Jan Kuchta posted a photo on Instagram on Tuesday, in which he and his girlfriend are smiling in front of the Prague Airport building. But the one who interpreted it as a signal of the return of the Czech national team from Moscow was wrong. The picture is of an older date, from the departure to the training camp in Málaga. And according to his agent, the football player placed him on the social network to wish his girlfriend International Women’s Day. He does not seem to be returning from Russia.
On January 12, forward Jan Kuchta replaced the Prague Slavia jersey with the green-red club colors of Lokomotiv Moskva. At that time, few people perceived Russia as a problem zone. Much changed on February 24 when the Russian military launched an armed aggression into Ukraine.
In connection with this, Kuchta has already lost his coach. After five months of work, German expert Markus Gisdol recovered and traveled to Russia. “I cannot work in a country whose leader is responsible for the war in Europe,” he said unequivocally.
Czech forward Jan Kuchta does not comment on the situation. However, the List of Reporters reporter spoke with his agent Milan Martinovich. And the interview showed that his client is not planning to leave Russia now. “We haven’t talked about it yet,” the agent says.
At the instigation of FIFPro, the International Federation of Professional Footballers, FIFA, the governing world football, has created a special measure that allows all foreign footballers currently operating in the Russian and Ukrainian leagues to suspend their existing contract. And to conclude a contract elsewhere, where they should then operate by June 30 this year.
“Perhaps some players want to leave Russia. And because of them, FIFA created this measure. But according to my reports, most foreign footballers will remain in the Russian league. Lokomotiv officials assured me that none of the foreigners in their staff have plans to leave, ”says Martinovič.
A total of 13 footballers holding a foreign passport appear on Lokomotiv’s roster. Some of them have dual citizenship, while the other is Russian.
“To gather now, to go somewhere else, to be integrated into the cadre and the line-up there, and to return to Russia after a few months? I know that time is difficult and this measure may suit someone, I don’t know. But from a football point of view, it doesn’t make much sense to me, “says Martinovič.
We will evaluate the situation in the summer
FIFA has opened a special transfer window for foreign footballers operating in Russia and Ukraine until 7 April. “It is true. But in order for a football player to be able to use this option, he must notify his club no later than March 10, “says Martinovič.
This is Thursday this week. And so far there is no evidence that Jan Kuchta planned to terminate his contractual relationship with Lokomotiv. The fall in the value of the ruble against world currencies does not drive him out of Russia either. “Honza has a contract tied to the euro, so that’s not a problem,” says his agent.
“Several clubs have already contacted me in connection with Honza Kuchta and the new FIFA measure. No, I won’t name them specifically. But I don’t think anything like this will be relevant at the moment. We will see how the situation develops in the coming months. And we will evaluate everything during the summer break, “the agent suggests a possible strategy.
The contract binds 25-year-old Jan Kuchta to work at Lokomotiv Moskva for 4.5 years, until the summer of 2026. Prague’s Slavia should collect a total of 5 million euros for its striker. The player’s agent did not want to comment on how the installments are scheduled and whether the financial performance between the clubs takes place according to the agreements.
The spokesman of the Czech national football team, Petr Šedivý, let it be heard that in Strahov he is intensively solving how to get Jan Kuchta to the March national team meeting, the task of which will be the playoffs for advancing to the World Cup in Qatar. Many airlines to Moscow were canceled in connection with the war and its effects.
“But Turkish or Qatari airlines keep flying to Moscow. If Honza gets an invitation to a national team event, he will definitely get it, “Milan Martinovič does not bother with this question.
An unconditional punishment is being dealt with
Kuchta already presented himself in Lokomotiv colors at the beginning of the spring season in two matches. She started with a cup debacle 0: 4 with Yenisei Krasnoyarsk. On Sunday, the Lokomotiv players defeated Khimki 3: 2 in a league match, when Kuchta netted one of the goals of the winning team.
In this connection, the officials of the losers pointed out that in the last match of the autumn part of the Czech Fortuna League, the then Slavist Jan Kuchta still received a red card on the Baník Ostrava pitch. The Czech disciplinary awarded him a distance for one competition match. And Kuchta did not serve this punishment.
“Now it is being decided whether there has been a problem in the communication between the Czech and Russian associations,” says Martinovič. “If a mistake occurred, Honza should not have started in that cup match. That he played against Khimki is not a problem in my opinion. It is being solved, “added the agent, who, in addition to Kuchta, also represents, for example, Petar Musa, a Slavist visiting Boavista Porto, or Stefan Simič, a Slavic pupil, now in the colors of Hajduk Split.
