Is Czech Republic's Vaclav Kadlec Washed Up?
Eintracht Frankfurt's Czech Republic forward Vaclav Kadlec, 23, enters the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with a point to prove.
Kadlec needs to mount a comeback if he wants to escape being in limbo at Eintracht Frankfurt.
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"We're doing what we love. I'm so lucky to be a footballer," Kadlec said, per FIFA's website. "My hobby has become my job, and that's magnificent."
Convinced by Kadlec's wonderkid status at Bohemians, Sparta Prague signed him as a 16-year-old in 2008 for €500,000/£393,925.
Sparta Prague invested in Kadlec maybe believing he would later be at the centre of a transfer bidding war from top clubs.
Tomas Rosicky | Sparta Prague → Borussia Dortmund: €14.5 million/£9 million (20 years old; 2001).
Kadlec perhaps was oblivious to letting down the suits at Sparta Prague who correctly projected the future greatness of Rosicky, Cech and Nedved.
Three years after a much-publicised transfer to Sparta Prague, Kadlec made little to no progress.
Sparta Prague's brains trust were probably feeling apprehensive at the direction of Kadlec's career, per In Bed With Maradona:
"Widely touted across Europe in 2008 as the best player the Czech Republic have produced since Rosicky, scouts quickly descended on Prague ... Kadlec was named in the German newspaper Bild as one of the 10 best 18 year old players in the world ... Already a pin up boy in his homeland, Kaldec's progress looks to have retreated rapidly with his public image in the Czech Republic far more prominent than any contribution on the pitch.
[Czech football writer] Mark Smith: " ... I can't help but think if Vaclav spent more time on the training pitch than the tattoo parlour he would be making a bigger impact for club and country."
"
Despite Kadlec scoring 17 goals in his last 31 Czech First League games, his turnaround was too late to attract a big-money offer from a top club.
Joining Eintracht Frankfurt
Kadlec's previous red flags opened the door for Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Bruno Hubner.
Wolfsburg's calculated gamble on Dzeko lends credence to the exponential improvement a player can make if he has the trust of management.
Outscored by Lubos Pecka in the Czech First League, Dzeko's ability had more stock via the eye-test than his statistics.
"[Dzeko] was [even] offered Czech citizenship," per Ed Vulliamy's book The War is Dead, Long Live the War: Bosnia, the Reckoning.
Eintracht Frankfurt turned a blind eye to Kadlec's past problems, valuing his talent over his track record, which was a similar modus operandi Wolfsburg used when signing Dzeko.
"We're happy that we finally managed to close the deal," Hubner said, per UEFA's website. "Kadlec was the primary target for our coach Armin Veh and we see huge potential in the player."
Playing up front in Veh's 4-2-3-1, Kadlec's goal was a consolation in Eintracht Frankfurt's 2-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Marcel Schmelzer, Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic were ball-watching when Takashi Inui lofted the ball in the direction of Stefan Aigner.
Finding himself in a one-on-one situation, Aigner headed the ball past Roman Weidenfeller, only to be denied by the post.
Showing outstanding anticipation, Kadlec skirted into the box unmarked, got to the loose ball first and confidently finished.
Briefly hiding behind Assani Lukimya, Kadlec darted in front to poke home a Bastian Oczipka pass in Eintracht Frankfurt's 3-0 win over Werder Bremen.
Again taking advantage of Lukimya's positional deficiencies, Kadlec scored his second goal, a header, from Sebastian Jung's flighted cross.
"Vaclav Kadlec, welcome to the Bundesliga," the commentator said, per the Bundesliga's website. "[Eintracht] Frankfurt's new goal machine."
Entering Matchday six of the 2013/14 Bundesliga season, Kadlec (three goals) was a goal behind Robert Lewandowski (four), who ended up scoring 20 times.
"[Kadlec] always causes problems. He's difficult to defend against. He is a player that can get a lot better," Veh said, per the Bundesliga's website. "He can become a great player, I'm convinced of that."
Crashing
| 2013/14 Bundesliga | Joselu | Meier | Kadlec |
| Goals/Games | 9/24 | 8/22 | 5/21 |
| Shots Per Goal | 7.4 | 7 | 7.2 |
| Shooting Accuracy % | 43.3 | 32.1 | 55.6 |
The more involved Alexander Meier and Joselu became, the less convinced Veh became of Kadlec.
Veh benched Kadlec 11 times in the Bundesliga.
What was the issue?
Kadlec was an accurate shooter, but he was too passive and couldn't bounce back from adversity.
He was listed in Deutsche Welle's worst starting 11 of the 2013/14 Bundesliga season.
During the 2014 summer transfer window, Hubner bolstered Eintracht Frankfurt's squad by signing Haris Seferovic from Real Sociedad for €3.2 million/£2.5 million.
"We're totally delighted that this transfer has worked out favourably," Hubner said, per Sky Sports. "We intentionally chose [Seferovic], a young player, who already has a relatively high degree of experience, but who still has plenty of room for improvement."
Like Kadlec, Seferovic was a wonderkid struggling to find his feet at top-flight level.
Seferovic impressed when he was a pivotal part of Switzerland's 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup triumph, scoring five goals in six games.
The FIFA technical study group highlighted Seferovic as an outstanding player: "Striker with excellent technique, dangerous in front of goal, always looks for direct route to goal."
Hubner effectively replaced Kadlec with Seferovic, who clicked with Meier.
"I'm very happy with our partnership," Seferovic said, per Felix Seaman-Hoschele at the Bundesliga's website. "We get on well both on and off the pitch, we're mates."
Meier led the Bundesliga in scoring this past season (19 goals) and combined with Seferovic (10 goals) to total 29 goals, 51.8 per cent of Eintracht Frankfurt's output.
The Meier-Seferovic partnership vindicated then-Eintracht Frankfurt manager Thomas Schaaf, who succeeded Veh, isolating Kadlec.
Twenty-one games into the Bundesliga season, Kadlec played 116 minutes and was benched 10 times.
When Kadlec did start, he was thrown in a quasi-right-wing-back role in Eintracht Frankfurt's 1-0 defeat to Augsburg, forced to track Abdul Rahman Baba's cavalier runs from left-back.
In the 2015 January transfer window, Kadlec was granted a temporary escape route by being loaned to Sparta Prague.
Another Martin Fenin?
Fenin, a Czech prodigy, starred at the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup and was highlighted by the FIFA technical study group: "Skilful and athletic striker, agile, good in one-on-one situations."
Signed from Teplice for €3.5 million/£2.6 million in 2008 as a 20-year-old, Fenin was earning a high salary, which swayed him to choose Eintracht Frankfurt over Juventus.
"I knew [Eintracht] Frankfurt wanted me. At the time I was the highest paid player on the team," Fenin said, per Eintracht Frankfurt's website. "For Eintracht [Frankfurt] to be willing to spend that kind of money is not as normal [compared to a] team like Juventus."
Fenin succumbed to the criticism that accompanies wonderkids who don't live up to the hype.
Subsequently, Fenin fell on hard times, per Energie Cottbus' website (h/t Eintracht Frankfurt's website):
"I finally came to the conclusion that I am not able to take control of my illness on my own.
For a few months now I had the feeling of resignation and of loneliness accompanied by depressive impulses.
These were worsened by my temporary escape of using pharmaceutical [drugs which led to] this alarming diagnosis.
I tried to fight it but I have to admit that I will not be able to cure it without help from others.
"
Scoring nine goals in 13 games on loan at Sparta Prague including an outrageous first-time left-footed volley in Sparta Prague's 3-1 win over Budejovice, Kadlec approaches the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with renewed vigour.
Schaaf quit Eintracht Frankfurt after losing "the support of most members of the board and the players because of a perceived lack of communication," per Sky Sports.
Eintracht Frankfurt have replaced Schaaf with Veh—talk about coaching musical chairs.
Post-Schaaf, Kadlec can avoid being Fenin 2.0 if given a second chance by Veh at Eintracht Frankfurt next season.
When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.
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