The complicated case of Kucht. The hen breeder turns into a predator on the field

Even football connoisseurs’ eyes popped out of their sockets. Jan Kuchta turned over after the sharp sprint of the Spanish goalkeeper and at that time the Czechia led 2: 1 over one of the strongest teams in the world.

“I put his piece just below what Patrik Schick showed at last year’s European Championship against Scotland,” says Petr Kouba, goalkeeper of the European vice-champions from EURA 1996.

Schick’s goal from the middle of the field and Kucht’s in Sunday’s League of Nations match against Spain are among those that will be talked about for a long time. “This is a high mark of quality in solving the goal situation. It’s great that we have another such attacker, “says Kouba Kuchtu.

The current bitterness that the Czech team has only one attacker of international parameters – Patrik Schick, who is now a groin after surgery, is beginning to melt into a white haze. “When Patrik returns, I can imagine that they will come together and they will understand each other,” coach Jaroslav Šilhavý is looking forward to their cooperation. “We will be even more dangerous and stronger,” he predicts.

Jan Kuchta is a striker who is worth paying attention to. A football player who, however, has made a firm place in the national team with an interesting development.

Fans became nervous when Slavia sold its luxury shooter to Russia’s Lokomotiv Moscow for five million euros (approximately 130 million crowns). Kuchta, despite a slower and unconvincing start in the A team, which he interspersed with many guests (Bohemians, Viktoria Žižkov, Slovácko, Teplice, Slovan Liberec – from where Slavia even had to buy it back) eventually became a striking reliable force.

Last year, together with the spartan Adam Hložek, he became the king of shooters with 15 hits, in the middle of the recently concluded year he was close to defending the crown, when he had nine goals after the autumn season.

He also made a significant impact on the European scene, in the basic part of the newly formed Conference League he clashed against all rivals – Feyenoord Rotterdam, Union Berlin and Macabi Haifa.

But the offer of the Russian club was so financially attractive that it was impossible to keep it. When he left, his goals and the game that disrupted the opponent’s defenses were much missed by Slavia. That was also one reason why she did not defend the title, even though she led the table after the autumn part.

Kuchta is traditionally pretended to be a Slavist offspring, but the East Bohemian native also has a Spartan past in his biography, which, however, ended in a rather unusual way. In 2014, when he was seventeen, he was exchanged for the huge offensive talent of Daniel Turin (1998). He was not comfortable with coach Martin Hyský, his stay in Eden was unthinkable.

The solution came unexpectedly from Letná. “Jirka Rosický, the older brother of Tomáš, who was in charge of scouting, said that they have a problem player in their youth and it is advisable for him to change his place of work,” reveals Miroslav Jíra, the then coach of the Slavic youth team. It was directly offered – exchange. “Sports director Karol Kisel also agreed, financial compensation did not have to be involved, it was simply done,” says Jíra.

He gained a new charge, and soon recognized his strengths. “Strong, tough, combative, aggressive, emotional, winning type, he could accept and deal blows,” he calculates the pros. But he adds – if not negatives, at least complexity. “He had his opinion on everything, he liked to remcal, he showed what he thought,” he reveals that it was not easy to get a promising player.

His player’s agent Jiří Stejskal also knew this, accompanied by the reputation of a patient calm man, who is primarily concerned with the player’s happiness and puts him above financial gain.

Kucht’s hosting in the neighboring Bohemians Prague (June 2016-December 2017) was not very successful. He didn’t score a single goal in twenty-one matches (only two, but with full minutes), but he didn’t lack confidence. “He was still having something on Facebook, and he had a contract with Adidas, and he didn’t like his presentation,” says the agent. “We met, I tore him up, and then he suggested that we’d rather break up than go on like this,” Stejskal offered. The second happened by mutual agreement. “I already had my teeth full,” Stejskal admits.

Kuchta is now represented by the Universal Trade agency, whose most famous face is Milan Martinovič. In October 2021, Karol Kisel from K2K Sports tried to attract him and received a fine of CZK 3,000 for unethical conduct…

When Kuchta transferred to Lokomotiv Moscow for 130 million crowns in January, Stejskal lost a fairly dense reward. “I’m probably an idiot, with a normal commission of ten percent of the amount and the subsequent share of the player’s salary, I could have been secured to death,” admits the 62-year-old manager.

He knew about Kucht’s abilities and tried to develop them for several years. “Honza was not bad, but everything indicated that he could not make a great career,” he defends his position. He was wrong, Kuchta opens up a dizzying career. “But I do not regret it. It really didn’t work out for him at the time, “Stejskal is behind his decision.

Kuchta calmed down, and behind the rise was an orderly personal life. Barbara, the daughter of the head of the Mladá Boleslav club Josef Dufek, became his chosen partner. “He’s from a football family, he knows what that means,” emphasizes coach Pavel Hoftych, who led the talented striker in Slovan Liberec and put him in the right direction through patient work.

He knew of his more complex nature. “He had excesses, yes, but I still believed he would be something,” he bet on Kucht’s stubbornness. “If anyone was most involved in Kucht’s rise, it was Coach Hoftych,” emphasizes Slavic youth coach Miroslav Jíra on the merits of a better-known colleague.

A nice, smiling young man who appears in front of TV cameras very modestly, even shyly. This is Kuchta now. “When he was a guest on the TV show Tiki-Taka, he told how he kept chickens, no one would even look for a predatory attacker in him,” says cartoonist Milan Kounovský. In the predator, however, he changes by entering the field, where everyone kicks and clashes with him hurt a lot.

They predict a great future for him, but now he is hampered by a commitment in the Russian team Lokomotiv Moscow, where he signed up until the summer of 2026. Although FIFA allowed all players to leave Russia without consequences as part of sanctions against the war aggressor, it is not easy. Kucht’s agent Martinovič confirms that the club fulfills its financial obligations in an exemplary manner and the player has gained a firm place in the starting line-up.

He scores goals. In the spring part of Russia’s highest competition, he scored three times in ten matches, then he won another chance for his teammates with constant movement and consistent attacking of the opponent.

He scored the first goal in the jersey of the Czech national team against Switzerland, and immediately added another against Spain. He intends to continue this meritorious activity.