Everything you always wanted to know about Slavia (but were afraid to ask).
1 Not Sparta
We are Slavia Praha. Not Sparta Praha. Sparta is the other Prague club which competed in UEFA Champions League in 90s and early 2000s. Please, don’t talk or write about Sparta when Slavia play.
2 “Prague” is not enough
We are not “Prague”, we are Slavia as there are plenty professional clubs in Prague (Sparta, Bohemians, Dukla, Viktoria Žižkov and others). Referring Slavia as “Prague” is like saying only “Manchester” or “London” referring Manchester United or Arsenal.
3 "SK", not "FC"
There is no "FC" abbreviation in Slavia full name. The club is called SK Slavia Praha. The "SK" stands for "sportovní klub" (sports club) as Slavia has many more branches - ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, athletics, rugby, futsal or handball above all. "Slavia" is also quite a common name for sports clubs not only in the Czech Republic, but all around the Central and Eastern Europe.
4 Older than you think
We are one of the oldest clubs of continental Europe founded in Prague in 1892.
5 Red & white
Our red and white shirt with five-pointed red star on the white half is probably the oldest football shirt which is still in use and haven’t changed in the course of history. Slavia played their first game in red-white in March 1896 and only between 1953 and 1956 was the club deprived of its colours by order of the communist authorities.
6 No Communism
Our star has nothing in common with communism. Symbol of Communism is a five-pointed star with two points projecting down, Slavia star is reversed. Our club and communism do not match. As one of the symbols of “bourgeois” First Czechoslovak Republic Slavia was persecuted during communist era (1948-1989) and almost ceased to exist in 1950s.
7 Star is not the logo
Talking about the star: Despite being the most visible element on our shirt, technically speaking, it is not the club’s badge, it is simply integral part of the shirt.
8 “The Stitched”
Slavia nickname “The Stitched” (“sešívaní” in Czech) originates from the shirt itself which has been historically made of two parts sewn together. Even the current shirt is made of two halves.
9 The Fans’ Chant
After every game – no matter what the result – players gather in front of the fans and sing a special chant together. This tradition started in 2006 and became signature feature of Slavia fans. Words: Red and White – Fighting force – Slavia – Prague – We are always with you – After a win – After a loss – And therefore – Long live Slavia!
10 Prague Derby
Prague Derby between Slavia and Sparta is the biggest game of Czech football. The first Derby was played in 1896 and since then the two Prague “S” have met in 293 games. Although Sparta have been historically more successful, Slavia haven’t lost the Derby since March 2016.
11 The Success
Slavia have been one of the most successful European clubs before and after the First World War. In 1938 the red-whites won the Mitropa Cup – predecessor of today’s Champions League.
12 European Glory
In 1996 Slavia qualified for the semi-final of UEFA Cup eliminating AS Roma in the quarter-final (and losing to Girondins with young Zinedine Zidane). Last season the red-whites played Europa League quarter-final against Chelsea (0-1 and 3-4) eliminating Sevilla and Genk in knock-out stage.
13 Not for the First Time
Borussia Dortmund is the only club from Group F we have never met. Slavia played 8 games against Barcelona in 1920s and 1930s (W3 D2 L3, all games in Barcelona) and 2 games against Ambrosiana (Internazionale) in 1938 Mitropa Cup (9-0 win at home, 1-3 loss away).
14 The Museum
If you want to see memorabilia connected to our games with Barcelona, Ambrosiana and other clubs, visit Slavia Museum. It is located inside the Sinobo Stadium, opened in 2018 and became the biggest football museum in the Czech Republic.
Valuable victory after the international break! Slavia, thanks to a splendid strike from Lukáš Provod and two precise goals from Václav Jurečka, defeated Slovácko 3:1 in Uherské Hradiště. Jindřich Staněk conceded for the first time in his fourth league start for Slavia.
Forced interruption of the match, likely high penalties from UEFA, and disgrace for the entire Slavia. Such is the outcome of the behavior of some individuals during the home game against AC Milan, who decided to resolve their current frustration by throwing beverage cups or other objects onto the playing field.
