Svatopluk Pluskal

1947/51 SK Letná Zlín (TCH)

1952/66 Dukla Prague (TCH) 282 matches, 37 goals

1966/67 LIAZ Jablonec (TCH)

With the National Team :

56 caps, 1 goal

(Friendly matches: 26 caps, 1 goal)

(World Cup qualifiers: 9 caps)

(World Cup: 9 caps)

(Euro qualifiers: 4 caps)

(International Cup: 8 caps)

1st cap: May 11, 1952 against Romania (1-3)

Last cap: April 25, 1965 against Portugal (0-1)

Svatopluk Pluskal

Born October 28, 1930 in Zlin (TCH)

Died May 29, 2005 in Usti nad Labem (RTC)

Czechoslovakian, Defensive-midfielder, Center-back, 1m82

Svatopluk Pluskal was born on October 28, 1930 in Zlin, Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. He began his football career in his local club SK Letná Zlín. Gradually becoming the best player in his team despite a timid start, he was recruited by one of the big clubs of the time, Dukla Prague.

Also playing with the national youth team, he met a certain Josef Masopust with whom he formed one of the best duos of his time. For him, Masopust was the best midfielder of his time, and for Masopust, Pluskal was one of the best players of his time and the one who made Masopust one of the best. A duo that respected each other a lot and helped each other.

Moving to the first team of his country, the two players would form one of the best midfield pairs in history and surely the best of the 50s and 60s. Both were capable of chaining efforts and runs. The two players also formed a magnificent duo at club level, where they spent 14 years together at Dukla Prague. Masopust on the left and Pluskal on the right in midfield.

Pluskal was a versatile player who could play perfectly in different positions on the field. He had notably played one match as a goalkeeper, excelling there. Initially an attacking player, he was then placed as a defensive midfielder or stopper, a position in which he became one of the best players in history.

Quite physical and incredibly strong in recovery, he was considered the major defensive element of the great Czechoslovakian team according to Rudolf Vytlačil, the coach at the time. A generational player that you see very rarely in a lifetime.

Described as unrivaled by many observers in his defensive qualities, he had perfect defensive positioning, allowing Masopust to be able to move further forward during the offensive phases. Pluskal was complete, very complete, good relaxation, remarkable precision in the aerial game and an excellent reading of the game.

During one match, he scored such a powerful goal with his head, from outside the area, that the opponents would have said that he had a boot on his head, so impressive was his shot. With Pluskal, Dukla Prague won the International Soccer League by beating the great teams of the time: 2-0 victory against AS Monaco, 10-0 against Shamrock Rovers, 7-1 against Rapid Vienna, 5-1 against Español and 7-2 against Everton.

Moreover, during the match against Everton, the organizer of the competition came to the locker room of the Czechoslovak team to ask the players not to score more goals so as not to humiliate the English team. With Masopust and Pluskal, the team was considered one of the strongest of its time.

With his team, he won 8 Czechoslovakian championship titles, a domination over a major European championship. He was also the cornerstone of the national team with whom he shared 56 selections between 1952 and 1965, for 1 goal scored.

His other quality was his ability to follow the tactical instructions of his coaches to perfection, a very intelligent player who was able to be the conductor of his team. A true leader, he was a wonderful player who had the quality to calm or motivate his team depending on the situation.

Pluskal was one of the most respected players of his time, with players such as Sir Stanley Matthews inviting him for farewell matches. He was also called up for the match of the century with the greatest legends of his time where he played alongside his loyal team-mate Masopust.

He finally retired in 1967 after moving from Dukla Prague to LIAZ Jablonec to play one last season of football. His knee no longer allowed him to play at the highest level, so he hung up his boots at the age of 37.

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