František Plánička

1923/39 Slavia Prague (TCH) 969 matches

With the National Team :

73 caps

(Friendly matches: 43 caps)

(World Cup qualification: 2 caps)

(World Cup: 6 caps)

(International Cup: 22 caps)

1st selection: January 17, 1926 against Italy (1-3)

Last selection: June 12, 1938 against Brazil (1-1)

František Plánička

Born June 2, 1904 in Prague (AUT-HON)

Died July 20, 1996 in Prague (RTC)

Czechoslovakian/Austro-Hungarian, Goalkeeper, 1m72

Nickname: The Prague Cat

František Plánička began his football career in the first team in 1923 and immediately established himself as the best player in the championship. Despite his ridiculous height for a goalkeeper, 1.72m, he compensated for his small size with great liveliness and impressive relaxation. These characteristics earned him the nickname "the Prague Cat". Loyal to his club throughout his career, Slavia Prague, he played a significant number of matches. Between 1923 and 1939, he was surely one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

He won his first championship title in 1925, at the age of 21, the date on which the Czechoslovak championship began professionally. On the European stage, he won the Mitropa Cup in 1938 against the Hungarian club Ferencvaros, which remains the only trophy outside Czechoslovakia won by the goalkeeper. Loyal to Slavia Prague until the end of his career and to his city almost all his life, he was also a model for his modesty and courage.

František Plánička was a goalkeeper for the biggest events. With Czechoslovakia he reached the final of the 1934 World Cup as one of the best players in the world. With Antonin Puc and Oldrich Nejedly, they unfortunately lost the final 2-1 against Italy of a certain Giuseppe Meazza.

During the 1938 edition of the World Cup, the goalkeeper will once again have a very good competition, he ends up elected best goalkeeper of the tournament thanks to his many reflex saves and high-class dives. Unfortunately, it is the tragedy, during the match against Brazil in the quarter-finals, he is injured, fractured collarbone. However, at a time when changes did not exist, he remained on the field and kept his team alive, at the end of extra time, Czechoslovakia and Brazil finished the match with a small score of 1-1.

The pain was too strong and the goalkeeper could not play the replay, Czechoslovakia without one of its best players lost 2-1 on goals from Leônidas and Roberto Emílio da Cunha. This first match against Brazil would be the 73rd of his career with his country but also his last, at 34 years old.

The goalkeeper would maintain this reputation as a solid player with immense courage throughout his career, he had notably resisted a projectile thrown from the stands during the semi-final of the Mitropa Cup, remaining on the field despite the injury. Out of these 73 matches with Czechoslovakia, he would have been captain 37 times.

During his career, he was never cautioned or sent off, proof of great fair play. He will still remain as one of the best goalkeepers before the war with the Spaniard Ricardo Zamora and the Italian Gianpiero Combi. Frantisek Planicka died peacefully in his hometown on July 20, 1996. He was the last survivor of the Czechoslovak team that was a finalist in the 1934 World Cup. The sadness was such for the Czechs that midfielder Karel Poborsky even postponed his signing for Manchester UTD, which was to take place that same day, to attend the funeral.

- Voted the best goalkeeper of the World Cup in 1938

- Named to the team of the tournament of the 1938 World Cup

- UNESCO Award for the most fair-play international player in 1985

- Received the Václava Jíry Award in 1993

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