Karel Brückner

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Karel Brückner

| image = Karel Bruckner a1232.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| caption = Brückner (grey suit) coaching Czech Republic in a UEFA Euro 2004 match

| alt =

| fullname = Karel Brückner

| height =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|11|13|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Olomouc, Bohemia and Moravia

| youthyears1 = 1946–1958

| youthclubs1 = Spartak MŽ Olomouc

| years1 =

| clubs1 = MŽ Olomouc

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1970–1971

| clubs2 = Baník Ostrava

| caps2 = 2

| goals2 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1973–1979

| managerclubs1 = Sigma Olomouc

| manageryears2 = 1979–1981

| managerclubs2 = Železárny Prostějov

| manageryears3 = 1981–1983

| managerclubs3 = Zbrojovka Brno

| manageryears4 = 1983–1987

| managerclubs4 = Sigma Olomouc

| manageryears5 = 1987–1988

| managerclubs5 = Czechoslovakia U-21

| manageryears6 = 1988–1989

| managerclubs6 = ZVL Žilina

| manageryears7 = 1989–1990

| managerclubs7 = TJ Vítkovice

| manageryears8 = 1990–1993

| managerclubs8 = Sigma Olomouc

| manageryears9 = 1994

| managerclubs9 = Petra Drnovice

| manageryears10 = 1995

| managerclubs10 = Inter Bratislava

| manageryears11 = 1995–1997

| managerclubs11 = Sigma Olomouc

| manageryears12 = 1998–2001

| managerclubs12 = Czech Republic U-21

| manageryears13 = 2001–2008

| managerclubs13 = Czech Republic

| managerclubs14 = Austria

| manageryears14 = 2008–2009

| medaltemplates = {{medalSport|Men's football}}

{{Medal|Country|{{fb|CZE}}}} (as manager)

}}

Karel Brückner ({{IPA|cs|ˈkarɛl ˈbrɪknɛr}};Karel Brückner is of German descent. In German, his name is pronounced {{IPA|de|ˈkaʁɛl ˈbʁʏknɐ|}}. born 13 November 1939, Olomouc) is a Czech retired football coach.

Playing career

Brückner played as a forward in the lower leagues for MŽ Olomouc, at levels between the Regional Championship and the Second League.{{cite book |last=Jeřábek|first=Luboš|title=Český a československý fotbal – lexikon osobností a klubů|year=2007|publisher=Grada Publishing|location=Prague|language=cs|isbn=978-80-247-1656-5|page=27}} He made two appearances for Baník Ostrava in the Czechoslovak First League during the 1970–71 season.

Coaching career

Brückner began his coaching career in 1973 with his home club SK Sigma Olomouc,{{cite news |last=Fletcher|first=Paul|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Bruckner tracks Czech path to glory|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/euro_2004/czech_rep/3854805.stm|date=30 June 2004|access-date=23 June 2008}} before moving to FC Zbrojovka Brno, who he led in the Czechoslovak First League in the 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons. He later went on to coach Inter Bratislava with which he won the Slovakia Cup in 1985.

He was appointed coach of the Czech Republic national under-21 football team in 1997 and the side finished second at the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. At UEFA Euro 2000 he was assistant manager of the Czech Republic national side.{{cite news

|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Bruckner ready for battle|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/czech_rep/players_to_watch/3643981.stm|date=27 May 2004|access-date=14 June 2014}}

Brückner became the national team manager in 2001, following the Czech Republic's unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In the time up to March 2004, the Czech Republic played twenty matches without defeat under his leadership, winning seven of eight qualifying matches for the Euro 2004 tournament and drawing the other one.{{cite news

|publisher=BBC Sport|title=How they qualified: Czech Republic|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/czech_rep/3648917.stm|date=21 May 2004|access-date=15 June 2014}} In the tournament's group match against the Netherlands, the Czech Republic conceded two goals within the first 20 minutes. Although Jan Koller scored a goal to make the score 2–1, Brückner responded by taking the unusual step of making a tactical substitution during the first half of the match, sending on midfielder Vladimír Šmicer to replace defender Zdeněk Grygera after just 25 minutes.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/jul/10/sport.comment3|title=The joy of six: inspired tactical switches|work=The Guardian|date=10 July 2007|access-date=15 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140615193349/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/jul/10/sport.comment3|archive-date=15 June 2014}} The Czech Republic scored twice more, with Šmicer scoring the winner two minutes before the end, as Brückner's team completed a comeback. The team went on to reach the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2004.

The team qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup but did not progress past the group stage. Brückner extended his contract for a further two-year period after the competition.{{cite news

|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Czech coach Bruckner agrees deal|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/czech_republic/5145908.stm|date=4 July 2006|access-date=15 June 2014}} The Czech Republic qualified for Euro 2008. Prior to the tournament, Brückner announced his intention to leave his position at the end of the competition.{{cite web | title = Czech collapse at Euro 2008 signals end of era as Bruckner, Koller, Galasek bow out | url = http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hHTVggOCUzow0VEIF35ljPZNWf9Q | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080620023419/http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hHTVggOCUzow0VEIF35ljPZNWf9Q | archive-date = 20 June 2008 | publisher = The Canadian Press | access-date = 20 June 2008 }} The Czech Republic failed to progress beyond the group stage of the tournament.

In spite of announcing his retirement, Brückner did not remain unemployed for long. In July 2008, the national team of Austria named him as their new manager.{{cite news|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKL58550020080725|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120703162442/http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKL58550020080725|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 July 2012|title=Soccer-Czech Brückner appointed new Austria coach|publisher=Reuters|date=25 July 2008|access-date=25 July 2008}}

On 2 March 2009, the Austrian Football Association announced that Brückner had left his position as Austria's coach by mutual consent after having led the team to just one win in seven matches.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/sports/02iht-coach2.20538274.html?_r=0|title=Austria coach Bruckner leaves job|work=The New York Times|date=2 March 2009|access-date=4 June 2014}} On 8 July 2009, Bruckner was named Advisor to Ivan Hašek of the Football Association of the Czech Republic.