Vytspalek, Chestmir

Chestmir Vytspalek was born on May 15, 1921 in Prague , where he, a little older, played daily at Stromovka, an amateur football field in the courtyard of the house. His father, Przhemysl, a passionate fan of the Slavia club, seeing his son’s love for the ball, took Chestmir to Spartan’s home stadium every Sunday to be imbued with football and love for his father’s native team. Because of his son, there were often quarrels in the Vytspalek family, his father saw him only as a football player, he said: “you will devote yourself to the ball,” but Chestmir’s mother didn’t share his love for football, she wanted to give her son an education, and therefore forced him to get an education in The Commercial Academy of Prague, saying that he would not allow his son to play until he finished studying.

At the age of 17, having received an academy diploma, Chestmir Vytspalek goes to see the leaders of Slavia, a motorized and quick-haired young man immediately liked the coaching staff of the team, but the beginning of his career was overshadowed by the Second World War , when Czechoslovakia was divided and football was in oblivion. Chestmir himself was captured by the Nazis and placed in the Dachau camp , he recalled:

In 1945, Vytspalek returned to Prague and to his native Slavia, where he demonstrates such a level of the game that the coaching staff of the Czechoslovak team takes a football player to a match with the team of Yugoslavia, in which Chestmir scores, and the game ends with the score 1: 1. In general, in those years Vytspalek was distinguished by his ability to play in the penalty area and near the penalty area, he had a strong and delivered blow, to all this Vytspalek clearly saw the field, which contributed to the player’s ability to make tricky passes.

In 1946, the secretary of the Italian football club Juventus by the name of Artino, who was visiting his friend, the exporter of Pietmon wines in Prague, Mr. Floresto, visited one of the Slavia matches, where he drew attention to two players from the club Julius Korosteleva and Chestmir Vytspaleka. He invites players to Italy, promising large salaries and a rich and satisfying life. Upon his return to Prague, Vytspalek, having consulted with his girlfriend Hanoi, goes to Italy, but first of all this is combined with her by legal marriage. So Chestimr Vytspalek, together with Korostelev, became the first post-war foreigners in the team (according to pre-war rules, only Italians could play in Italian clubs). He will make his debut in the ranks of Juve on October 6, 1946 in a game with another great Italian club, AC Milan , which led 2-0, then 3-1, but the match ended in a draw 3-3, and Vytspalek assisted twice to partners. This season was the first and last spent in the Juventus T-shirt, in 27 matches he scored 5 goals, but the club took only 3rd place, being ahead of Inter and the eternal rival of the bianconeri, Torino , which became that season the champion.

At the end of the season, Vytspalek left Juve's ranks and joined the Palermo Serie B club, which was facilitated by the friendly relations of Agnieli, President of the Old Signora, and the President of the Palermian Lants team. In the very first season, Vytspalek became an indispensable player of Palermo, and helped the club to enter Serie A. It is interesting that for 5 seasons of the game Vytspalek for “Palermo” the club was always in the middle of the tournament table, but only the Czechoslovakman left the team after the end of the 1951 season -1952, then already in the next season the club took 17th place and flew to Serie B. In total, “Palermo” Vytspalek spent 143 matches and scored 23 goals, however, Palermo did not shine, with the Palermans reaching the top was winning 10th place in the 1950 season -1951.

After leaving Palermo, Vytspalek moved to the Parma club, which played in the lower leagues, during the Chestmir game at the club, Parma did not rise above Serie B. In Parma, Vytspalek ended his career at the age of 37 years, the players of the basics of the club outsider series B.

Having finished the player’s career, Vytspalek took the coaching path. His first club was Palermo , which in the previous season flew to Serie B, the Czechoslovakian club took second place in the second Italian division and reached Serie A, but Palermo took only 16th place in the highest Italian world and again flew to series B, this contributed to the dismissal of Vytspalek from the club. The next team of Vytspalek was the club of series C of Syracuse , with which he took only 3 place in the third group, which, of course, did not allow the club to enter series B, Vytspalek was again forced to leave his post.

In 1962, Vytspalek headed the club “ Nuova Valdagno ”, playing in the series C. Vytspalek had a clear task - to go to series B, but the Czechoslovakian did not cope with the task and was fired. After Valdagno, Vytspalek worked with the youth of Palermo and the semi-amateur club Juve Bagheria . In 1970, Vytspalek led the D-Series club Matsaru , but did not work long with the team.

In 1970, Vytspalek led the youth squad of Juventus, but already in the same season he headed the club’s main team, in return for Armando Picchi , who was seriously ill. It was the highest peak of coaching achievements of Vytspalek. In the 1970-1971 season “Juve” is the 4th, but already in the next season, the team becomes the first, ahead of its two worst “enemies” - “Milan” and “Torino” and the UEFA Cup finalist , after a year “Old Signora” is again the best team in Italy, as well as the finalist of the Italian Cup and the Cup of Cups , but in the season 1973-1974 Juventus, having trained its leaders and fans to become victorious, becomes only the 2nd, it is ahead of Lazio and loses in the first round of the Champions Cup to the German Dynamo ", After that Vytspalek resigns from his post.

Leaving Juve, the Czechoslovak decides not to continue his career, but settles in his house in Palermo . On the morning of May 5, 2002, Vytspalek died, on the same day Juventus became the Italian champion of the 2001-2002 season.

As a player

• Champion of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia : 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943

As a trainer

• Champion of Italy : 1972, 1973

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