Transfer of striker Oravec to Sparta Praha remains open

Zdroj: Marián Korbel, Národná Obroda

In January, a wave of transfers started in Slovakia as well as in the Czech Republic. Also a Czech champion AC Sparta Praha is trying to strengthen the team before the beginning of the spring part. According to the last information, the management of the club is interested in Tomas Oravec, a Slovak national player, whose contract with Viktoria Zizkov expires on the 30th June 2004. “I have heard about the interest of Sparta Praha, but nobody talked to me, actually. During the weekend, I found an unanswered phone call in my mobile from Miroslav Pelta, the general director of the club, but he did not call anymore,” says Tomas Oravec for Narodna Obroda Daily.

In the summer, Sparta Praha had already been interested in Oravec, but in the end, the transfer did not happen. By the possible transfer to the Czech champion team, the Slovak national player should compensate for Marek Kincl, a forward who transferred to Russia in December. “The transfer to Sparta is not definite, so far. The management has not yet presented the official offer, but we are very pleased by the interest of the most famous Czech club and mainly by Mr. Kotrba, the club´s coach, in Oravec. It seems that Tomas will, with the 95 % probability, change the club in January, but he may also play the spring part in the Zizkov jersey. Besides Sparta, several Czech clubs are interested in the player and the transfer abroad is not out of the question either,” says Jozef Tokos, Oravec´s manager.

The price of the Slovak national player is about 10 to 15 millions Czech crowns and clubs are considering whether they pay the price now, or they wait until the summer, when he is a free agent. “It is difficult to estimate the price, because the contract will expire in the summer, so his price is decreasing right now. But since there are several clubs interested, the transfer fee can increase.”

The club does also realize that the contract with Zizkov expires at the end of June and the management knows that if they want to get money for him, they must sell him within next days. “There are several clubs interested in Tomas, but we have not got any official offer, so far. We are not against the transfer and if there is a good offer, we will be willing to make him free. But it is still not out of the question that he will prolong the contract with us,” responded Ivan Hornik, the sports director of Zizkov.