Baptism of the book Panenka/Legend of Ďolíček

Panenka

At U Pivrnce restaurant, the Czech team celebrated the euro in 1995 and it was therefore no accident that they chose this restaurant in the centre of Prague for the baptism of their book – Panenka/Legend from Ďolíček – Antonin Panenka.The book is based on the occasion of his impending 75th birthday. The authors are Václav Tichý and Zdeněk Pavlis, editor of Sport.cz. Karol Dobiash, Ladislav Vízek and Ivan Hašek were introduced in the role of godparents.”I’ve already got one book, and I didn’t count on another. I agreed to the proviso that my friends would speak in it. Perhaps I did well,” said Antonin Panenka. He was sure the long shot would be a success and he already knew that to me thousands ahead of time he had coached the famous penalty on home turf. If the talk turns, as always, to the famous penalty that secured Czechoslovakia’s European Champions title in 1976, it captures the atmosphere of Panenka’s great friend Ladislav Vízek: “I say that if Maier had caught it for him back then, Tonda would only have been released from the dungeon by now.”Before Belgrade, I trained her honestly for two years, at every training session. I’ve tried it at home in friendly and league matches. I had no doubts. The German goalkeeper didn’t go to Bohemka to know how I kick it. I was not a hundred, but a thousand percent convinced that it would turn out well,” assures the football poet from the Roosters, even after many years.

He became known for the original Belgrade penalty, which he might as well have patented. It has hundreds of imitators across the globe, but the original will be left with only one. “From the Czech Republic, Antonin Panenka is the name most people in the world know,” smiles Ivan Hašek, one of the godfathers of a new book about the legendary footballer.
JK

Recent posts

See All
  • Hans Weber
  • April 26, 2024

Britské velvyslanectví v Praze – British Embassy Prague

  • Hans Weber
  • April 26, 2024

Ambasada României în Republica Cehă

  • Hans Weber
  • April 26, 2024

Embassy of Mongolia to the Czech Republic

Prague Forum Membership

Join us

Be part of building bridges and channels to engage all the international key voices and decision makers living in the Czech Republic.

Become a member

Prague Forum Membership

Join us

    Close