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The soccer team from the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen returned from Italy empty-handed. Competing against sixteen teams at the European University Games in Salerno (EUSA Games), they finished in 10th place overall. In Campania, the West Bohemian team faced off against university teams from across Europe and lost only once in the six matches they played. However, they did not earn enough points to advance to the quarterfinals. As a result, the UWB players lost their chance at a medal after just three matches.

The teams in the tournament were divided into four preliminary groups. The top two teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinals, while the remaining teams moved on to the play-outs, or elimination round. In the preliminary group, the Pilsen team faced players from the University of Würzburg in Germany, which was, on paper, the strongest opponent in the group. After a mistake in the first half, the UWB team conceded a goal. However, in the second half, they managed to equalize from a set piece. After a closely contested match, the Pilsen team secured a valuable 1–1 draw.

In their second group match, the West Bohemian team faced the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and won 1–0. Ondřej Lemon scored the only goal of the match following a strong run. To advance from the group stage, the UWB soccer team then faced the Ukrainian Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture in their final match. Although they took a one-goal lead, the Ukrainians managed to equalize from a corner kick ten minutes before the end, and the match ended in a 1–1 draw.

The Pilsen team earned five points, and their potential advancement to the quarterfinals thus depended on how the other teams performed. However, those results sealed the fate of the UWB team; due to a lower goal tally, they were sent to the tournament’s elimination round, where teams competed for ninth through sixteenth place. “We did earn those five points, but unfortunately, even that wasn’t enough to advance to the top eight. All three universities were very strong, and the matches were fast-paced,” said team captain Jan Dvořák.

In their first elimination match, the West Bohemian team faced Italy’s Politecnico di Torino. Under challenging conditions and in the sweltering heat, the scoreboard read 1–1 after ninety minutes, so the match went to a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Michal Fiala shone in the shootout, stopping three penalty kicks and playing a major role in securing the University of West Bohemia’s advancement to the matches for ninth through twelfth place. The Pilsen soccer players first faced the University of Jyväskylä from Finland. They won convincingly 3–0 and, according to the team’s management, delivered one of their best performances of the tournament.

However, the final match for ninth place against the Spanish University of Huelva did not go well for the West Bohemian team. A series of individual errors early in the match meant they were already trailing by a significant margin by the 16th minute and were down 0–4 at halftime. In the second half, they managed to score a consolation goal, ultimately losing to the Spanish team 1–5. They finished the tournament in 10th place overall. Captain Dvořák, however, does not view this as a loss: “In the relegation round, we advanced all the way to the final. Overall, I view the tournament positively, and I’d like to thank the team.”

The EUSA Games are the largest multisport event for college athletes in Europe. This year, more than 4,000 participants from roughly 400 European universities gathered in Italy. Competitions were held in basketball, badminton, soccer, futsal, handball, volleyball, tennis, and, for the first time, padel. The Czech Republic was represented by nearly 100 students from seven universities. Details are available on the website of the Czech University Sports Association.