Making of Legend

11.01.2020, Klub

Milan Škoda – striker, captain, legend and two-time Czech champion – is leaving Slavia.

Not everyone can be called a legend of his club. But Milan Škoda is one of them. Joining Slavia as mid-table club, helping the red-whites survive the most difficult time in their modern history and leading the club as captain to two Czech titles, two Czech cups and Champions league group stage. Škoda scored 89 goals and added 28 assists in his 251 competitive games for Slavia, lifted 4 major trophies and became league top-scorer in 2017.

First years

Milan Škoda joined Slavia on the beginning of 2012 from neighbouring club Bohemians 1905 (btw. With Bohemians Škoda experienced similar story lifting the club from 3rd tier after its financial crisis). Immediately after his arrival the 26-year old forward became regular and scored his first two goals in ed and white against Hradec Králové at the end of 2011/12 season.

In the following season Škoda started to 28 league games and scored 4 goals. Slavia fans surely remember his beautiful strike away in Plzeň which secured the red-whites important three points against the table leaders.

Most of the 2013/14 season spent Milan Škoda as centre-back being moved there to avoid crisis in Slavia defence line. This was the only season in which Škoda failed to score, but Slavia managed to keep 6 clean sheets in 18 games with him as centre-back and narrowly avoided relegation.

Striker, international, captain

However, starting from the following season Škoda returned to his usual position as striker and with this Slavia slowly started its way back to the glory. Slavia finished 11th, but Škoda scored 19 goals (2nd place among top scorers) and in February 2015 he recorded his only league hat-trick against Slovan Liberec. In June he got his first invitation into the Czech national team starting in European qualifier against Iceland.

In 2015/16 Škoda scored 14 goals, put on the captain’s armband for the first time in the game against Jihlava and helped Slavia to reach the 5th place in Czech league and progress to the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. Škoda also scored two goals in EURO 2016 qualifiers and one goal against Croatia on the final tournament.

Titles, cups, legend

In the champion’s season 2016/17 Milan Škoda played key role in his team. He scored 15 goals, became league top-scorer, added 6 assists and lifted the cup as vice-captain together with Jiří Bílek.

Škoda kept his key role in the following season partly already under the new manager Jindřich Trpišovský. He scored 12 goals in 2017/18 and added 2 goals in Champions League qualifiers against BATE which helped Slavia to reach the Europa League group stage.

In 2018/19 – another season after which Slavia lifted the Czech title – Škoda played 24 games and 8 more in the Europa League (scoring two goals in Genk in the Round of 32). In current season our captain scored 5 goals in league and 4 more in Czech cup, he also made his two maiden starts in Champions league recording one assist in the away game in Dortmund.

Record breaker

Milan Škoda’s spell in Slavia is now over. He is leaving as captain, two-time champion, legend and record-breaker. In May 2019 he started in his 200th league game in red and white which meant he became player with most league starts for Slavia in the modern history of the club.

Thank you, captain!