František Straka facts for kids
Straka in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 28 May 1958 | ||
| Place of birth | České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 1.82 m | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1966–1977 | Dynamo České Budějovice | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1977–1979 | Dukla Tachov | ||
| 1979–1988 | Sparta Prague | 233 | (10) |
| 1988–1991 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 81 | (1) |
| 1991–1992 | Hansa Rostock | 34 | (0) |
| 1992–1996 | Wuppertaler SV | 93 | (7) |
| 1996–1998 | SCB Preußen Köln | 35 | (8) |
| National team | |||
| 1983–1990 | Czechoslovakia | 35 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1999–2001 | Wuppertaler SV | ||
| 2001–2002 | Teplice (assistant) | ||
| 2002–2004 | Teplice | ||
| 2004 | Sparta Prague | ||
| 2005 | LR Ahlen | ||
| 2006 | Viktoria Plzeň | ||
| 2006–2007 | FC Wacker Tirol | ||
| 2007–2008 | České Budějovice | ||
| 2008 | OFI Crete | ||
| 2009 | Czech Republic | ||
| 2009–2010 | Ružomberok | ||
| 2010–2011 | North Queensland Fury | ||
| 2011 | Arka Gdynia | ||
| 2011–2012 | Slavia Prague | ||
| 2014 | Slovan Bratislava | ||
| 2016–2017 | Ismaily SC | ||
| 2017 | Smouha SC | ||
| 2018 | Al-Ansar SC | ||
| 2019 | Karviná | ||
| 2020–2021 | Třinec | ||
| 2023 | AS Trenčín | ||
| 2024 | Michalovce | ||
| 2024–2025 | České Budějovice | ||
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František Straka (born May 28, 1958) is a famous Czech football player and coach. He was known for being a strong defender during his playing days. After he stopped playing, he became a coach for many different teams, both in his home country and around the world.
Contents
Playing Career
František Straka played football for many years. He was a defender, which means his job was to stop the other team from scoring goals. His most famous time as a player was with Sparta Prague, a big club in the Czech Republic. He played there for nine years.
In 1988, he moved to Germany and played for teams like Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hansa Rostock. He also played for the national team of Czechoslovakia. He played 35 games for his country and even went to the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Coaching Career
Starting as a Coach
After finishing his playing career, František Straka started coaching football teams. He managed several top teams in the Czech Republic. These included FK Teplice, his old club Sparta Prague, and Viktoria Plzeň.
He also coached teams in other countries like Austria, Slovakia, and Greece. In 2009, he was chosen to be the temporary manager for the Czech Republic national football team. He only coached one game, which they won 1–0 against Malta, before he left the position.
Coaching Around the World
In 2010, Straka moved to Australia to coach the North Queensland Fury team. Fans in Australia really liked him because he was friendly and had a great sense of style. He was ready to coach them for another season, but the club had money problems and closed down in 2011.
After that, Straka returned to Europe. He became the manager of a Polish team called Arka Gdynia. Later, in 2011, he took over as manager of SK Slavia Prague. This caused some debate among fans. Slavia and Sparta Prague are big rivals, and some Slavia fans saw Straka as a Sparta supporter. Even some Sparta fans were upset, thinking he was a "traitor" for coaching their rival. He resigned from Slavia after just five months.
He later coached other teams, including 1. FK Příbram in the Czech Republic and Ismaily SC in Egypt. Coaching in Egypt was his first time working in the Arab region or Africa.
Recent Coaching Roles
František Straka continued his coaching career into the 2020s. In February 2024, he became the manager of the Slovak football club Michalovce. Later that same year, in July, he was appointed manager of Dynamo České Budějovice. However, in January 2025, he was let go from Dynamo České Budějovice because the team was at the very bottom of the league table.
Honours
Managerial
Teplice
- Czech Cup: 2002–03
Sparta Prague
- Czech Cup: 2003–04
Slovan Bratislava
- Slovak Super Cup: 2014
