Czech media on Sabah's victory over Slavia Prague: Debacle in Baku and the Champions League curse

Sabah's 2-0 victory over Slavia Prague in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League has sparked widespread reaction in the Czech media.

According to Report, Czech publications described the defeat of their reigning champions as a debacle and highlighted the Prague side's failure to end its long-running winless streak in the competition.

One of the Czech Republic's largest news outlets, Seznam Zprávy, questioned whether Slavia were capable of competing at the level of Europe's football elite.

"Slavia lost in distant Azerbaijan. The team failed in a match on which it had pinned high hopes. When else could it have shown what it was capable of?" the article said.

The publication recalled that Slavia last won a Champions League match in September 2007 and had spent years unsuccessfully trying to repeat that achievement.

Another major Czech news portal, iDNES.cz, described the result as a "debacle for the Czech champions in Baku."

In a separate article, the outlet cited former Slavia players who sharply criticised the Prague club's performance.

"They created numerous chances but failed to convert a single one. You rarely get so many opportunities in the Champions League, especially away from home," the portal quoted former Slavia defender Ondřej Kúdela as saying.

The publication also noted that the Czech side had created five serious goal-scoring opportunities but failed to find the net.

Czech newspaper Deník also focused on Slavia's continuing poor run, describing it as a "Champions League curse."

It said the defeat by the Azerbaijani side was another blow to the Czech champions' hopes of ending their lengthy winless streak in Europe's most prestigious club competition.

Meanwhile, sports portal Sport.cz called Slavia's defeat a "collapse in Baku," pointing to defensive errors and numerous missed chances.

The publication also quoted Slavia midfielder Michal Sadílek, who acknowledged that the Azerbaijani club had been more effective in converting its chances.

"We are very sorry. We showed too little. The opponent was definitely beatable, and losing 2-0 to Sabah is bad," the footballer said.

According to Sport.cz, Slavia should have made the most of their status as favourites but instead suffered a defeat that "dealt a serious blow to the team."

Czech public broadcaster's sports outlet ČT sport, in an article headlined "Helpless Slavia extend their European woes in Baku," highlighted the historic significance of Sabah's victory for Azerbaijan.

The report noted that Sabah, who lost 4-0 to English club Manchester United in the opening round, scored their first-ever Champions League goal against Slavia.

It also pointed out that Slavia had become the first Czech team to lose to an Azerbaijani side in the history of European club competitions between teams from the two countries.

Sports publication iSport.cz focused on Slavia head coach Jindřich Trpišovský's post-match comments, in which he admitted that his team had failed to live up to expectations.

"I congratulate our opponents on their victory. They played well, but I will say it plainly: we should have beaten them," the coach said.

Trpišovský also noted that Sabah had outplayed his side in midfield, while Slavia's players made mistakes and failed to convert their chances.

One of the harshest assessments of Slavia's performance came from Czech football portal Ruik.cz.

The author wrote that the defeat was "physically painful" for Czech football fans.

"Making a fan regret having good eyesight is quite a difficult task. But Slavia"s players managed it brilliantly in Azerbaijan," the publication wrote.

The author compared watching the Prague side's performance to enduring an ordeal for which painkillers might be prescribed, adding that the defeat to one of the youngest teams in the competition would remain a talking point in the Czech Republic for a long time.

According to Ruik, the match in Baku exposed Slavia's problems in both attack and defence.

The publication argued that the team could offer neither effective tactical solutions nor the necessary individual quality to counter Sabah's well-organised play.