After Petr Čech, he is the second youngest goalkeeper to win the football derby between the rivals in Prague. At the age of twenty-one, the Slavist Antonín Kinský experienced very good times. After the 2:1 victory against Sparta, he will have another milestone – First start for the senior national team in the League of Nations against Albania and Ukraine.
In this way, he will be closer to his father, who has caught five games in the national team, is a substitute in the European and World Championships. “He told me that nominations don’t count, only matches,” the rookie of the national team explained the congratulations from his father. “For now, it’s just a name on a quote paper, but it’s also something you work hard for. I’m looking forward to the future.”
Czechs in the League of Nations
So far he has played two matches, won once, lost once:
To beat the senior Antonín Kinski, the league champion with Liberec and the best goalkeeper during the highest Russian competition in the Ramenskoye team, was a big challenge for Tonda Junior since childhood. Dad lovingly supported him in the goalkeeping profession, even though he didn’t get into the middle right away. But the inevitable still happened.
Antonín jnójri started to catch Tempo in Prague, continued with Bohemians 1905 and Dukla. Just two years ago, he was a guest of the second league Vyškov to try his hand at adult football. My father always stood in Moravia too. He has a lot to say to his son and valuable lessons from practice apply. Maybe less than before, but football logically remains the main topic of common conversation. This was followed by a league away to Pardubice and from the summer to Slavia.
“Dad was happy. He also has no reason to be dissatisfied if we are the first to win today,” smiled Kinský Jr. at the national team meeting while fulfilling his media duties. “I’m so glad we have so much in common. We always solve football, we analyze individual matches.
The last time was the derby, where he shined especially when the Spartan Birmančevič hung. He stayed on his feet for a long time and then made a tiger leap to block the ball’s path in the net in the 81st minute and defend a sweet victory. Slavia therefore leapfrogged their fierce rivals at the top of the table by six points.
“Even considering how the situation in the table is developing, we are very happy with Slavia. After all, I think that the invitation for me is also the result of the course of the season so far,” he reflected.
Extend Slavia’s contract? Better get caught
Sišivani were on a roll, with Kinsky in goal they won nine out of ten league games, drew once and conceded only two goals. Excellent business card, start time record. At the same time, everything can be very different. If Slavist number one Jindřich Staněk had not been injured in the European Championship, Kinski’s return to Eden might not have happened.
He mainly wanted to catch and in Slavia full of national team goalkeepers (Staněk, Mandous, Kolář) he did not find space for a regular workload. He is not in a position to extend his contract. The situation is analyzed in Liberec, foreign interested parties, but also in Sparta. But the fate of football had a different plan, Staněk was weak in the autumn, Kinský extended his contract until December 2026 and took the opportunity for good. He is in very good shape. He has eight clean sheets in the league. If you add to that a save success rate of more than 90 percent, you can see that he belongs statistically among the top goalkeepers in European competitions.
Even though he doesn’t have as many shots as in Pardubice, he has to make some tough saves from time to time. And he succeeded. He can concentrate. As well as the next level of the European cup.
“I know how everything happened quickly and we play every third or fourth day, I haven’t thought about it. You only have time to evaluate the previous game and prepare for the next game ,” describes the rise of the career. “Of course, Slavia matches are very different from what I used to from Pardubice and before from Vyškov. But I try to be the same way, although I know that I am more visible now.”
Kinski is decorated with healthy self-confidence, he radiates calmness, he is not afraid to take risks. He missed just one game on the season; in September, he made several mistakes for the national team in a 0:5 loss to Denmark. “No one wants to experience a game like this, especially in a gymnasium, but it happens. It’s important to learn from it and not think about it,” he said. “I always try to keep a clear head, to focus on what will happen. Looking forward.’
On Friday against Albania
By the way, even today he was originally nominated by the lion cubs, but a few days ago, the coach of the A national team, Ivan Hašek, also appointed him. “I have a little idea how things are, because Radek Černý is the goalkeeper coach of the national team and here at Slavia,” Kinský pointed out. “Logically, there is more than one handyman, but as a goalkeeper you always want to catch. However, it depends on the coaches. No one decided with me where I want to be, and it’s better that way. They made the decision for me and I didn’t have to choose.’
The Czech team will host Albania in the Summer on Friday, and three days later they will play against Ukraine in Wroclaw, Poland. Now the coach will choose between Kinsky, Kovář from Leverkusen and Jedlička from Pilsen. “It is important that at such a young age Kinský absorbs the atmosphere of the A-team. We now have three best goalkeepers here,” said Haška.
“Everyone who is here wants to be convinced that they belong on the field. There is not much training, but I am ready,” said Kinský, a famous name in the national team.