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New horizons unlocked. Just like most of us predicted a year ago, MFK Karviná the club has entered a new era with Martin Hyský the manager. Hardly just your regular coach, the former Vlašim gaffer is making sure Karviná doesn’t become a hollow feeder club of Slavia without its own personality and agenda. Through his charisma, tactical acumen, accountability and sheer dedication to make it all work in a region where Karviná have long fed off scraps, Hyský has — in a way — become for Karviná what Janotka has been for Sigma: a quietly transformative figure reshaping not just results, but identity.
There are small things a neutral observer from afar like me wouldn’t even notice or think of taking into consideration. Like the fans being highly appreciative of the continued presence of regionally rooted Marek Bielan and Radim Grussman, two men who saved Karviná from the worst-case scenario last spring, as part of Hyský’s staff. It was his decision, much like it was his decision to making time for paying a visit to a youth team’s training camp. It most likely wasn’t his decision for the club to finally begin meaningful cooperation with the city’s symbol Lázně Darkov who, until now, bizarrely sponsored Slovácko; but it sure can only help.
It is, of course, always a bit dangerous to tie a club to a transcending individual at such a volatile position like the head coach, but Hyský seems to be made from a different dough. Contrary to some other big personalities, he often refuses to make it about himself. When he very publicly (yet politely) declined the offer to become the next Mladá Boleslav coach, he did make it about himself… but only in the sense that his job isn’t finished at Karviná. Where most fans expect him to do two years maximum, Hyský may actually surprise them. He’s clearly a legacy coach; someone Karviná — heck, the entire Czech football — is not used to.
For now, then, let’s not bother ourselves with answering the heavy existential questions, and avoid the seemingly obligatory stab in the dark, wondering whether it’s OK that officials of your divisional rivals are openly putting it out there that your coach and/or star player are partially paid by a different, dominant club. It’s awkward for everyone involved, it’s probably at least a tiny bit dodgy, if not shady, but that’s about all we — the outsiders — can say or think about it. For now, let’s just enjoy the ride care-free, in a cheeky little tribute to MFK’s apparent approach to just about all the encounters with the Big 3, including Slavia itself.
Looking back on 2024/25
What went (particularly) right
I still can’t wrap my head around how Martin Hyský managed to oversee one of only three 6-game unbeaten streaks in the club’s history (and a first since April 2018!) at that particular time, in that particular situation. It started against Slovácko, in Round 23, on 3 March — mere weeks after the team officially lost almost its entire creative power in David Moses, Gianni-Fivos Botos and Amar Memić. It ended in Round 28, on 5 April — after a month-long period that included four away games (three trips to the far away Bohemia), only two home stands, a pair of historically first victories against stronger teams (Boleslav, Olomouc) and an average of goals scored per game nearly reaching two. In the end, the trio of men currently in charge (Hyský, Bielan, Grussman) is now signed under four of all eleven 4-game unbeaten runs MFK Karviná have produced since 2016/17 — an incredible 36% in just over 12 months.
Another trick out of the magician’s hat: bringing MFK back as a home arena powerhouse. In 2016/17, Karviná took the top tier by storm, earning 22 points from 15 games (almost half of all on offer) at its newly expanded stadium and setting the 20-point baseline for the following two campaigns, as well. In the four most recent seasons preceding this one, meanwhile, MFK never reached those heights, always stopping well short of 1.2 points per home stand. Now they were back; playing to the tune of 1.4 real points (10th) and 1.5 expected ones (8th). And that’s while wrapping up four of those matches short one outfield player. Actually, on that…
What went (especially) wrong
It’s demanding enough to coach a team that keeps, on average, making the longest trips of all 16 Chance Liga participants; it’s a different kind of a task altogether when you return from 5 of those trips (okay 4, one of them was to next-door Ostrava) having spent a chunk of it shorthanded. In total, Karviná played out 8.8% of the entire season down a player, one of only two teams approaching 10%. That’s a lot. (Overall, a ridiculous total of 11 games involving Karviná saw some sort of a red card interference, btw; with a combined 14 dished out.)
This helps put convenient finishing touches on the picture of an ever-present, for lack of a better word, naivety. It’s commendable and all to try to build from the back against Slavia; but it might just be too stubborn when it gives way to a 1:5 loss and one of the highest xGAExpected Goals Against (xGA) estimates how many goals a team should have conceded based on shot quality, location, and context. single-game values ever recorded (5.41). That was already Karviná’s 14th game of the season when they simply should’ve known better. No one is suggesting Hyský abandon his principles, but to pragmatically water them down here and there would certainly be wise, and should absolutely feature on Karviná’s coach to-do list heading to 25/26. Sparta (R17) and Jablonec (R22), both also completed with 11 men and 4+ conceded goals, are other such cases.
Most valuable player (still on board)
Per my MVP model (traditional stats): Jakub Lapeš (ranked 17th league-wide)
Per my positional models (advanced stats): Jakub Lapeš (82 overall percentile at GK)
Per Statsbomb’s On-Ball Value (OBV) metric: Jiří Fleišman
When it was time to sort Karviná goalkeepers for my 2024/25 depth chart, I frankly didn’t give much thought to it. It was clear Milan Knobloch was slated to be the starter, while Jiří Ciupa was the more experienced back-up, so there he landed — Jakub Lapeš was only the third choice in my eyes. Fast forward 12 months, and Knobloch remains unattached since January, Ciupa is still based in South Africa, not far from yours truly, and Lapeš — back then a veteran of two top flight games — Karviná’s well-deserved MVP, having produced high-danger saves at the highest rate of all (17 in total; plus 5 one-on-ones dealt with on top).
The fresh 26-year-old isn’t a perfect goalkeeper by any means; a lot of his possession/duel losses led to shots, often a result of his unconvinced passing from the back or failed attempts to claim the ball. But this was, for one, richly compensated by some top notch damage control in terms of rushes far out of the goal (something Hyský demands and will always demand) or through 10 safe punches in critical situations. Secondly, a lot of this aggressivness might have been a new territory for him, as well (like it was for Knobloch), and it must be noted Lapeš has grown more comfortable in this proactive role over time. Mostly on high alert, he theoretically kept out the most goals scored from outside the box (2.27).
At the end of the day, no MFK goalkeeper has ever kept as many clean sheets in a season.
Chip on the shoulder
carried by the player who’s got something to prove — be it to himself, fans or the coach
Keenly awaiting a huge offer while reluctantly prepping to help out Karviná some more, Filip Vecheta may not see one this summer, because there will be clubs who are simply not sold.
And I sort of get them.
Vecheta was a marvelous get for Karviná, don’t get me wrong; a case of opportunity presenting itself not only because of Slavia’s involvement in the move, but also — if not largely — because the Slovácko stagnation was becoming too much, and he was arguably becoming too… available. That’s often lost in the narrative for me: sure, Karviná perhaps would have never touched a player of Vecheta’s stature before, but what was his stature exactly? One of the worst passengers among 23/24 regular centre forwards who was never too fancied by Martin Svědík? A three-goal sniper as a best-case scenario? Vecheta’s stature certainly wasn’t anywhere close to Slavia’s level, and may never well be — it was likely always more about making the finances work than using Karviná as a bridge to Prague’s spotlight.
That being said, Vecheta obviously did get closer to Slavia’s level — at least by the visible output. Beneath the surface, it was more of the same. He was still unable to create much for his teammates. He was more effective in using his big body aerially, but continued to struggle with making his limbs work defensively. Even for a penalty box operator, his rate of 0.23 penalty area entries per game is outright shocking (it’s the Jakub Řezníček territory). He went from being a terrible finisher to an above average one, fine, but how much should you trust him to replicate it when his luck index is higher than Kliment’s (3.8 extra goals)?
That is where the chip on the shoulder stems from.
Vecheta needs to do it again. Only then, doubters like me will do the Homer Simpson classic.
Inside the off-season
special thanks for guiding me through the motions of MFK Karviná’s off-season go out to @sispais_06 & @Karvina_Direct
Squad turnover
There’s still hoping for Alexandr Bužek returning — now awkwardly missing out on both Slavia and Karviná training camps, who knows for what reason — but even if that happens, it’s not quite salvaging Karviná’s grim squad turnover picture. After waving goodbye to 7 pizza-qualified players last year in preparation for a radically new coach, they’ve done more of the same in 2025. Some players effectively cut were survivors of Jarábek’s regime (like Raspopović, Ražnatović, Bergvist in summer; Regáli, Svozil and Mikuš in winter); some were already additions under Hyský’s watch who didn’t quite hit (Čavoš, Tomič). Mix in the likes of Botos and Moses, and only Dukla (19) have to date separated from a higher number of players they dished out 2024/25 minutes than Karviná (16). Only Boleslav have been hit harder at the back end (defensive-minded players plus goalkeepers), and only Boleslav and Dukla have thus far subtracted a higher percentage of all goal contributions. Which finding has got more value: that both Memić and Botos still formed the team’s Top 3 of goal contributors (with 12 and 11) despite jumping the ship halfway, or that Karviná averaged more goals scored per game without them anyway (1.31 vs 1.21)? How you evaluate the meaning of this potentially brutal squad turnover pretty much hinges on which perspective of the two you prefer.
Biggest upgrade
This is where the longing for Vecheta’s repeat could get a wild twist: Abdallah Gning might easily elevate his game and provide the missing link simply by bringing his own game to town. I’ve heard rumblings about the repeated health issues robbing him of some of his signature agility, but I don’t see it. On a square meter, Gning still does things not many attackers around the league can do — or indeed have done. He made things happen with every other touch of the ball last term, just like he did in his breakout campaign. By drawing a foul or simply battling his way through, he set up 14 chances or goals. Only Kušej, Kliment and Adediran were more involved in their teams’ threat generation than Gning.
Ultimately, you could take Vecheta’s pizza, overlay it with Gning’s pizza, and you’d pretty much get a RoboCop. Where Gning frustrated the heck out of Teplice’s fans — screwing up a sitter after sitter, only connecting on 30% of actions in the box — Vecheta did alright, or more than that. Where Vecheta appeared somewhat lazy or clumsy, Gning was a frequent disturber of peace. The question now is: can Gning make it work in the hole, so Hyský can keep his 4-2-3-1? On paper, he should; and he has paired well with a Vecheta type in Yasser.
Biggest downgrade
The downgrade in the case of Karviná, and specifically its central midfield, wasn’t so much about one particular individual, but it’s been a gradual decline in quality as well as quantity. It started with Moses at the turn of the year, the premier backtracker and guardian of the penalty box whose absence was felt greatly in the spring; and it continued through Bužek (though he was barely deployed in the double pivot) and Patrik Čavoš, only made worse by Boháč partially descending to the backline and possibly full-time taking one more warm body out of the equation with him (I kept him there on the depth chart purely out of pity).
It’s only really in this context that Čavoš can be viewed more as a substantial downgrade and less as a good riddance. He was honestly nothing special — an experienced filler who thrived on anonymity and fairly little damage caused — but when your go-to plan for when he’s gone seems to only consist of “sitting around and waiting for Godot Bužek”, it’s a D+ mark at best.
Need left to be addressed
Speaking of Boháč: it’s funny that by letting him leave a hole in midfield you’re hardly fixing the biggest need that, in my eyes at least, persists regardless. After systematically getting rid of the kind one by one each transfer window (Bederka, Svozil, Bergqvist), Karviná still badly needs a proven, steady centre back. You could argue Krčík, two seasons deep into his top flight career as a 25-year-old, is sufficiently proven after he spent those years in the designated starter’s role, but he’s far from a steady pair of hands on the wheel, doing little valuable things at the back, and fucking up often. He’s an asset in build-up; and that’s it.
Even as he’s beginning his peak, then, Krčík is closer to a mercurial player than a solid one, which is especially bad news when he’s got two maturing, mercurical defenders keeping him close company. Sahmkou Camara made waves with his cocksure entrance to the league as this new coming of Eduardo Santos, but when the dust settled, the initial construction was found to be mostly collapsed. Even the very obvious confidence and skill on the ball deep down, when hazarding in the initial phase of the build-up, translates to nothing at all in the attacking half. More importantly, though, all three purely Karviná CB regulars fall into the 29-to-34 average percentile range for consistency & dependability. Wanna venture a wild guess who, meanwhile, landed in the top 10 percentile for “tendency to switch off on defence” and “net performance” (ratio of danger allowing/preventing actions in a game)? Jaroslav Svozil.
This is where Boháč could actually come in handy. He didn’t play enough to qualify for a pizza chart, but I still ran his numbers on the side out of sheer curiosity — and they swept me off my feet. He would’ve been the most frequent saviour deep inside his own half (courtesy of some vital blocks and interceptions), the most prolific winner of loose ball duels, and the most astute reader of the game. It’d be silly to celebrate, but colour me intrigued.
New kid on the block
All of Karviná’s U-17, U-18 and U-19 teams are back in their respective category’s top tier (only U-16s are staying put after an unfortunate runner-up finish), immediately after the quadruple drop caused by one quickly derailed spring of the U-19s occurred last year, and that is by far the most important piece of news concerning youth football coming out of the easternmost Chance Liga hub. The oldest group of the bunch did it in quite a straightforward manner, so much so they could’ve afforded to promote some of the cream of the crop to the third-tier reserves (extremely young, yet safe from relegation) midway through. That was the case of talented foreigners mostly, as per usual when it comes to Karviná, with Cadu (6+3 in the spring for the reserves as a former centre back/holding midfielder turned striker) and Yahaya Lawali (b. 2006; 3+8) in particular impressing after raising up a level, leaving e.g. a certain Al-Ameen Durosinmi — indeed Rafiu’s relative, per available information — behind.
As opposed to Cadu, Lawali joined up with the first team for their main preparation camp in Kraków and could see some playing time on either flank, or even in central midfield where he was also sometimes listed. Per Wyscout, he acted as Nigeria’s starting right back at U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2023, which ended in a quarter-final heartbreak; per Šimon, he was more of a left back/wing for Karviná ‘B’. Hyský loves a wide player who doesn’t mind the side.
Looking ahead to 2025/26
Below is the team’s current(ish) depth chart with a maximum of 4 alternatives for one position. The colourful ratings are a static snapshot of the league-wide situation on 5 July, and they are just a playful bit to add flavour to it; the names featured should be relevant to this day. To learn more about my approach to constructing depth charts, with all its limitations, head here.
Primary formation
As long as there aren’t many CB options to go around, the sometimes used 3ATB3ATB means 3-at-the-back, ie. any formation with three centre backs and wingbacks, or alternatively, five defenders. is hardly viable and Karviná will mostly line up in a classic 4-2-3-1, with Štorman often used in a deeper role as opposed to his natural no. 10. Should Hyský go 3ATB, expect Traoré as a RCB.
Notes on the depth chart
Both Karviná fullback positions could be sneaky good this season. Jan Chytrý, who made his second-tier debut as a fresh 19-year-old at Jihlava and never looked back, brings youthful experience — similar to Tomáš Vlček a while back. If he doesn’t perform, or needs to deputize on the left where he’s also functioned quite a bit over time, Kristián Vallo is more than a capable backup. The game typically slows down for him, as he navigates all kinds of duels and take-ons well — even extremely well at times. All the high marks in blue are by design:
On the left, you’ve got Albert Labík (as yet unsigned) who’s famous for getting into the box to finish keenly, competing with the relentlessly relevant 40-something in Jiří Fleišman. See the fabulous share of xG flow, patrolled by him above all, in the “Looking back on 2024/25” section to appreciate him even more than the pizza chart already does. He’s still one of the smartest crossers and progressive passers around; in a class shared with Sparta FBs only.
Finally, two players whose natural progress given their age Karviná are hugely banking on. Samko has an uncanny ability to drive through the middle, and get himself into the shooting positions. Not many players entered the box in possession as willingly and often as him. As for David Planka, he’s rightfully up there with the biggest finds of 24/25 league-wide. His raw percentiles may not flatter him (yet), but where Samko is a lot about ride-or-die, Planka is the safe bet to move the ball upfield without losing it. He’s, in fact, as safe a bet as almost anyone in the league; he was the first in line after the “strong” tag came off the board for the “ball progression” set of metric, appearing stronger in this area than the likes of Hlavatý, Trubač or Havlík. That is some high praise for a summer 2005 birthday, make no mistake.
In fact, let’s dig a bit deeper on the soon-to-be 20-year-old. It’s fair to expect more from Planka in terms of open-play threat generation, but his set piece acumen is a valuable asset, and it might be more on Hyský to start moving his young darling closer to the opponent’s goal and let him cook. Planka was successful with 13 of his 26 attempted actions in the box, once again a symbol of efficiency — not only for his age. With his feet, there’s more to unlock.
Roster battle to follow
It feels like yesterday when Ebrima Singhateh arrived to Karviná as a reclamation project, and yet now he’s the most senior pure winger Karviná have got in terms of time spent at the club? Whoa. It all the same feels inevitable Hyský will at times deploy both Samko and/or Ayaosi out wide, like he has done throughout 24/25, but the departure point is still fascinating. Especially when you consider Singhateh could soon make way for Ousmane Condé, really the main attraction in the winger department and one of the more coveted U-21 players in the Czech second-tier, who is a similar, yet arguably more poised profile.
Another pure winger fighting for something of a survival and what could be a lone spot up for grabs (assuming Gning and Samko take up two of three places below Vecheta, in whichever formation), Samuel Šigut is someone I am a bit higher on even as he appears to be even more one-dimensional than Singhateh going by his pizza. Šigut is predominantly a 1-on-1 beast who’s got an intriguing drive to the net, but when you factor in the Dynamo-shaped burden on his sample, ranking higher than Memić in chance/goal-creating actions per game doesn’t seem too shabby anymore. He’s another proactive, fully engaged attacker; a Gning lite.
One breakout candidate who might be flowing a bit too deep under the radar is Emmanuel Ayaosi. His sample size is dangerously small, but even in those 550+ mins, he showcased a Swiss Army knife-like array of tools, ranging from annoying pressing all the way to creative passing. If he ever gets a few starts in a row, he could catch fire quickly. He’s also still just 20.
Season forecast
Karviná’s short-term goal — one they set out to chase the day Hyský signed on the dotted line — is to separate themselves from the pack that’s perennially lumped together as “relegation play-off avoiders”. By landing in the safe waters of the middle group, they did well on the first count. But to do it twice in a row often proves to be an insurmountable hill for clubs of Karviná’s stature, quality and resources; something they only have a 28% chance of achieving. That being said, they were working against 16% odds last season and when it came to their original regular-season point projection (28.9), they were already 80% there at Christmas. The two extra points, and 83% likelihood of survival, are no small deal for MFK.
Bold prediction
The track record: 0/3. Karviná in fact posted 3rd lowest attendance average, not highest
The prediction: Karviná will set a record in consecutive games with a goal scored
The rationale: While we have listed a fair few successes on this front earlier, one agonizingly close call when it came to historic achievements concerned Hyský’s boys falling just short of setting a new club record in consecutive games with at least one strike to their name. To be fair, they did at least equal the longest stretch of 10 games from 2017/18 with the super-start against Sparta, but they couldn’t close the deal the following week-end in Jablonec who barely needed to break a sweat for the clean sheet. Hm. I say next time, they go the distance.
If Karviná managed to maintain the same level of quality in one section of the roster, it was in the attacking department (at least for now), so why not? In fact, this might not even be that bold considering Teplice managed to rattle off 19 straight matches as recently as in 2023, so I’ll throw in a bonus little bold prediction: Denny Samko, the hero of that Sparta showdown and a surprisingly ineffective finisher otherwise, will score in the record-breaking game.
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