Former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper, Petr Cech a few hours after announcing that he has signed for an Ice Hockey team, Guildford Phoenix has come out to dispel the news going around that he has dumped his job as the Technical and Performance adviser at Chelsea for Ice Hockey.
The 37-year-old Petr Cech taking to his social media page on Wednesday night, put up a post dispelling the rumour, saying:
“Some people seem to think I changed my job.
No, I didn’t. Luckily my job as the Technical and Performance adviser at Chelsea FC doesn’t stop me in my spare time from playing the game I loved as a kid and which I’ve been playing for years.
While being a professional footballer I couldn’t play the games for obvious reason … now I can” he said.
The Czech, a big fan of the sport, has got his skates on after working on his game since retiring from football.
Petr Cech will play as a goalie (netminder) for Guildford Phoenix which is located close to where he lives. When his Chelsea Football Club schedule allows, he is ready to help them in their league games
At the age of 13, Cech had to decide between pursuing a future in ice hockey or football, because he simply did not have time to practice both. Since moving to England he has frequently watched ice hockey in Guildford, as well as keeping up to speed with everything going on in the NHL in America.
Back in 1998, the 16-year-old Cech was captivated by his nation, the Czech Republic’s dramatic triumph in that year’s Winter Olympics in Japan. He takes up the story.
‘It was in Nagano so the ice hockey quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were all in the morning, so I didn’t go to school,’ he laughs. ‘We all tried to find a way not to miss it.
‘That year was the first the NHL allowed all the best players to go and participate, so people called it the “Tournament of the Century” because every nation could choose any player they wanted from every competition. This time is the same so it will be exciting’ he said.
“I hope I can help this young team achieve their goals,” Cech, 37, said.
“After 20 years of professional football, this is going to be a wonderful experience for me to play the game I loved to watch and play as a kid.”