The Czech Republic’s poor World Cup campaign has now brought consequences. Miroslav Koubek has stepped down as head coach, despite initially suggesting that he had no intention of leaving the job.
Koubek steps down after Czech disappointment
Miroslav Koubek is no longer the head coach of the Czech national team. The Czech football federation confirmed that the 74-year-old has resigned following the team’s disappointing performance at the World Cup.
The decision marks a change in Koubek’s stance. Immediately after the final group-stage match, he had publicly insisted that he would not walk away and wanted to fulfil his contract. A few days later, however, he reconsidered the situation and accepted responsibility for the failure.
The federation’s chairman, David Trunda, held talks with Koubek and agreed to end the cooperation. That means the Czech Republic must now begin the search for a new manager.
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A short spell ending in failure
Koubek was appointed in December 2025 with a clear mission: guide the Czech Republic to the World Cup through the play-offs. He completed that task and helped the country return to the tournament after a 20-year absence.
The tournament itself was a major disappointment. The Czechs opened with a 1-2 defeat against South Korea, then drew 1-1 with South Africa and finished the group stage with a 0-3 loss to Mexico. Those results left them bottom of Group A and out of the competition.
Koubek’s resignation closes a brief but intense chapter. He achieved the minimum target by reaching the World Cup, but the performances in North America were too poor for the project to continue.