It was the tournament that was meant to make him, but instead it almost broke him. No-one expected Milan Baros to end Euro 2004 as the Golden Boot winner after scoring five goals in as many games. He returned home as a hero, with the mayor of his local village Vigantice leading the accolades. “We are all so proud of Milan, he has put this village on the map,” said Radek Porubsky. Local politicians, his first coach and even his 77-year-old hairdresser all had their say on Baros, and great things were expected of him.

Four years on, Baros, now 26, comes into Euro 2008 battling to keep his place in the side. Supporters and the Czech media are clamouring to see youngster Martin Fenin partner Jan Koller up front, and critics have pointed to Baros’s international scoring record since Euro 2004 as reason for him to be dropped. In his first 30 international games up to the end of Euro 2004, Baros scored 21 goals; in his 33 matches since then, he has scored just ten international goals, eight of which were against the likes of Andorra, San Marino, FYR Macedonia, Armenia and Saudi Arabia. The only goal against a top-ten ranked team was against Germany last year, and that was a deflection.

Baros claims he has been unlucky in his career since Euro 2004, with new coaches coming in at clubs and not liking the look of him. “Every player has a different career path,” he said. “I was unlucky because the coaches that signed me then left their jobs soon after: when Gerard Houllier left Liverpool, Benitez came in and signed his own players; the same thing happened at Aston Villa and at Lyon, where Houllier left six months after I joined. It’s not an excuse but sometimes little things can determine your career.”

But the striker did not help himself either, as he hit the headlines with three scandals. First, after the World Cup, Baros was photographed dancing bare-chested with a condom tied in his hair. Czech paper Dnes said he was “risking his name, his career and his talent”, while former Czech international Radek Drulak warned Baros not to ruin his career.

In April 2007, when he was at French champions Lyon, Baros was accused of racially abusing Rennes’s midfielder Stephane Mbia, after pinching his nose and waving his hand in the Cameroonian’s direction. He was cleared of racism but still banned for three games by the French league’s disciplinary committee. Last October, Baros lost his driving license after he was clocked speeding at 168mph in his black Ferrari. “Sadly, it is quite simply the record speed recorded in the area,” said a police spokesman.

“I don’t think I made any mistakes in my career, although I did do some bad things,” said Baros, referring to the nightclub pictures. “I was young and I suddenly found out there was much more attention on me. So I had to change my lifestyle but I don’t have any regrets.

“Was I too young to have that success at Euro 2004? It’s hard to say. You go into a competition with the highest targets and you cannot think, ‘I’m 22 and too young to do well’. Every player wants to get to the top as quickly as possible.”

For Baros, though, the talk of interest from Barcelona, which cropped up four years ago, stopped a long time ago. “I was linked with Barcelona but now I have to be more realistic,” he laughed. “But I still have my dreams and targets and think my best years are still to come. After all, I am still only 26.”

So a good performance for the Czech team could give Baros the kick-start that his career needs. “We have to get through the group stage for that to happen, but we have a strong team,” he said. “Opponents won’t be fearing us and that can be an advantage. If we get through to the quarter-final, I think anything can happen. Personally, I am confident that the goals will come.”

Baros has not ruled out watching some tapes of Euro 2004 before he travels to Switzerland for the Group A matches. “I sometimes look at the highlights and remember that was an amazing time for us. It was a wonderful time but you cannot get by on your memories alone. This competition will be harder for us than four years ago,” he said. “But it would be great if I did well at Euro 2008. It could be a turning-point in my career. You never know in football.”

Doubt in Tomas?

Tomas Rosicky faces a battle to be fit, then another one to prove himself worthy of leading the Czech Republic

Words Vasek Jaber Pictures PA Photos

Pressure does not bother Tomas Rosicky, and nor do big games. That much was clear when the player nicknamed ‘Little Mozart’ emerged from Pavel Nedved’s shadow to inspire the Czech Republic team to World Cup qualification, scoring in the play-off win over Norway. He started the tournament in Germany with a bang, scoring two goals, one stunning long-range effort, against USA in their opening game. But the Czechs lost their next two games, and left Germany early. Nedved quit the team (again) and Rosicky was handed the captain’s armband.

Coach Karel Bruckner relied on the Arsenal midfielder to provide the creative spark in a team that was less attacking than when they could call upon Karel Poborsky, Vladimir Smicer and Nedved. Rosicky repaid the faith, starring in a 3-0 qualifying win over Slovakia before his position was under threat following the March defeat to Germany.

Czech newspapers reported that Rosicky was one of five players drinking until the early hours to celebrate the birthday of team-mate Tomas Ujfalusi days before the qualifier against Cyprus (which the Czechs won 1-0).

“I did not think about giving up the captaincy then,” Rosicky said. “I was chosen by the players and the coach and they decided that if I play, I am the person who can wear the armband. I have always tried to fulfil my task with responsibility. I played under a lot of good captains who inspired me a bit and I want to be a good leader now. Having the armband has increased my responsibility and I am happy to show that on the pitch.”

Rosicky faces a race against time to be fit for Euro 2008, after a knee injury sustained against Newcastle ended his Arsenal season back in January. Czech team doctor Petr Krejci is hopeful that Rosicky will be ready to start the tournament’s opening match against hosts Switzerland. “The injury is a bit mysterious and I just hope we will get over this period and all the problems will make me stronger,” said the player.

If he does not make it, Bruckner is expected to select Reading’s Marek Matejovsky, who was outstanding in the 3-0 qualifying win in Germany last October. “It’s good that the coach has other options, but if I am fit, I hope I am picked ahead of him.”

Bruckner needs to call on all the experience he can, as Rosicky feels that the loss of Nedved, Poborsky and Smicer might affect the team’s mental strength in the later stages of the competition. “We are not as experienced as we were four years ago, even though we have six players [Ujfalusi, Marek Jankulovksi, Tomas Galasek, Jan Koller, Milan Baros and Rosicky himself] who have won over 60 caps,” he said. “That can be important in the later stages of the competition, but I still think we have enough quality throughout the squad to make it difficult for any team to beat us.”

The team is also more solid than the exciting side that scored ten goals in its first four games at Euro 2004 (which included overturning a 2-0 deficit to beat Holland 3-2). “We are not as attacking a team as we were a few years ago,” admitted Rosicky. “In the past, we tried to beat everyone thanks to our attacking players. Now it is different, our style has changed a bit. We did not concede many goals in the qualifying stages of the competition and we know that to win Euro 2008, you need to avoid conceding bad goals. You also need to show compact performances match after match.”

A repeat of the 2004 semi-final finish might be too much to ask for this team, but Rosicky is confident that the Czechs can get past hosts Switzerland in the opening-game and get through Group A. “Portugal and the Czech Republic are considered as the favourites of the group,” he said. “I know everyone expects us to qualify from the group stage. The players want and believe that we can do that too. That’s our first target, only then we can think about going further.”

Those chances will be greater if Rosicky can end his injury nightmare in time. “I am hopeful,” he added. “We will see what happens.”