Years Team Name Dusan Fitzel Role Coach | 1994–1995 FK Chmel Blsany | |
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Date of birth (1963-04-15) 15 April 1963 (age 52) Place of birth | ||
Malta players will play 'with passion' - Fitzel
Dušan Fitzel (born on 15 April 1963 at Bojnice, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech football coach and a former player.
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He managed the Malta national football team from 2006–2009, but in July 2009 health problems made it necessary to give up the role of manager. He is married and has two children. He is a lecturer in coach education as well as a contributor of articles on football and coaching in Fotbal a trénink.
Playing career
For the most part of his career Fitzel played in the Czechoslovakian league for Dukla Prague in the position of defensive midfielder. In 158 appearances he scored three goals. In 1992 he left for EPA Larnaca in Cyprus where he had 42 appearances and scored three goals. Fitzel retired from his career as a professional footballer in 1995 for FK Chmel Blšany.
Coaching career
His coaching career Fitzel started with the youth team of SK Slavia Praha. From 1998 to 2005 Fitzel worked within the Football Association of the Czech Republic, coaching teams from U18 to U21 level. His greatest achievement came when with him as assistant coach the Czech U21 team won the European Under-21 Championship in 2002. In January 2006 he was appointed the head coach for Malta as the successor to Horst Heese. His contract expires with the end of 2007.
The Maltese national team results under Fitzel have been rather promising, including a 2-1 victory over Hungary (first win for the team in official games since 1993) and a 2-2 draw against the 2002 World Cup bronze medalists Turkey. Dusan Fitzel has been nicknamed "La Valette" in Malta after the Maltese grandmaster and hero Jean de la Valette.