One for the ages. A phrase normally reserved for historic feel-good stories like the one Hradec Králové just wrote, or the one Ostrava’s little sister Karviná would’ve authored had it not been for that tiny little match-fixing incident. Baník, however, proved to be the exception: its story for the ages was one of spectacular self-destruction, an epic collapse brought about entirely by footballing means — with the club still likely to end the sorry campaign comfortably in the black. Baník may have gone from a Top 3 finish straight to a Bottom 6 finish for a shocking third time in my lifetime, but this one still hits different.

The word “vibes” is growing in popularity even among the Czech-speaking younger generation, and FC Baník Ostrava of 2023-25 could easily demonstrate what it means. On the face of it, the club just rattled off two Top 4 finishes, both remarkable in their own right — the first one marked a delayed return to UEFA competitions, breaking the glass ceiling of sorts, while the second one meant a suitable follow-up via a jump by one place and a whole lot of points. But the vibes… boy, the vibes were different. Where 2023/24 was an uneasy step in the right direction, 2024/25 was a confident statement of belonging.