Redakce | 09.09.2006 22:03

Welcome to Prague, our city is waiting with open heart for you. In this article you will find useful information about AC Sparta Prague, the football club, about history of this glorious european club and the most known czech football club ever, about the historical places of interest in Prague, the important information about the czech typical and national drink which is BEER and some good pubs to visit, and in the end of this breve information you can read about how to get to Letná stadium (or Toyota Arena), the home of AC Sparta Prague with the capacity of 20.000 spectators. Have a nice time in Prague and enjoy our victory!:)

ACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLUB

Sparta Prague is now a sleeping giant and has been for some time now. We have by far the best players we can get, with the best training grounds, highest salaries and of course the best supporters so we expect to lead the table. We celebrated the last title two years ago and the end of the campaign was anything but perfect. We lost three games in a row. We were buying players heavily during last summer, big names turned out to be disastrous signings. Former international central defender and former Liberec captain plus our leaky defense was second worst in Gambrinus League in winter break. We suffered loss in local prestigious derby against our main rival Slavia Prague. Our main star Karel Poborsky was forced to leave the team. Situation didn't improve much for the whole team even after a defense rock Tomas Repka returned in the winter. Sparta turned to 4-3-3 formation and the team couldn't find the way how to play it successfully. We were heaving troubles to beat our opponent like we used to. We finished 5th in league which was not enough to qualify to European Cup. We qualified thanks to victory in League Cup against Banik Ostrava in penalty shoot-out after goal less draw.

Beginning of the new season started with goal less draw against newly promoted Kladno, followed by another goal less draw in Jablonec. The end for the manager came after a heavy defeat in Mlada Boleslav. New manager is a former Sparta Prague player who promised higher discipline, hunger on the pitch and to make Sparta Prague an "iron Sparta" again.

SOMETHING FROM GLORIOUS HISTORY OF SPARTA

For a long time now, AC Sparta Praha has been the most outstanding and, on the playing field, the most successful club in Czech football. There have been many successes in both domestic and international competitions throughout its more than 110-year history. In the recent

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history of the Czech Republic, Sparta has clearly been dominant in the domestic league (8 times Champions of the Czech league) and has regularly represented Czech football in UEFA competitions (Champions League and UEFA Cup), where it has also recorded many successes. In 2004/2005 season Sparta achieved 33rd title of the Czech Champions. At the close of 1893, a small group of young people based around three brothers had the idea of setting up a sports club. The Athletic Club Sparta came up with its tricolor, in which blue symbolizes Europe, red is the symbol of the royal city, and the reasons for the yellow are not known any more. Sparta has accomplished a number of considerable achievements internationally. Historians still say the most glorious were the two Central European Cup titles in the period of "Iron Sparta". The biggest achievement is probably Sparta's performance in "year zero" of the Champions League in 1992/1993. Sparta defeated Glasgow Rangers, then Olympique Marseilles and got to the semi-final group. Playing FC Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev and Benfica Lisbon, Sparta finished second.

Sparta has been a regular participant in the UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious European competition, since 1997. In the 2001/2002 season Sparta was drawn against the eventual winners of both the European competitions during the course of its run. Feyenoord Rotterdam lost twice to Sparta in the champions league group stage and managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup which it went on to win. Sparta went on to meet Real Madrid in the quarter final that year. Sparta did not qualify for the group stage in 2002/2003, when it was beaten by the Belgium club Genk in the third round of qualifying. 2003/2004 saw Sparta take on two Italian giants. Initially, the club beat Lazio in the group stage, but after an initial draw Sparta failed to get into the quarter finals past AC Milan. The group stage in 2004/2005 did not work out at all well for Sparta. After drawing with Manchester United at the sold-out Toyota Arena in an even contest, the other matches were lost and the club finished last in the group. The group stage in 2005/2006 did not work out well for Sparta too. We finished bottom of the group after two lost games against Arsenal, two lost games to FC Thun and Ajax and two home draws.

CITY - THE HEART OF EUROPE

Welcome to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic! Historical heart of Prague is a glorious result of its one thousand-year development and nowadays it is a national preserve. Prague was included in a list of UNESCO as a town of world significance in 1992. Prague is a center of both cultural and political events; it's truly the beating heart of the Czech Republic. Visiting Prague means a unique experience for most visitors. If you want to make your time here unforgettable, you have to choose carefully a hotel where you are going to have a rest after nice walks in Prague. That is a good reason to consider what kind of lodging you prefer and what part of the city you would like to stay in. In general, the closer the hotel is to the centre, the higher its price is. Advantage of central hotels is their short distance to most sights of historical interest. On the other hand hotels located further from the centre have lower prices and are situated in quieter environment.

Places of interest:
Old town square
The square is in the centre of the Old Town. In the past it was just a little settlement in a so-called "Jewish Iceland". The oldest marketplace used to be here. The square became a centre of all settlement round the castle little by little.. Many interesting buildings of both historical and architectonical value surround the square. Maybe the most famous is the Old Town Hall with Astronomical Clock

Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske namesti)
Prague 1, New Town. Wenceslas Square is a synonym to Prague. This former horse market, founded by Charles IV. in 1348, is a business centre of the New Town. If you get off at the stop "Muzeum" of the subway (line A or C), you will appear on the upper part of the square. There you can see a statue of St. Wenceslas on a horse and holy patrons of Czech lands: St. Ludmila, St. Anezka, St. Vojtech and St. Prokop.

Prague Castle (Prazsky hrad)
Prague Castle was founded on a strategic place in eighties of the 9th century by a duke of the dynasty of Premyslid. It was often rebuilt in the following centuries. In 1918 Prague Castle became a residing place of Czechoslovak president. During the first republic period when T.G.Masaryk was the president, Josip Plecnik, an architect of consequence, renovated the Castle. Nowadays in the area of Prague Castle there are various cultural events and expositions (in Imperial Stable, Riding School and Burgrave's House), a voluminous collection of precious pieces of art is in the Picture Gallery. Guards at the Castle gates change every hour from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., with fanfares and banners exchange at noon.

NATIONAL DRINK - BEER

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Czech Republic is mostly known for its BEER. So do not hesitate to come and visit some of the Prague's pubs! Plzeňský Prazdroj – Pilsner Urquell is the best beer you can have. Its sold in all better pubs it costs at about 30 Kc (50-60 pence) for pint. Velkopopovický Kozel, Gambrinus or Staropramen are also worth a try. We do not recommend to drink other brands of beers too much. There is a large amount of excellent pubs where you can find great beer and food for affordable prices. We recommend these:

Malostranská pivnice – located close to Charles Bridge. Great food, especially grilled chicken wings and salads. www.malostranskapivnice.cz

Pivnice U Českého lva - great restaurant on B and C tube changing station. Brilliant food and also a large selection of beer snacks.
Really cheap. www.uceskeholva.cz

U Černého vola – located close of Prague Castle, old Czech pub with long tradition, two kinds of beer, great beer snacks. www.praguepubs.co.uk/pubs_details.php?id=23

Pivnice U Rudolfina – traditional Czech pub, great beer. www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3030

U Hrocha – old Czech beer cellar close to a castle, lovely food and beer.
www.praguepubs.co.uk/pubs_details.php?id=31

Pivnice Zlatý Anděl – large selection on food, grilled steaks in beer
garden. www.czechdineout.com/lang/hospudka.php?uid=13771


HOW TO GET TO TOYOTA ARENA?

FROM AIRPORT:
Take BUS 119 to Dejvická station, then change to TRAM n. 26 to stop Sparta (it will take: cca 35 minut, transport fair: 20 Kč)

FROM CENTER:
Václavské náměstí – METRO link A direction Dejvická will take you to Hradčanská station, Sparta is 5 minutes distances (time: 12 minutes, transport fare: 14 Kč) or take a TRAM to Sparta station.

Staroměstské náměstí – Go Pařížská street direction, cross Čechův most and then walk up the "Letenské schody "stairs. You can see the Toyta Arena on Letenská Pláň. (time: to 15 minutes)








TUBE :
LINK A (the green one)
to Hradčanská station – then tram n. 1, 5, 8, 15, 25, 26 to Sparta or
cca 5 minutes walk Letenská pláň direction
LINK B (the yellow one)
Náměstí Republiky - take TRAM n. 8 to Sparta (time: 10 minutes)
Palmovka - take TRAM n. 1, 8, 15, 25 to Sparta (time: 15-19 minutes)
LINK B, C Florenc - take TRAM n. 8 to Sparta (time: 13 minutes)
LINK C (the red one)
Hlavní nádraží - take TRAM n. 26 to Sparta (time: 13 minutes)
LINK C Vltavská - take TRAM n. 1, 25, 26 to Sparta (time 10 minutes)
LINK C Nádraží Holešovice - take TRAM n. 15 to Sparta (time: 10 minutes)

The visitors sector is situated in the north part of the stadium and you have to use the gate 5 for the entrance.

Redakce | 09.09.2006 22:03 Vstoupit do diskuze
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