František Plánička

Plánička (right) together with Giampiero Combi ( l ) and referee Ivan Eklind (m.) before the World Cup final in 1934

František Plánička ( born June 2, 1904 in Prague, † July 20, 1996 ) was a Czech football player who as a goalkeeper for the Czech national team from 1926 - 1938 has completed 73 games.

Life

Plánička began playing football at Slovan Praha VII, soon joined the talented goalkeeper for SK Bubeneč.

After a few years in Bubeneč Plánička started in 1922 to train with the consent of his former club at his favorite club Sparta Prague, and was determined to go to at that time best Czech team. However, Sparta club management came to the conclusion that Plánička was too small for an outstanding goalkeeper at 1.79 m height, and lost the later world-class keeper interest.

In the summer of 1923 Plánička wanted to switch to Slavia Prague, but at first did not get approval by the SK Bubeneč. Nevertheless Plánička traveled in early July 1923, the reserve team Slavia to Moravia and entered without permission of his club on July 6, 1923 his first game for Slavia on. The B team won at Sparta Prostějov 3-1. The next day Plánička made ​​his second game for Slavia B, which drew 1-1 at SK Přerov.

In September 1923 Plánička was still officially a member of the SK Bubeneč, but trained with Slavia. Just before a trip to Vienna, injured regular keeper Jaroslav Chana. In its place Plánička took the team to the Austrian capital, but had still not released from Bubeneč. In order to keep its use in the game against Slovan Vienna, the Slavia won 4-1, secret, he went to under the pseudonym František Jakubec.

However, uninitiated in the matter Brno journalist mentioned in a game Pláničkas correct identity, and also the officials of SK Bubeneč got wind of it. As a result Plánička got a reprimand by the Disciplinary Commission of the Czech Football Association and Slavia Prague had to pay a penalty of 300 crowns. Subsequently, the SK Slavia and Bubeneč for a transfer fee of 800 crowns still agreed to a substitution of the goalkeeper.

For Slavia Plánička played up to end of his career in 1938. His first official Game of the goalkeeper on October 7, 1923 Charity Cup semi-final against Čechie Karlin ( 6:2 ). With the Red and Whites he was eight Czechoslovak champion and six medium Bohemian Cup winner.

In a friendly match in December 1925 at the San Siro against Inter Milan, Plánička broke his left arm, but what doctors diagnosed only after the broken arm in the quarterfinals of the World Cup 1938.

He scored in the 1930s alongside the Spaniard Ricardo Zamora and the Italian Giampiero Combi to the world's best goalkeepers. The cat from Prague experienced its international breakthrough in the Football World Cup 1934 in Italy, where the Czechoslovak national football team thanks to his brilliant achievements in the tournament runner-up world champion. The goalkeeper shone especially by his reflexes on the line and its speed when running out. Overall Plánička denied 73 internationals.

A legend Plánička also wore his last international match at at the Football World Cup 1938 in France. In about hard-fought quarter-final match against Brazil, Plánička broke after a clash with the Brazilian players Peracio the left arm. Since there were no replacements, Plánička had to continue playing until the end. The game at that time was 1-1 and went into overtime. Plánička held still great and the team was able to hold the result. In the replay without Plánička Czechoslovakia defeated 1-2.

From this injury, Plánička could never recover and finished in the summer of 1938 his active career. He later worked as goalkeeper coach and official for Slavia Prague and was available to the team of former national player from time to time between the posts.