Sydney FC has appointed respected Czech, Vitezslav Lavicka as Head Coach for the 2009/10 Hyundai A-League season, with the new manager to take the reigns from April 1.
Sydney FC has appointed respected Czech, Vitezslav Lavicka as Head Coach for the 2009/10 Hyundai A-League season.
Lavicka will arrive in Australia in March to take the reins at Sydney FC from the start of pre-season training for the club-s next Hyundai A-League campaign. His contract will commence on April 1 2009.
The 45-year-old was named Czech Coach of the Year after winning the Czech League in 2005/06 and earning a place in the qualifying stages of the UEFA Champion-s League with FC Slovan Liberec. In 2008 he took Czech giants Sparta Prague to the UEFA Cup, and in the 2007/08 season he also guided the fortunes of the Czech Republic U-21 National side.
Sydney FC CEO Stefan Kamasz said, “We are extremely happy to be able to announce that Czech coach, Vitezslav Lavicka has accepted the role as Sydney FC Coach for the 2009/10 Hyundai A-League season.”
“It is proposed that Vitezslav travel to China to meet the players and staff during the club-s upcoming friendly in Shanghai on February 28. He will then arrive in Australia in March to ensure everything is in place for the start of pre-season training.”
Sydney FC Director, Scott Barlow added, “Lavicka has a strong coaching pedigree and holds a UEFA Pro coaching licence, the highest possible coaching credential in world football.”
“We are confident Lavicka will provide the professionalism and technical knowledge required to get the best out of our players and take Sydney FC forward.”
Lavicka will be joined at Sydney FC by fellow Czech, Michal Zach who has been appointed as co-assistant coach, alongside current Sydney FC assistant coach and former Captain Tony Popovic.
Zach, who also holds a UEFA Pro coaching licence, was an assistant to Lavicka when the duo were in charge of the Czech U21 team, which finished third in its group with a record of four wins and two draws out of eight matches in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA U21 Championships.
Lavicka and Zach spent five days in Sydney recently, running their eyes over the club-s training facilities and the Sydney Football Stadium, where they watched Sydney FC defeat Newcastle Jets 4-0 in the final game of the season.
