West Ham’s Tomas Soucek is the Czech Republic’s star midfielder as the country prepares to kick off their Euro 2024 campaign. The Czechs will face Portugal, Turkey, and debutants Georgia in Group F, with Soucek set to play a key role in their efforts to start on a positive note.
As the tournament progresses, fans and viewers may notice that the Czech Republic is referred to as “Czechia,” which is officially listed by UEFA under this shorter name. The country was originally known as Czechoslovakia in 1918 after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and later became the Czech Republic in 1992 following the split from Slovakia.
In July 2016, the Czech Republic officially adopted the name Czechia as its preferred English-language title. This change aimed to reduce confusion for English speakers and boost the country’s identity and economy. While usage of Czechia has been slow to catch on, government efforts have made it more prevalent in recent years.
Despite this shift towards Czechia’s usage, particularly in sports like football, it remains interchangeable with “Czech Republic” in everyday language. However, at this European Championship, fans will likely refer to the team using its official name: “Czech Republic.”
