FC Viktoria Plzeň is facing an uphill battle to adapt to the physical and tactical demands of modern European football, with medium.seznam.cz reporting that the Czech club’s traditional playing style is leaving them behind domestic and international rivals.

Defensive Fortitude Gives Way to Tactical Growing Pains

Last season in the UEFA Europa League group stage, Viktoria Plzeň conceded just three goals across eight matches under former managers Miroslav Koubek and Martin Hyský, anchoring themselves as the tournament’s most resilient defense against heavyweights such as AS Roma, Fenerbahçe, and Porto. That defensive solidity relied on back-passes, methodical build-up play, and crosses into crowded penalty areas. However, attempts by Hyský to modernize the squad’s tempo yielded difficult results at the start of the domestic Chance Liga campaign, where Plzeň conceded 11 goals in their opening four matches—including five against Teplice—before a 3-0 defeat in Belgrade sealed his departure, as reported by medium.seznam.cz.

Kováč Takes the Helm Amid Shifting European Realities

Radoslav Kováč stepped into the managerial role and engineered a dramatic turnaround against Belgrade to secure European group-stage qualification, but medium.seznam.cz notes that the immediate domestic and continental bounce quickly faded following a draw against Slovácko. In European competition, the tactical gap became stark during a 3-0 home defeat to Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise at the Štruncovy sady stadium, where Plzeň goalkeeper earned player of the match honors by turning away numerous scoring chances while his team managed only five shots on target compared to the visitors’ 13. A subsequent loss to Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia highlighted the growing disparity in pace and transition speed between Plzeň and clubs fully adapted to modern athletic requirements, drawing comparisons by medium.seznam.cz to the dynamic style favored by domestic rivals Slavia Prague.

Evolution of the Modern Game Leaves Traditional Styles Behind

Reflecting on the club’s trajectory, medium.seznam.cz highlights that football has evolved drastically since the era when a nearly 40-year-old Pavel Horváth orchestrated Plzeň’s slower, technically oriented attack. Today's European football demands relentless running, high-speed transitions, and athletic intensity. Without matching those physical benchmarks, medium.seznam.cz warns that Plzeň risks enduring grueling early qualification rounds against lower-ranked opponents from smaller associations in future European campaigns.