Jaroslav Vejvoda (1960–65)
- Bohumil Musil (1965–69)
- Milan Tosnar (1965–70)
- Jaroslav Vejvoda (1969–73)
- Josef Masopust (1973–75)
- Jaroslav Vejvoda (1975–80)
- Ladislav Novák (1980–85)
- Jiří Lopata (1985–87)
- Jaroslav Jareš (1987–90)
- Ivo Viktor (1990–91)
- Michal Jelínek (1991–92)
- František Plass (1992)
- Jiří Fryš (1993)
- Dan Matuška (1993–94)
- Svatopluk Bouška (1994)
Honours
Dukla Prague won many important trophies during its history:
Czechoslovak First League
- Champions (11 times): 1953, 1956, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1981–82
Czechoslovak Cup
- Winners (8 times): 1960–61, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90
International Soccer League
- Winners: 1960
See also
- HC ATK Praha – a related ice hockey team from 1948–56
- HC Dukla Prague – the handball part of the club, which won 30 national championships
- Team Dukla Praha – a cycling team, started in 2011
- VK Dukla Liberec – a former volleyball part of the club
