The smile is back

The stage for the reunion could hardly be bigger, more famous, more awe-inspiring: 18 June, 18:00 CET at Hampden Park in Glasgow – the world's oldest stadium. That evening, a duel will take place in this temple of world football which can normally be seen on the TSG training ground in Zuzenhausen, as Pavel Kadeřábek and Andrej Kramarić will also come face to face in the group match between Czech Republic and Croatia.

The two Hoffenheim fan favourites have developed a close friendship in their time in the Kraichgau – Kadeřábek came to Germany in the summer of 2015, and Kramarić six months later. Together, they have experienced a lot in the TSG shirt – from saving the club from relegation in 2016 to three campaigns in Europe. However, on 18 June, the friendship of the two professionals will be forgotten for 90 minutes when Croatia and the Czech Republic are fighting for qualification into the last 16 of the European Championship on Matchday 2 in Group D.

Despite sharing five and a half years at TSG between them, squaring off will not be an unusual situation. The two compete in training time and time again, and love to arrange all sorts of small competitions: "We are both incredibly competitive and hate to lose. It doesn't matter whether it's a training game, basketball, table tennis or a card game. We both want to beat the other guy. Every time. We will both be motivated accordingly," says Kadeřábek. "Of course, we've already shared a few words. That will increase significantly shortly before the game. I'm really looking forward to it. It will be a special moment for us."

Qualification is the goal

However, the clash between the Czech Republic and Croatia is of immense importance – not only from a personal point of view. Sharing the group with England and Scotland, it could become the crucial game for qualification for the knock-out phases. In addition to the six group winners and six second place finishers, the four third-placed teams with the most points in the group phase will also reach the last 16 of the European Championship: "That is our clear goal. Two years ago, I would have said that we could only hope for third place because Croatia and England are too good, but we beat England in qualifying. Why should we not be able to do that again?" says Kadeřábek. For the 29-year-old, it is his second participation in the European Championship, having first played in 2016. At the time, the Czech Republic failed to qualify, finishing bottom of their group. "I want to enjoy the tournament more this time. Five years ago, we were quite nervous. Now we have more experience and have more of an idea of what to expect. That will help the team so that we can get through the group phase."

The TSG man is in the Czech squad and is fighting for a place in the starting eleven with Vladimir Coufal of West Ham United in the right-back position. "I want to prove myself on the pitch and fight for my place in the starting line-up. For me, this is a new situation – before I was always in the team," says Kadeřábek, but sees the positive side of the change: "Since Jaroslav Šilhavý became our coach, the team has developed a lot. There is competition in almost every position, we play modern football and attack very early on. We can build something big in the long term." Hoffenheim's number three can be an important factor not only on the pitch, but also in the dressing room. Of the current squad, only captain Vladimir Darida (Hertha BSC) has played more international matches.

Hard time after injury

As Pavel Kadeřábek talks about the upcoming European Championship and the duel with Andrej Kramarić, a smile always spreads across the face of the right-back. This season, however, that was not always the case for the otherwise optimistic Czech, because he was forced to sit on the sidelines for an extended period – an unusual situation for the evergreen and ever-willing runner on the TSG right. After Matchday 3, Kadeřábek first had to quarantine for two weeks because of a coronavirus infection in the family before he was subsequently set back by a persistent calf injury.

The right-back missed a total of 21 games – more than in the rest of his entire professional career. The 29-year-old had to wait until the second half of the season to make his comeback: "It was an extremely difficult time for me. I have never been injured for so long in my career. I had to learn how to deal with it." Instead of being able to help the team on the pitch, Kadeřábek was forced to look on as TSG struggled for a long time in the Bundesliga. The team were not challenging for European places in the Bundesliga as they had done before, but instead found themselves in the bottom half of the table. "That killed me. I sometimes had to turn off the TV because I felt so helpless and actually wanted to help the lads on the pitch. Having so many injuries hurt us."

Even after his return to team training, it took him some time to return to the starting line-up. The medical staff insisted that the Czech should be brought in slowly so that his calf injury would not flare up again. At first, he was used for 15 minutes, then the load was gradually increased in each match. "That really did me good. I couldn't have managed 90 minutes right away – I was out for too long. Of course, I am happy that I was able to help the team afterwards," says the defender.

Second home in Sinsheim

Thanks to his attacking intent, he set up five goals and again underlined his importance to the team. "He is very positive and gives us something we need. Everyone knows how important Pavel is for this team. Both on and off the pitch. He is a leader," said TSG coach Sebastian Hoeness, praising his number three. The significance of the Czech Republic international for TSG is also evident when you look at the statistics. With 158 Bundesliga matches, Kadeřábek has the sixth most Bundesliga appearances of all time for TSG. Only Sebastian Rudy, Oliver Baumann, Andreas Beck, Sejad Salihovic and Andrej Kramarić have played more games in a Hoffenheim shirt in the Bundesliga. That is a statistic that impresses even the 29-year-old himself: "TSG are something really special for me. I have experienced a lot with the club. At the end of my contract, I will have been here for eight years and hopefully I will have more than 200 Bundesliga matches to my name. I couldn't have imagined that when I came here in 2015."

The Czech international, born in Prague, has long since found a second home in the Kraichgau. He lives in Sinsheim with his wife Tereza and their children, Ema and Elva. "For me, home is where my family feels at home – and that's absolutely the case here. My two children were born during my time at TSG. The club and the region mean a lot to us." The defender wants to attack again with TSG next season: "At the end of the season, we saw the potential in us. Without the extreme number of injuries, we can fight to qualify for Europe again." But before that, Pavel Kadeřábek is still focusing on the European Championship – and a very special duel with Andrej Kramarić.