Czech Mate

From USSF:

U.S. head coach Bob Bradley has named former Czech international Lubos Kubik to be an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Kubik’s impressive resume includes a 20-year professional career with stints in the top divisions in Italy, France and Germany, and a four-year spell in Major League Soccer. He earned 56 caps for his national team, playing in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and 1996 European Championship. Kubik has also spent time as a head coach in England, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

“Lubos brings a tremendous amount of experience at both the professional and international level,” said Bradley. “We have worked together in the past, and I have a lot of respect for him as a player, a coach, and a person. His understanding of the game will be an important asset for our team.”

Beginning his career with Hradec Králové in Czechoslovakia, he quickly moved to Sparta Praha before enjoying two-year spells at Fiorentina in Serie A in Italy, FC Metz in Ligue 1 in France, and FC Nuremburg in the German Bundesliga. In 1998, he joined Bradley at the Chicago Fire and earned MLS Defender of the Year honors as he helped marshal the Fire to the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup titles.

Kubik has been involved with the U.S. national team program in the past, having served as Peter Nowak’s top assistant with the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team in 2008.

“I am very happy to back working with U.S. Soccer, especially after my experience with the Olympic Team,” said Kubik. “I know Bob very well from our time in Chicago, and I know his quality as a manager. I think I can bring experience from having played in the World Cup and the European Championships, and I will have the chance to follow both the U.S. players in Europe as well as our opponents. I’m very excited about the opportunity. I believe that the U.S. team has a great future.”

A native of Prague, the 46-year-old Kubik lives in Pardubice, Czech Republic, with his wife Hana and two children, Lubos and Laura.

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