Jan Kuchta Explained

Jan Kuchta
Birth Date:8 January 1997[1]
Birth Place:Liberec, Czech Republic
Height:1.85 m
Position:Forward
Currentclub:Sparta Prague
Clubnumber:9
Youthyears1:2010–2013
Youthclubs1:Sparta Prague
Youthyears2:2013–2016
Youthclubs2:Slavia Prague
Years1:2016–2020
Clubs1:Slavia Prague
Caps1:1
Goals1:0
Years2:2016–2017
Clubs2:Bohemians (loan)
Caps2:21
Goals2:0
Years3:2018
Clubs3:Viktoria Žižkov (loan)
Caps3:12
Goals3:4
Years4:2018
Clubs4:Slovácko (loan)
Caps4:14
Goals4:4
Years5:2019
Clubs5:Teplice (loan)
Caps5:8
Goals5:3
Years6:2019–2020
Clubs6:Slovan Liberec (loan)
Caps6:13
Goals6:2
Years7:2020
Clubs7:Slovan Liberec
Caps7:10
Goals7:4
Years8:2020–2022
Clubs8:Slavia Prague
Caps8:43
Goals8:24
Years9:2022–2023
Clubs9:Lokomotiv Moscow
Caps9:10
Goals9:3
Years10:2022–2023
Clubs10:Sparta Prague (loan)
Caps10:29
Goals10:14
Years11:2023–
Clubs11:Sparta Prague
Caps11:32
Goals11:17
Nationalyears1:2014–2015
Nationalteam1:Czech Republic U18
Nationalcaps1:12
Nationalgoals1:3
Nationalyears2:2015–2016
Nationalteam2:Czech Republic U19
Nationalcaps2:9
Nationalgoals2:4
Nationalyears3:2017–2018
Nationalteam3:Czech Republic U20
Nationalcaps3:6
Nationalgoals3:1
Nationalyears4:2018
Nationalteam4:Czech Republic U21
Nationalcaps4:3
Nationalgoals4:2
Nationalyears5:2021–
Nationalteam5:Czech Republic
Nationalcaps5:20
Nationalgoals5:3
Club-Update:6 June 2024
Nationalteam-Update:6 June 2024

Jan Kuchta (born 8 January 1997) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a forward for Czech club Sparta Prague and the Czech Republic national team.

Club career

Slavia Prague

Kuchta made his Czech First League debut for Slavia Prague on 8 November 2015 in a game against Bohemians.[2]

In January 2019, he joined Teplice on loan until June 2020.[3]

In February 2020, Kuchta signed for Slovan Liberec on a permanent deal, following a loan move at the club. In July 2020, Kuchta re-signed for Slavia Prague.[4] Kuchta finished the 2020–21 Czech First League as joint top scorer, alongside Adam Hložek with 15 goals.[5] In the final match of the season on 29 May 2021, Kuchta scored his side's winning goal against Dynamo České Budějovice which confirmed an undefeated league season for Slavia, the first time a Czech club reached this milestone since rivals Sparta Prague did so in 2009–10.

Lokomotiv Moscow

On 12 January 2022, Kuchta signed a contract with Russian Premier League club Lokomotiv Moscow until 2026.[6]

He made his league debut for Lokomotiv on 6 March 2022 against FC Khimki and scored the winning goal in a 3–2 victory. However, he never served a disqualification that he received for getting sent off in his last game for Slavia, and, according to FIFA regulations, was not eligible to play, FC Khimki filed a protest.[7] The protest was denied on 10 March 2022, according to Russian Football Union, Kuchta should have been disqualified for the Russian Cup game Lokomotiv played against Yenisey Krasnoyarsk on 3 March and lost 4–0, as Czech regulations extend disqualifications to Cup games, even though Russian regulations do not, so he was technically disqualified for "one league or Cup game" as opposed to "one league game". Lokomotiv did not provide the document detailing the disqualification to the league, the club claimed they did not receive it during the transfer, and he was allowed by the RFU to play in the Cup game. His disqualification is considered served after that game, even though he actually played in it, as per FIFA regulations. Khimki considered lodging an appeal.[8]

Sparta Prague

In June 2022, Kuchta joined Sparta Prague on a one-year long loan with an option for a permanent transfer.[9] In his first match for Sparta Prague in the Czech First League (2–1 home loss against Slovan Liberec) he stepped on Liberec goalkeeper Olivier Vliegen's head and received a yellow card, which the referee changed to a red card after he saw video footage. Kuchta was banned for five league matches by LFA Disciplinary Commission.[10] The club with Kuchta appealed against his ban,[11] but the appeal was rejected by Appeals Committee on 11 August 2022.[12]

Kuchta helped the club to win its first championship title since 2014.[13]

In June 2023, Sparta exercised the option to buy in the loan contract, signing a multi-year contract with Kuchta.[14]

In May 2024, Kuchta helped the club to win its second championship title in two seasons[15] and domestic cup.[16] He was awarded as the forward of the 2023–24 season by the League Football Association.[17]

International career

Kuchta made his debut for the Czech Republic national team on 8 October 2021 in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Wales.[18]

On 19 November 2023, Kuchta with Vladimír Coufal and Jakub Brabec have been kicked out of the Czech Republic's national team camp after they allegedly went out clubbing two days before the Euro 2024 qualifier match against Moldova.[19]

He is selected from the list of 26 Czech players of the Ivan Hašek coach to participate in UEFA Euro 2024.[20] Tenant in the first match against Portugal, he will not play the second match against Georgia and will be a replacement in the last game of hens against Turkey but will be eliminated with his team from the first round.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupEuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Slavia Prague2015–16Czech First League100010
Bohemians (loan)2016–17Czech First League17031201
2017–18400040
Total21031241
Viktoria Žižkov (loan)2017–18Czech National Football League124124
Slovácko (loan)2018–19Czech First League14421165
Teplice (loan)2018–19Czech First League830083
Slovan Liberec (loan)2019–20Czech First League13221153
Slovan Liberec2019–20Czech First League10420124
Slavia Prague2020–21Czech First League27153311 24120
2021–2216910832512
Total4324431956632
Lokomotiv Moscow2021–22Russian Premier League10310113
Sparta Prague (loan)2022–23Czech First League291442203516
Sparta Prague2023–24Czech First League3217211434721
Career total1857219935823989

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Czech Republic202140
202282
202381
Total203

Scores and results list Czech Republic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kuchta goal.

List of international goals scored by Jan Kuchta
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1 2 June 2022 Sinobo Stadium, Prague, Czech Republic 1–0 2–1 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A
1 5 June 2022 Sinobo Stadium, Prague, Czech Republic 2–1 2–2
2 24 March 2023 Fortuna Arena, Prague, Czech Republic 3–0 3–1 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying

Honours

FC Slovan Liberec

Slavia Prague

2020–21[22]

2020–21

Sparta Prague

2022–23, 2023–24

2023–24

Individual

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jan Kuchta – Czechia – European Qualifiers. 17 June 2023. UEFA.
  2. Web site: Game Report by Soccerway. Soccerway. 8 November 2015.
  3. Web site: ALEX KRÁL PŘESTUPUJE DO SLAVIE, NA HOSTOVÁNÍ PŘICHÁZÍ JAN KUCHTA. FK Teplice. 2 January 2019. 12 March 2019.
  4. Web site: SK Slavia Prague. Jan Kuchta re-joins Slavia. 23 July 2020.
  5. Web site: Sparta na závěr sezony deklasovala Brno, Slavia porazila Budějovice. Hložek čtyřmi góly dotáhl Kuchtu. 29 May 2021. Czech Radio. 30 May 2021. cs.
  6. Web site: ФК "Локомотив" согласовал контракт с Яном Кухтой. FC Lokomotiv Moscow. 12 January 2022. 12 January 2022. ru.
  7. Web site: "Химки" подают протест на присуждение поражения "Локо". Все из-за участия в матче Кухты. Sport Express. 6 March 2022. ru.
  8. Web site: В КДК объяснили, почему не засчитали техническое поражение "Локомотиву". Championat. 10 March 2022. ru.
  9. Web site: Jan Kuchta přichází na Spartu. AC Sparta Prague. 25 June 2022. 25 June 2022. cs.
  10. Web site: Pavel. Dosadil. Surová hra přišla Kuchtu draho. Kolik kol stráví jen na tribuně?. sport.cz. 4 August 2022. 4 August 2022. cs. Borgis.
  11. Web site: Pět zápasů je moc?! Sparta a Kuchta se odvolali proti trestu. sport.cz. Czech News Agency. 8 August 2022. 8 August 2022. cs. Borgis.
  12. Web site: Pavel. Dosadil. Kuchta má smůlu, milost nedostane. Sparťanský útočník s odvoláním neuspěl. sport.cz. 11 August 2022. 11 August 2022. cs. Borgis.
  13. News: Sparta v euforii! Remíza na Slovácku odstartovala mistrovské oslavy. Sport.cz. 23 May 2023. 23 May 2023. Czech News Agency. cs. Borgis.
  14. News: Kuchta se do Ruska vracet nebude. Sparta ho získala na přestup. Kuchta Won’t Be Returning to Russia. Sparta Got His Transfer. ČT Sport. 14 May 2023. 14 May 2023. cs.
  15. News: SESTŘIH: Boleslav - Sparta 0:5. Titul pro Letenské! Kuchta dal čtyři góly. Blesk. 18 May 2024. cs. Czech News Center. Czech News Agency. 19 May 2024.
  16. News: Neumann. Robert. Sparta slaví double! Triumf v nervózním finále trefil Birmančevič. Sport.cz. 22 May 2024. cs. Borgis. 23 May 2024.
  17. Brankářem sezony je Staněk, obráncům vládne Hranáč. Uspěli i dva mistři. League Football Association. 28 May 2024. 29 May 2024. cs.
  18. News: Belgie nám pomůže, věří po ztrátě Kuchta. Na debut nezapomene do konce života. Aktuálně.cz. 9 October 2021. 28 June 2023. cs. Premiéru v dresu fotbalové reprezentace si proti Walesu v kvalifikaci o mistrovství světa odbyl útočník Jan Kuchta. První start byl pro něj o to pikantnější, že se uskutečnil v Edenu na stadionu "jeho" Slavie.. Striker Jan Kuchta debuted in the Czech senior squad against Wales in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The first start was all the more spicy for him, because it took place in Eden at the stadium of "his" Slavia..
  19. Web site: Jacob. Leeks. West Ham star among three banished from national team after "fundamentally violating" rules. Mirror Online. 19 November 2023. 20 November 2023.
  20. Web site: 2024-06-12 . eSports cz, s r o- . cs-CZ . www.esportsmedia.cz . Nominace reprezentace na přípravný kemp před EURO 2024 Reprezentace . Fotbal.cz.
  21. News: Čihák. Jiří. Liberec - Sparta 1:2, trofej po šesti letech, rozhodla hloupá penalta. iDNES.cz. Mafra. cs. 1 July 2020.
  22. Web site: Slavia - Budějovice 2:1. Mistři bez prohry, trefil se i Kuchta. Blesk. 29 May 2021. 18 June 2021. cs.