Published: 11:02, 15 Nov 2023
Former top goalkeeper Petr Cech embarks on a new adventure in his second career as a 'top athlete.' The former goalkeeper of Sparta Prague, Stade Rennes, Chelsea, and Arsenal is heading to the Northern Irish ice hockey club Belfast Giants on loan.
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The 41-year-old Cech has been far from idle since his retirement as a professional footballer in the summer of 2019. The 124-time Czech international worked as an advisor at Chelsea until last summer and took on the challenge of becoming an ice hockey goalkeeper in England.
Cech quickly proved to be a talented ice hockey goalie: he went from the lower-ranked Guildford Phoenix to Oxford City Stars, competing at the second-highest level in the United Kingdom. Now, Cech is taking another step up as he joins the Elite League, the highest level in UK ice hockey.
Belfast Giants is taking Cech 'on loan,' but the duration is unclear. Earlier this year, the Czech was already active on the ice for Belfast Giants in a charity match for Ukraine and made a significant impression. 'Petr's presence will be invaluable to our club,' said Belfast Giants coach Adam O'Keefe to the BBC.
Updated: 11:02, 15 Nov 2023
