Patrik Schick retires from Czech national team after disappointing World Cup

Patrik Schick has announced that he is retiring from the Czech Republic national team after a disappointing World Cup campaign, in which the team finished last in its group with just one point. The Bayer Leverkusen striker made the announcement on Thursday, following a tournament in which he failed to score.

The Czech Republic, which returned to the global spotlight 20 years after reaching its first World Cup, endured a poor showing despite hopes that Schick would help lead the side forward. Instead, the team’s campaign ended in disappointment, with no goals from one of its biggest stars.

Schick is widely remembered for Euro 2020, where he was in excellent form and finished as joint top scorer with Cristiano Ronaldo on five goals, including a famous strike from the halfway line against Scotland. Over his international career, he scored 26 goals in 56 appearances, placing him third on the Czech Republic’s all-time scoring list.

In a post on Instagram, Schick said he was leaving with pride in what he achieved in the national shirt, but also with the feeling that Czech football can do “much, much more” than it has shown in recent years.