Kovacík scored a goal for the famous PSG. Now he is waiting for warm weather to go to work

The Madeira restaurant and pizzeria in Jihlava clinks pints, the golden liquid – the local Ježek, of course – quickly moves from chilled glasses to the throats of thirsty people. The faint winter sun is still huddled in the sky, stealing a few minutes of twilight each day, but a group of regulars are already drinking.

It is not about seniors who went for an afternoon stimulator, nor about slackers. “We have a company that insulates barracks,” explains the 60-year-old, who has three years until retirement and is anxiously following the government’s proposals to see if they will extend his remaining retirement age. “Now there are no orders in the winter, it will only start in the spring,” he adds. “And there is enough work,” he assures.

The time for stories and talking shortens, or rather enriches, watching the broadcasts of the Champions League. “Paris Saint-Germain?” the man will discuss the star-studded line-up led by the seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or of the best footballer in the world and recent champion of the planet Lionel Messi, the Brazilian idol Neymar and the current meteor, the French speedster Kylian Mbappé. “Not much,” he waves his hand.

Then comes an unexpected blow. “We knocked them out and I scored a goal,” he declares. Only the uninitiated consider him a braggart, or even a person who escapes reality. The fellow diners know that he is Luděk Kovačík, Czechoslovak league champion with TJ Vítkovice in 1985/1986 and a two-time national team player.

And as for the famous French club Paris Saint-Germain, he is right.

TJ Vítkovice, the unexpected champion of the year 1985/1986, is the ambassador of Czechoslovak football also in the Champions Cup of European countries. The general chances of success are not given to an internationally inexperienced team, especially when the lottery passes to the French prize-winner Paris Saint-Germain. Not yet with Qatari capital behind it, but already a big brand loaded with famous names.

But here comes a shock. In the Park of Princes, the underrated visiting team draws 2:2. The self-confident home team starts in the 8th minute with a fast blond striker. He escapes everyone, the goalkeeper knocks out his shot, but it is not enough to hit the target. “Joël Bats,” the Jihlava native immediately draws the name of the 1984 European champion, whom he surpassed. And he bids more: “Dominique Rocheteau, Pierre Vermeulen, Safet Sušič, Vahid Halilhodžić, Gérard Houllier on the bench.” However, the outsider was not intimidated by the big animals, he is leading.

The French princes are taken aback. “They underestimated us,” admits the coach of the team at the time, Ivan Kopecký. “When we announced that we would fly in with two planes, the newspapers said that they would welcome a club of a powerful steel giant from the East, which brings so many fans,” he recalls. “But we got ‘one two’ propeller machines with a capacity of 24 seats, we barely flew to Paris,” laughs Kopecký even years later.

Surprised, but not humbled. Bosnian striker Halilhodžić equalises, Šourko’s spot-kick shot from a free kick gives Knight Vítek’s side the lead again, the converted penalty kick gives the result a draw.

However, the brave Moravian team is counting on a significant loss. “Jules Bocandé, such a Senegalese giant, ‘implanted’ our goalkeeper Jarda Zápalka,” recalls Kovačík. “A fragmentary fracture of the cheekbone, they sewed it up, they inserted wires into his mouth,” describes the severe punishment.

In retaliation, the team’s offensive support Jiří Šourek asserts himself, the famous PSG is eliminated. “They didn’t have Messi or Mbappé yet,” Kovačík apologizes for the opponent’s failure.

Another concept is coming to Vítkovice: the Portuguese FC Porto. The result is the same – 1:0, Šourek scores from the penalty. Kovačík constantly destroys the Portuguese defense, he stays on the field until the 74th minute, when he replaces him completely exhausted. However, Vítkovice lost 0:3 in Porto, the famous pilgrimage to the Champions Cup ends.

However, in retrospect, they claim another honor. They are the only ones who beat FC Porto, packed with Portuguese representatives (Zé Beto, Gomes, Futre, Pacheco, etc.) – European vice-champions in 1984, on their way to the prestigious cup. In the final, coach Arthur Jorge’s team defeats Bavarian Bayern Munich 2:1. “Those were beautiful times,” dreams the striker of the Czechoslovak ensemble.

The year 1985/1986 is written in golden letters in the Vítkovice chronicle – the club won the only championship title in its history. “Sparta actually gave it to us,” says coach Kopecký. “The relations between the players and my Slovak colleague Ján Zachar were so terrible that we took advantage of it,” he does not hide the failure of the red machine that dominated the league in other years.

However, he met with success. “I persuaded older players like Šourek, Lišaník, Dostál to stay and sacrifice a little more for the team, young ambitious Lubomír Vlk, Lojza Grussmann, Míra Kadlec came to the military camp in Cheb,” the team reassembles.

Kovačík was among the proven ones, he had been working in Vítkovice since 1982. He had a promising start, in 1983 the national team coach František Havránek gave him the chance to listen to the national anthem twice, he also intervened in the 1984 European Championship qualification in France in a 1:0 victory in Romania. However, he gradually disappeared.

However, coach Kopecký gave him a new impulse. “Luděk was an exceptional usurer and had great merit for the title,” he praises his ward. “Fast, penetrating, at the same time extremely smart, who knew how to evaluate the situation and find the best solution,” Kopecký calculates his strengths. “A modern type that would suit any coach,” he adds.

Kopecký brought order to the team. “I forbade beer for lunch or dinner,” reveals one measure. “Everyone said: ‘One won’t hurt, it’s for thirst, to eat.’ But someone didn’t drink beer, he would give it to a teammate, who would then have two or three and it was already bad,” he realized.

In Jihlava Madeira, there are no longer any restrictions. And when he remembers, he dries up.

Kovačík never wore the jersey of a club other than Vítkovic in the top competition, he collected 202 starts and 35 goals. There could have been more if he hadn’t received a six-month sentence in June 1988 for using prohibited means of support – doping. After the match between Žilina and Vítkovice (1:4), in which he scored a goal and assisted on two, ephedrine was found in his urine.

Kovačík did not deny that he took three spasmoveralgin tablets from his wife before the match, a drug used by women during their days to relieve pain in the left hand. “I had a broken wrist, I couldn’t stand it,” he shrugs at this memory. He wanted to start, he had to, Vítkovice was not experiencing the best of times after the rebuilding of the team. Even after the 25th lap, they were standing just above the abyss, only a successful finish brought them to calm waters. “I was willing to do everything to save,” he gasps. It was not difficult for him to make any sacrifice, but every pain has its threshold.

He did not hesitate to break the rules for the use of prohibited substances. “But then there wasn’t even one,” he points out. “The samples were collected by Dr. Javorský, whom I knew from the under-21 selection. Nobody knew what was allowed and what was not allowed,” he defends his offense of ignorance.

He appeared before the anti-doping judicial tribunal, which was chaired by dr. Čestmír Nápravník, nicknamed the Inquisitor. He was non-negotiable: half a year hard. “Clear injustice,” the sufferer constantly feels wronged.

The New Year’s Eve derby between the city’s historical rivals Baník Ostrava v. Vítkovice has its own tradition, but Kovačík does not actively participate in it. “I’ve had hip surgery, it can’t be done,” he points out about his health.

What bothers him more is that the once famous and successful Vítkovice, champion of the Czechoslovak league, did not manage the transition to capitalism and sank to the lower levels after several mergers, there is no thought of professional status. And in their city stadium, where they welcomed Paris Saint-Germain or FC Porto, the old juice Baník is now playing. “A scary idea,” admits Kovačík. “But at least it’s modern and improved,” he finds a positive point of view.

He does not go to league matches, it is far from Jihlava. And even in his hometown, he doesn’t go to the malls. “When Vysočina plays in the first league again, I will go,” he promises his support, if there is an increase in performance.

He ended his active career in the German lower leagues, where he worked until 1997. He also embarked on a coaching career, in the years 2006-2021 he led the FSC Stará Říše club, which he took from the 1st A class to the division.

His 11-year-old grandson Filip is now the most drawn to football, and like a good grandfather, he also takes care of his four granddaughters. But there is only one successor of the family on the green lawn. “I don’t know if he has any genes from me,” he muses. “There’s a figure, a blond one too, and he’s charging,” he muses. “But unlike me, he has an excellent left foot, whereas I was right-handed,” he finds the difference.

However, he brightens when he takes a sip of beer. “But the left foot is always more valuable,” giving the offspring a chance to excel in the same field as grandfather.