Miroslav Pelta ruled Czech football, he was one of the most influential sports officials in the country. Last April, however, the municipal court in Prague sentenced him to six years in prison and a fine of five million euros for manipulating sports subsidies.
However, the judgment is still non-binding, so Pelta continues to manage his beloved Jablonec club.
“But the whole of Central Europe knows about what is happening with Mr. Pelta and what he has done,” Mikolanda points out. “It is dealt with and written about every week. It is not easy to raise money for a club that is linked to a corruption scandal. At the same time, Mr. Pelta was able to bring money and financially secure the club.”
Jablonec has been in the cup positions for years, and has been getting used to being in the bottom half of the league in recent seasons. However, the twist remains that the salary evaluations in Jablonec have not changed that much compared to the happier past.
“However, some of the players’ salaries are skyrocketing compared to the league,” throws in former league striker Mikolanda, who became a TV expert after the premature end of his career. And as the coach of the third division Benešov adds: “The players in Jablonec are not bad, they have a good middle generation and a lot of foreigners.”
At the same time, it offers a topic that could revive the moribund club from the north of Bohemia a little. “Jablonec should be the only one to have year-round artificial grass,” says Mikolanda. “Four games a season are played there on nice grass, but the rest are played on crazy ground. I think it would help them. The club would be something specific, the opponent would have to adapt to artificial grass.”
The question is whether there will be time for similar considerations in Jablonec. At the weekend, the North Bohemians will play their group for survival and have a five-point lead in the play-off.
Tags: Relegation Pelts club Money hard corruption scandal expert
