Slavia Prague faces penalties, title clinched behind closed doors

Slavia Prague was hit with the Czech Football Association's heaviest sanction after its supporters stormed the pitch in the abandoned derby with Sparta. The club received a 10 million CZK fine and must serve four matches behind closed doors, including the decisive 5‑1 win over Jablonec that secured its fourth straight league title and a place in the Champions League group stage.

The club also expelled forward Tomáš Chorý and midfielder David Douděra from the squad after red cards in the same derby. National team coach Miroslav Koubek disputed the exclusions, stating, “I do not agree with the exclusion,” and kept both players in the preliminary World Cup roster. Club president Jaroslav Tvrdík defended the disciplinary measures but drew criticism for his handling of the incident, his suggestion to introduce facial‑recognition technology, and his broader crisis management. Ticket allocations for the closed‑door matches were limited to club officials, media and a small number of VIPs.

Despite the turmoil, Slavia clinched the Czech championship by beating Jablonec at the empty Eden, marking the club’s 23rd national title. Senegalese left‑back Youssoupha Mbodji celebrated his first league trophy as part of the victorious side.