Secret agent Vladimír Coufal looks set to spill the beans on Bayer Leverkusen’s strong Czech contingent ahead of West Ham United’s trip to Germany in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday.
Coufal has no guarantee of starting the game given his recent Hammers performances. He was sacrificed at half time by manager David Moyes during the reshuffle against Wolves.
After switching to a wing back system, Ben Johnson excelled on the right hand side after Coufal had been substituted. But that hasn’t stopped the Czech defender from revealing some secrets about his international teammates who play for Leverkusen.
Adam Hložek might be a question mark for the next game, but Patrik Schick is likely to show up for Xabi Alonso’s team, who’ve been smashing it with a 41-game unbeaten streak this season. Victor Boniface has also returned to first team action having missed the AFCON through injury.
Coufal, with a history at clubs like FC Hlučín and Slavia Prague and rocking 40 appearances for the Czech national team, mentioned, “They’ve got a bunch of top-notch players, so it’s not gonna be a walk in the park.”
Coufal has some inside info on his Leverkusen Czech mates
Coufal’s secret dossier
He added, “We’re gonna pull out all the stops to hold them back, and I’ve got a few tips to share with the boys! Patrik Schick is an ace striker, shining bright in their last game. Adam Hložek has this knack for netting goals out of nowhere, and I’ve been exchanging some friendly jabs with Matěj Kovář over texts.
“I’d probably root for them if we were out of the race, but we’ve got our own game to play, and we believe we can put a stop to their run.
“They’re tipped to bag the Bundesliga and the German Cup, but we’re aiming to ensure those are the only trophies they’re lifting this season.”