For the longest time, FK Jablonec had been living on borrowed time — in terms of financial sustainability (ie. over-reliance on Miroslav Pelta and friends), the age profile of the squad, and the club’s overall presentation widely perceived by fans as neglected. While the team was still broadly in its prime where it mattered most, the logo had long since passed its expiry date. This summer, then, brought a welcome step forward on all those fronts (yes, you read that right)… perhaps with one lingering caveat regarding the financial side.

There’s symmetry in how both Northern Bohemian clubs have handled their respective ownership takeovers — they both (more or less) started in 2024 following a period of vanishing success. But there’s a far greater asymmetry to it all. Where Slovan Liberec were getting a clean break from their late 1990s saviour, including full-blown re-brand, FK Jablonec are likely headed for yet another period of remote club control by Miroslav Pelta, who’s had some sort of a say at the club since 1991 — practically uninterrupted.