Today "Kharkiv" will play against Czech "Hradec Kralove"
"Kharkiv" within the summer training camp in Austria has already played 5 friendly matches in 19 days, winning one (6:2 against "Karabakh"), drawing once (3:3 with "Wolfsberger"), and suffering three defeats: 0:2 from "Young Boys", 0:4 from "Salzburg", and 0:1 from "Jablonec" (this match took place yesterday). The total goal difference is 9:12. The top scorers of the team in the camp are Kauan Baptistella, Castillo, and Parako (2 goals each). However, Baptistella got injured during the match with "Jablonec," and the details are currently being clarified.
Last season, "Hradec Kralove" can add to its achievements as the team managed to finish 4th, which was the best result in the club's history. Moreover, the team earned the right to play in the Europa League qualifiers, where the first opponent will be Norwegian "Tromso." In the Czech Cup, the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing narrowly to "Banik" - 0:1.
The team started preparations on June 22 and after tests, headed to Austria where they have already played 3 friendlies. They first defeated Prague's "Sparta" - 2:1, then the Czechs beat Danish "Nordsjaelland" - 3:0, and in the last game, like "Kharkiv," they drew with "Wolfsberger" - 1:1.
Achievements: The highest achievement of the club dates back to the 1959/60 season when "Hradec Kralove" became the champion of Czechoslovakia. In recent history, the club won the Czech Cup (1994/95 season) and became the champion of the Czech Second League three times - in the 2000/01, 2009/10, and 2020/21 seasons.
Geography: "Hradec Kralove" represents the city of Hradec Kralove - the administrative center of the eponymous region in eastern Czech Republic. The city is located at the confluence of the Elbe and Orlice rivers, approximately 100 kilometers from Prague. It is known for its combination of historical and modern architecture, as well as numerous green areas. The population is about 94,000 people. Interestingly, the distance from Kharkiv to Hradec Kralove is approximately 1,712 kilometers.
Head Coach: David Goreish - a 49-year-old Czech specialist with experience in the domestic league. He started his coaching career at "Dynamo" (Ceske Budejovice), where after working with youth teams and serving as an assistant, he took over the first team in 2015. This period was crucial in his development: Goreish worked with the club for over six years, playing more than 200 matches and stabilizing the team, including promoting it to the elite division of the Czech Republic.
In 2022, the specialist took on a new challenge, leading "Jablonec" for a season. After that, on February 28, 2024, Goreish became the head coach of "Hradec Kralove," signing a contract until the summer of 2027.
Transfermarkt: According to the portal, the total value of the team's players is 11.7 million euros, with goalkeeper Adam Zadrazil being the most expensive player at 2.5 million euros. The team has a small number of foreign players compared to competitors in the league. Currently, "Hradec Kralove" has three Slovaks, as well as one player from the Netherlands, Latvia, and Angola.
In the current transfer window, the club is acting cautiously, strengthening the squad selectively. The attacking midfielder Tom Slonchik from "Viktoria" (Plzen) and Tomas Vizhner from "Houston Dynamo" have joined the team. At the same time, experienced players Vaclav Pilarz and Lukas Chmelik have left the team as their contracts were not renewed.
July 16 at 18:30 (Kyiv time). Austria, "Leerberg Arena." Friendly match #6. Summer training camp 2026.
Watch the match broadcast on YouTube channel of "Kharkiv" and on the TV channel UPL.TV
