West Ham defeated Newcastle on Sunday. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek has received his fair share of criticism in recent months.
The Czech Republic national team have not been at their best in recent months, but have made a turnaround under new coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
Tomas Soucek impressed under Nuno
The towering midfielder has had a role change under the new manager, being used as an auxiliary striker. The midfielder has been in excellent form, scoring in back-to-back wins against Newcastle and Burnley. There is no doubt that he will be a player for West Ham as they aim to remain in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, the midfielder has also been heavily criticized by the national team. The midfielder and his team-mates were heavily criticized recently for failing to show appreciation to Czech fans after their 6-0 thrashing of Gibraltar in this week’s World Cup qualifiers.
Soucek punished for recent controversy
The Czech Football Association has issued an apology to fans for the players’ actions. He added that the players will not receive their usual financial bonuses for this match and Soucek will not captain the team in the next match.
“The players’ reaction should have been the opposite. They should have thanked the active fans, not only for their support yesterday, but also for their long and tireless support throughout the qualification cycle after a series of unconvincing performances,” the statement said.
“The FAČR Football Association has also decided that Tomas Soucek will not lead the team as captain in the next match and that the bonuses related to yesterday’s qualifying match will also not be paid to the players. These funds will be donated to help those in need.”
Apparently, the players were dissatisfied with the excessive criticism their performance received from fans. It remains to be seen whether the midfielder can turn things around in the coming months and win the approval of fans at club and international level.
