UWB fotball players are heading to the European University Games

The gold medal-winning soccer team from the University of West Bohemia is heading to the 2026 European Universities Games. They earned their spot in the games by winning the University Soccer League in 2025. They will represent not only the UWB, but also Pilsen Region and the Czech republic.

The 19-member UWB soccer team flies to Salerno, Italy, on Friday, July 24, from Václav Havel Airport in Prague. Upon arrival at the tournament venue, the team will immediately begin preparations for the tournament’s opening on Sunday. Over the next ten days, the players will face three matches in the group stage. Depending on their final group standings, they will then play additional matches to determine the overall rankings. Their opponents have not yet been determined; they will be decided by a draw scheduled to take place at the technical meeting just before the tournament begins.

The entire trip is being organized by the Institute of Physical Education and Sports (UTS) UWB. UTS staff members Daniel Sys and Filip Kuťák will accompany the team as coaches. “Participating in the European Universities Games is a reward for our team’s victory in last year’s University Soccer League. We’re well prepared; the guys put in a tremendous amount of work during training, and we’re heading to Italy with respect for all our opponents and a determination to succeed,” said another coach, Jaroslav Kovařík, who led the team to victory in the national university league in December 2025.

Team captain Jan Dvořák from the Faculty of Education said that the entire team is grateful for the opportunity: “We’ll give it our all on the field and do our best to achieve the best possible result. The team and I can’t wait to fly out and compete in the tournament. This will be our first time participating in the European University Games, but we’re heading there motivated to compete for the top spots.”

The European University Games are the largest multisport event for college athletes in Europe. More than a thousand students from dozens of countries will compete in the Italian cities of Salerno and Baronissi. The Games’ program includes competitions in basketball, badminton, soccer, futsal, handball, volleyball, and tennis. Padel is a newly added sport. According to the Italian organizers, participants can look forward to top-notch sports facilities.

The main venue will be the sports center in Baronissi, 7 km from Salerno and very close to Fisciano, where the University of Salerno is located. A significant portion of the competitions will take place here. At the same time, the campus will serve as the main base for the Games’ participants.

Since last week, when the Games began, the Czech Republic has been represented by 95 students competing in seven sports, accompanied to Italy by a 16-member coaching staff. The Czech university delegation to the EUG 2026 will thus total 111 participants. The European University Games are unique in that, unlike traditional national team competitions, they primarily feature university teams competing against one another, and affiliation with a specific university is one of the main pillars of the entire competition.

Charles University has the largest contingent in the Czech delegation, with 26 athletes representing the university. It is followed by the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen with 19 nominees and Masaryk University with 17 students. The Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (15 athletes) and the University of Ostrava (13 athletes) also have significant representation. The Czech roster is further rounded out by students from the Czech Technical University in Prague (3 athletes) and the University of Economics in Prague (2 athletes).

Up-to-date information throughout the tournament can be followed on UTS’s social media channels, specifically on Instagram, Facebook, or on the website in the European University Games results section.