Patrik Schick named top Czech footballer of the year for second time

Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick has been named the best Czech footballer of the 2025–26 season, winning the Czech Golden Ball for the second time in his career.

Schick overcame a 19-point deficit from the autumn voting to defeat defending champion Pavel Šulc by the same margin. Czech national team captain Ladislav Krejčí placed third, while Slavia Prague midfielder Lukáš Provod was the highest-ranked player from the domestic league in fourth.

The results of the award’s 30th edition were announced in Prague Monday by the Czech Sports Journalists’ Club. Forty-two journalists participated in the two-round vote.

Schick previously won the award after the 2021–22 season. His latest victory came despite not finishing first in either half of the voting: Šulc led after the autumn, while Krejčí received the most points for the spring.

The 30-year-old striker nevertheless accumulated the highest total across the full season, receiving 27 first-place votes. Šulc was ranked first on 24 ballots and Krejčí on 10.

“It’s a major award, and I really appreciate it,” Schick said at the ceremony. “I always wanted to focus on consistency, and that didn’t always work out. I think I’ve managed it quite well over the past three years.”

Schick scored 16 Bundesliga goals for Leverkusen last season, finishing fourth in the league’s scoring table. He added four goals in the Champions League and two in the German Cup.

His second victory places him fourth in the award’s historical rankings. Former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Čech holds the record with 12 wins, followed by Pavel Nedvěd with six and Tomáš Souček with four.

Schick also indicated that his decision to leave the Czech national team after this summer’s World Cup might not be permanent.

The striker said he had spoken several times with new Czech coach Santi Denia and former international Pavel Nedvěd, who now works with the national team. He praised the changes introduced by the Spanish coach and the more positive atmosphere around the squad.

“The team looks interesting, and the style of play looks much better,” Schick told Sport.cz. “Finally, the mood around the national team is different and more positive.”

Schick said he had carried the idea of retiring from international football for some time and currently stands by the decision. However, he told Denia they could discuss a return if he remains healthy and believes he can contribute.

“When I decided to finish, it wasn’t something that simply crossed my mind,” he said. “If I’m healthy and feel that I can give something to the national team and help, then we can talk about it again.”

The full Golden Ball results and season standings were published by ČT Sport.