Czechia make Denia their first foreign coach after World Cup failure

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Czechia have appointed Santi Denia as their new head coach on a two-year contract, with the Spaniard becoming the first non-Czech boss to ever lead the team.

Czechia endured a disappointing World Cup campaign this summer, as they crashed out in the group stage with just one point.

They were beaten 2-1 by South Korea in their opening match, before being held to a 1-1 draw by South Africa and losing 3-0 to co-hosts Mexico in their final Group A game. 

That was just the second instance of Czechia picking up fewer than two points in a World Cup group stage, having lost all their games in 1970, also in Mexico (as Czechoslovakia).

Their poor tournament spelt the end of Miroslav Koubek’s short-lived tenure as their head coach, having only had seven games at the helm after taking charge last December.

And on Friday, the Czech Football Association (FACR) confirmed Denia had taken the reins, having left Qatari Star League side Al-Shahaniya last year.

Denia was part of the Spain setup for several years, leading La Roja at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level, then overseeing their gold-medal finish at the 2024 Olympic Games.

As a player, he represented Atletico Madrid between 1995 and 2004, making almost 300 appearances for the club and helping them win a domestic double in 1995-96.

The 52-year-old’s first test will be to oversee Czechia’s Nations League campaign, with his native Spain, England and Croatia drawn alongside them in Group A3.

 Santi Denia has become the new coach of the Czech national football team.

The 52-year-old Spaniard has agreed a two-year contract with the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR). He will lead the national team for the first time in September’s Nations League… pic.twitter.com/SZJEVmgaii

— Czech Football National Team (@ceskarepre_eng) July 31, 2026

Denia said: “It’s really the highest level, I think it’s the most difficult possible group ever. But why can’t we succeed? 

“It is essential to prepare well for the first match against Croatia, to choose the best possible players. 

“First of all, we want to get to know them well, get to know them and be all on the same page. 

“The Nations League is the highest possible level, and we want to do our best to be able to improve at this level as well.”

Czechia are at home to Croatia on matchday one on September 26, before facing England in home and away fixtures either side of a visit to Spain.

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