Tomas Soucek faces losing his national team captaincy for the Czech Republic after players failed to acknowledge fans following a recent World Cup qualifier.
West Ham United’s Tomáš Souček is set to lose the Czech Republic captain’s armband for the nation’s next fixture following a clash with fans after their final World Cup qualifying game, despite the team securing a 6-0 victory over Gibraltar, according to a report from NationalWorld.
The incident occurred after the full-time whistle, when the players elected not to approach the travelling Czech supporters to applaud them—an action that was confirmed by the Czech FA to result in the forfeiture of their match bonuses.
A spokesperson for the FACR Football Association stated: “Unfortunately, the players’ attitude completely overshadowed the performance on the pitch and the positive fact of the national team’s advancement to the play-offs for the 2026 World Cup.”
The association spokesperson stressed the importance of fan appreciation, adding: “The players’ reaction should have been the opposite. They should have thanked the active fans.”
As a result of the incident, the FA confirmed: “The FACR Football Association also decided that Tomas Soucek will not lead the team as captain in the next match and the players will not be paid bonuses related to yesterday’s qualifying match. These funds will be donated to help those in need.”
The team now advances to the play-offs, where they must defeat the Republic of Ireland and then either Denmark or North Macedonia to qualify for the 2026 tournament.