wwikiqo
About

Miroslav Koubek

Czech former goalkeeper and manager (born 1951)

Miroslav Koubek

Miroslav Koubek is a Czech professional football manager and former player who played as a goalkeeper. He currently manages the Czech Republic national team. He won the Czech First League with Viktoria Plzeň in the 2014–15 season.

Miroslav Koubek

Miroslav Koubek
Koubek during the title celebration of Viktoria Plzeň in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth (1951-09-01) 1 September 1951 (age 74)
Place of birth Prague, Czechoslovakia
Position Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Czech Republic (manager)
Youth career
1961–1968 Union Žižkov
1968–1971 Admira Prague
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1971–1973 VTJ Slaný
1973–1978 Poldi Kladno
1978–1982 Sparta Prague
Managerial career
1983–1988 Poldi Kladno
1989–1991 VTŽ Chomutov
1992–1995 1. FC Amberg
1995 Kladno
1997–2000 Kladno
2000–2001 Viktoria Plzeň
2002–2007 Kladno
2008 Tianjin Teda (assistant)
2008–2009 Zenit Čáslav
2009–2010 Baník Ostrava
2011–2012 Mladá Boleslav
2013–2014 Czech Republic U19
2013–2014 Slavia Prague
2014–2015 Viktoria Plzeň
2016–2017 Bohemians 1905
2021–2023 Hradec Králové
2023–2025 Viktoria Plzeň
2025– Czech Republic
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Miroslav Koubek (born 1 September 1951) is a Czech professional football manager and former player who played as a goalkeeper. He currently manages the Czech Republic national team. He won the Czech First League with Viktoria Plzeň in the 2014–15 season.

Coaching career

Koubek coached several Czech clubs. He led SK Kladno to the Czech Second League title in the 2005–06 season, securing the club's return to top-flight football for the first time since 1970.[1] In the 2008–09 season, he led FC Zenit Čáslav to second place in the Czech Second League and promotion to the First League,[2] although Čáslav eventually sold the First League license to rivals and remained in the Second League.[3] Koubek joined FC Baník Ostrava in June 2009, leading them to third place in the 2009–10 Czech First League. The 2010–11 season however started with miserable results for Baník, with the club losing seven of the opening 13 matches, and Koubek was sacked in October.[4]

Koubek returned to the Czech First League as the manager of Mladá Boleslav on 28 May 2011.[5] Koubek led Boleslav to fourth place in the 2011–12 Czech First League and qualification for the following season's UEFA Europa League. However, after a run of three consecutive league defeats, he resigned from his position in September 2012.[6] Koubek was appointed to the manager's position at Slavia Prague in September 2013 following the resignation of former boss Michal Petrouš.[7] He was sacked in March 2014.[8]

In August 2014, Koubek became the new manager of FC Viktoria Plzeň[9] and in May 2015 won his first league title. In July 2015 he celebrated the Czech Supercup with his side, who defeated Liberec 2–1.[10] In spite of his league success, Plzeň only won once in their first four league matches of the 2015–16 season and were eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, culminating in his departure from the role by mutual consent in mid-August 2015.[11]

On 30 May 2016, Koubek was announced as the new manager of Bohemians 1905.[12] Koubek was appointed to the manager's position at Hradec Králové in June 2021 following the resignation of manager Zdenko Frťala.[13] In June 2023, Koubek returned to Plzeň for a third spell in charge of the club, signing a one-year contract, which made him the oldest coach in the league.[14]

On 19 December 2025, Koubek was hired as manager of Czech Republic national team.[15] In March 2026, he led his nation to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after winning both play-off ties on penalties against the Republic of Ireland and Denmark in the 2026 World Cup qualification European play-off round, marking their first appearance since 2006.[16] On the opening day of the 2026 World Cup, Koubek became the oldest coach to manage a World Cup team, only hours after South Africa's coach Hugo Broos had broken the record.[17] However, less than three days later, the title was passed to Dick Advocaat of the Curaçao national team, who surpassed Koubek by roughly four years.[17]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 11 June 2026
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat. From To Record Ref.
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Viktoria Plzeň Czech Republic 24 October 2000 1 December 2001 38117205864−6028.95
Kladno Czech Republic 1 July 2003 1 June 2007 131563441168118+50042.75
Čáslav Czech Republic 1 June 2008 20 June 2009 3116964427+17051.61
Ostrava Czech Republic 20 June 2009 25 October 2010 522216147051+19042.31
Mladá Boleslav Czech Republic 28 May 2011 15 September 2012 502111187361+12042.00
Czech Republic U19 Czech Republic 10 July 2013 24 January 2014 96122112+9066.67
Slavia Prague Czech Republic 19 September 2013 3 March 2014 12444915−6033.33
Viktoria Plzeň Czech Republic 12 August 2014 16 August 2015 4028578135+46070.00
Bohemians 1905 Czech Republic 30 May 2016 5 April 2017 2687112531−6030.77
Hradec Králové Czech Republic 1 June 2021 25 April 2023 662417259390+3036.36
Viktoria Plzeň Czech Republic 1 July 2023 29 September 2025 126762426245123+122060.32
Czech Republic Czech Republic 19 December 2025 Present 5221108+2040.00
Career Total 585273137175897626+271046.67

Honours

Managerial

Kladno

Viktoria Plzeň

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Kladno postoupilo po 36 letech do první ligy". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  2. ↑ Pospíšil, Ladislav (2 June 2009). "Koubek potvrdil, že jde do Baníku". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "Slovácko se vrací do ligy, koupilo postup od Čáslavi". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  4. ↑ "Fotbalisté Ostravy jsou bez trenéra, Koubek byl po další prohře odvolán". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  5. ↑ "Boleslav oznámila nového kouče, na prvoligovou scénu se vrací Koubek". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  6. ↑ "Mladá Boleslav je bez trenéra, Koubek po porážce rezignoval". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  7. ↑ "Po Petroušovi povede fotbalovou Slavii Miroslav Koubek" (in Czech). Czech Radio. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  8. ↑ Huml, Ondřej; Stránský, Luděk. "Šok ve Slavii! Nové vedení vyhodilo trenéra Koubka, nahradí ho Holanďan". Gambrinus liga (in Czech). Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Willoughby, Ian (12 August 2014). "Plzeň name Koubek manager day after sacking Uhrin". Radio Prague. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  10. ↑ "Plzeň zdolala Liberec a získala Superpohár. Koubek: Budeme v pohodě". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  11. ↑ "Plzeň mění trenéra: Koubek skončil, Krejčí a Horváth mají probudit tým". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. 16 August 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "Miroslav Koubek trenérem Bohemians - Vedení klubu dnes představilo nového trenéra A mužstva". Bohemians 1905 (in Czech). Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Nováčka Hradec Králové povede v první fotbalové lize trenér Koubek". ČeskéNoviny.cz (in Czech). Czech News Agency. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  14. ↑ Novák, Miloslav; Schulz, Ervín (5 June 2023). "Plzeň povede nejstarší kouč v lize. Koubek má roční smlouvu a asistenta Trousila". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "Nový kouč reprezentace je konečně tady. Koubek ji převzal jako nejstarší trenér vůbec". EuroFotbal.cz (in Czech). 19 December 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  16. ↑ "Czechia 2-2 Denmark highlights (3-1 on pens): Czechia book 2026 World Cup spot with play-off final win". uefa.com. UEFA. 31 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  17. 1 2 Bromberg, Nick (12 June 2026). "Czechia's Miroslav Koubek becomes oldest World Cup manager ever ... hours after South Africa's Hugo Broos set the new record". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Fantyš, Petr (17 March 2025). "Souček je počtvrté Fotbalistou roku! Vyrovnal Nedvěda, Schick s Krejčím mimo TOP 3". Blesk (in Czech). Czech News Center. Retrieved 18 March 2025.