Vlastimil Kopecký
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vlastimil Kopecký (14 October 1912 – 30 July 1967) was a Czech football player. He played 26 games for Czechoslovakia, scoring eight goals. He was a participant in the 1934 and 1938 FIFA World Cups.
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 14 October 1912 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vilémov, Austrian-Hungarian Empire | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 30 July 1967 (aged 54) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Hlinsko, Czechoslovakia | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Striker | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1927–1932 | Rapid Vinohrady | 10 | (13) | ||||||||||||||
| 1932–1951 | Slavia Prague | 322 | (255) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 332 | (268) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1932–1948 | Czechoslovakia | 26 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 1939 | Bohemia | 3 | (3[1]) | ||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1959 | Slavia Prague | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Club career
There were rumours that Kopecky was to transfer to Slavia Prague or Sparta Prague from Rapid Vinohrady in early November 1931. However in mid-November, Rapid announced that he was not to do so. Playing for Slavia Prague, he scored 252 league goals in 325 matches (1932-1950). He twice scored five goals in a single match for Slavia.[2] He is the second highest Czech league goalscorer in history, only Josef Bican has scored more goals in the Czech league.
He suffered a heart attack on the pitch in a friendly match against SK Hlinsko Old Boys. Slavia Prague Old Boys won 4-2, but in the midst of the game, Kopecký collapsed to the floor and František Plánička tried to revive him. Kopecký was already gone, a second attempt to revive him at a polyclinic in Hlinsko, but again it was too late.[3][4]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | Czech First League | Czech Cup[a] | Mitropa Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rapid Vinohrady | 1930/1931 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| 1931/1932 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| Slavia Prague | 1931–32 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 8 |
| 1932–33 | 18 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 22+ | 23+ | |
| 1933–34 | 15 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 17 | |
| 1934–35 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 21+ | 14+ | |
| 1935–36 | 25 | 16 | 2+ | 4+ | 4 | 1 | 31+ | 21+ | |
| 1936–37 | 21 | 28 | 2+ | 0+ | 2 | 0 | 25+ | 28+ | |
| 1937–38 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 27 | 11 | |
| 1938–39 | 21 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 24 | |
| 1939–40 | 22 | 25 | 1+ | 1+ | 0 | 0 | 23+ | 26+ | |
| 1940–41 | 20 | 21 | 9+ | 15+ | 0 | 0 | 29+ | 37+ | |
| 1941–42 | 21 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 18+ | |
| 1942–43 | 14 | 13 | 8+ | 13+ | 0 | 0 | 22+ | 26+ | |
| 1943–44 | 24 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 20 | |
| 1944–45 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1945–46 | 16 | 10 | 3+ | 0+ | 0 | 0 | 19+ | 10+ | |
| 1946–47 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 6 | |
| 1947–48 | 9 | 2 | 1+ | 1+ | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | |
| 1948 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | |
| 1949 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 5 | |
| 1950 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | |
| Total | 327 | 263 | 40+ | 44+ | 28 | 10 | 395+ | 317+ | |
Style of play
Josef Bican commented on his and Vlastimil's relationship on the field; "We understood each other perfectly: we were, as it were, connected mentally. Whenever Vlasta had the ball at his feet, I felt what he was going to do with it, and he felt the same when I had the ball. It was simple and logical. I knew that he would handle the ball in the way that was most beneficial for the team at that moment, and I arranged accordingly. He was the best technician I ever met. We passed without even looking.[8]
Honours
- Czechoslovak First League: 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1936–37, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1946–47, 1948
- Czechoslovak Cup: 1940–41, 1941–42, 1944–45
- Central Bohemian Cup: 1932, 1935, 1941, 1943, 1944
- Liberty Cup: 1945
- Mitropa Cup: 1938
Notes
- Includes Bohemian Cup
