Soccer Football - Euro 2024 - Group F - Czech Republic v Turkey - Hamburg Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany - June 26, 2024 Czech Republic coach Ivan Hasek reacts REUTERS/Annegret Hilse HAMBURG, Germany - Czech coach Ivan Hasek said he would focus on the next challenge rather than the referee's decision to send off Antonin Barak in the 2-1 defeat by Turkey on Wednesday that knocked them out of Euro 2024. The Czechs, quarter-finalists at the last tournament, needed victory to stand any chance of advancing but the 20th-minute dismissal of midfielder Barak for a harsh second yellow card hit them hard. "We are not going to change what happened here," Hasek told reporters.
"There is another challenge ahead of us, qualification for the World Cup." Turkey overcame stiff resistance from a 10-man Czech Republic in the Group F match with goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and the winner from Cenk Tosun in stoppage time after Tomas Soucek had equalised. "This team was capable of advancing," Hasek said.
"I am upset and upset for my guys. They played really well tonight. They risked injury until the very last minute.
"Obviously, this (the two yellow cards) affected the game very much. We had a strategy going in to the game and unfortunately this affected the game a lot." After losing to Portugal in stoppage time in their opening match and drawing with Georgia, the Czechs could have finished second by beating Turkey.
But the absence of striker Patrik Schick, who scored against Georgia to add to .
