View source for Svatopluk Pluskal

{{Short description|Czechoslovak footballer (1930–2005)}}
{{No significant coverage (sports)|find=football|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Svatopluk Pluskal
| image = Svatopluk Pluskal 1962.jpg
| upright = 0.9
| caption = Pluskal in 1962
| full_name = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1930|10|28}}
| birth_place = [[Zlín]], [[Czechoslovakia]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2005|5|29|1930|10|28}}
| death_place = [[Ústí nad Labem]], Czech Republic
| position = [[Defensive midfielder]]
| years1 = 1947–1951
| clubs1 = [[SK Letná Zlín]]
| caps1 = 
| goals1 = 
| years2 = 1952–1966
| clubs2 = [[Dukla Prague]]
| caps2 = 282
| goals2 = 37
| years3 = 1966–1967
| clubs3 = [[FK Baumit Jablonec|LIAZ Jablonec]]
| caps3 = 
| goals3 = 
| nationalyears1 = 1952–1965
| nationalteam1 = [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]]
| nationalcaps1 = 56
| nationalgoals1 = 1
| manageryears1 = 1969–1970
| managerclubs1 = [[Bohemians 1905|Bohemians Prague]]
| manageryears2 = 1971–1974
| managerclubs2 = [[Enosis Neon Paralimni FC|Enosis Neon Paralimni]]
| manageryears3 = 1976–1978
| managerclubs3 = [[Enosis Neon Paralimni FC|Enosis Neon Paralimni]]
| manageryears4 = 1978–1979
| managerclubs4 = [[FC Viktoria Plzeň|Škoda Plzeň]]
| manageryears5 = 1983–1985
| managerclubs5 = [[Enosis Neon Paralimni FC|Enosis Neon Paralimni]]
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's [[Association football|football]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{fb|TCH}}}}
{{Medal|Comp|[[FIFA World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962 Chile]]|}}
}}

'''Svatopluk Pluskal''' (28 October 1930 – 29 May 2005) was a [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovak]] [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[defensive midfielder]]. He won a silver medal at the [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] in Chile in [[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962]], representing [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]].

== Early life ==
Svatopluk Pluskal started playing football in his home town, where he played for several clubs. With (Baťa Zlín – Svit Gottwaldov) he achieved promotion to the top league. He achieved individual success when he was selected for the junior international team. He was able to play in most positions, but in Zlín he played mainly as a [[Striker (association football)|striker]].

== Club career ==
In 1951 he moved to [[Prague]] where he became an important player for a newly founded army football club (ATK, later called ÚDA and [[Dukla Prague]]), for whom he played mainly as a defensive midfielder. In almost 16 years with this club, he was eight-time champion of the league but he achieved his most important successes at the club level in the United States. Dukla Praha with Pluskal in its line-up won the "American Cup" (a tournament of teams from football-developed countries) three times in a row in the first half of the 1960s. In 1962 Pluskal scored the winning goal in the final against Brazilian team FC America.

== International career ==
He played in the [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovak international team]] from 1952 (starting as a defender) and played in three World Cups. In [[1954 FIFA World Cup|1954]] he took part in the record 5–0 defeat by Austria in Switzerland. Four years later, at [[Football World Cup 1958|the 1958 world cup finals]], Pluskal played in more games. Losing 1–0 to [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]], drawing 2–2 with [[Germany national football team|West Germany]], and scoring a remarkable 6–1 victory over Argentina, under modern rules they would have gone through. Under the rules of the time, having equal points, a [[play-off]] had to decide, and Northern Ireland beat them for the second time, this time 2–1 after extra time.

In the [[Football World Cup 1962|1962 World Cup]] in Chile, Pluskal was a member of the line-up.<ref name="1962worldcup1">{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=197728&cc=5901|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525131825/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=197728&cc=5901|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 May 2011|title=World Cup – Czechoslovakia v Yugoslavia |access-date=15 July 2006 |publisher=ESPsoccernet}}</ref> With his teammate from Dukla, [[Josef Masopust]], he formed the key midfield of the 4–2–4 formation. Thanks to Pluskal, the team that had had to qualify for the Championships in a playoff with Scotland had got to the World Cup final. There it was beaten by [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]. In 1965, Pluskal played in the unsuccessful qualification campaign for the [[Football World Cup 1966|World Cup in England]], but with this his international career ended. He played 56 matches in Czechoslovak colours and scored one goal.<ref>{{CMFS player|PluskalSvatopluk}}</ref>

Thanks to his important contribution to the success in Chile, Pluskal received recognition on the international stage. On [[1963 England v Rest of the World football match|23 October 1963]], he was a member of the "[[World XI|Rest of the World]]" team that took on [[England national football team|England]] at [[Wembley]] in front of 100,000 fans, to celebrate 100 years of English football.  A year later, he played for the "[[Europe XI|Europe]]" team in [[Belgrade]] against [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]], and appeared for Europe again in 1965 against [[United Kingdom national football team|Great Britain]].<ref name=efo>[http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHons/HonsRepTms.html England Player Honours - International Representative Teams], England Football Online</ref>

Pluskal's career was ended by a knee injury in 1967. In the league he played 282 matches and scored 37 goals. He was a universal footballer, a good [[Association football|header]] of the ball, and he was famous for his slide tackles, with which he cleanly took the ball from his opponents. Although players often protested against this style of play, referees usually considered it to be within the rules. During his football career, this tireless fighter became an impenetrable shield, able to concentrate on what was needed. Off the field, he helped the team with his easy humour.

== Late life ==
As with many other former players, Pluskal became a coach. He did this job for [[Plzeň]] clubs [[FC Viktoria Plzeň|Škoda]] and Slovan, later on for [[Bohemians 1905|FC Bohemians Praha]] and for a few years in [[Enosis Neon Paralimni]] of [[Cyprus]]. He helped Bohemians with their promotion to the First Division.

After a [[brain stroke]] Pluskal was confined to bed. He died at the age of 74.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://fkdukla.cz/legendy.asp?legenda=20 Svatopluk Pluskal] at [[FK Dukla Praha]] {{in lang|cs}}
* {{FACR player|new_id=29416|old_id=PluskalSvatopluk}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Czech Republic squads
| bg = #DD0000
| fg = white
| bordercolor = #000080
|list1=
{{Czechoslovakia Squad 1954 World Cup}}
{{Czechoslovakia Squad 1958 World Cup}}
{{Czechoslovakia Squad 1960 European Nations' Cup}}
{{Czechoslovakia Squad 1962 World Cup}}
}}

{{FC Viktoria Plzeň managers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pluskal, Svatopluk}}
[[Category:Czech men's footballers]]
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:1954 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1958 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1960 European Nations' Cup players]]
[[Category:1962 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak men's footballers]]
[[Category:Czechoslovakia men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Dukla Prague footballers]]
[[Category:FK Jablonec players]]
[[Category:Enosis Neon Paralimni FC managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Cyprus]]
[[Category:Footballers from Zlín]]
[[Category:Czech football managers]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak football managers]]
[[Category:FC Viktoria Plzeň managers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]