František Svoboda

František Svoboda
Personal information
Date of birth	5 August 1906
Place of birth	Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Date of death	6 July 1948 (aged 41)
Place of death	Czechoslovakia
Position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team
–1926	Rapid Vinohrady
1926–1940	Slavia Prague
1940–1941	Viktoria Žižkov
International career
1926–1937	Czechoslovakia
Medal record
Representing Czechoslovakia
Men's Football
FIFA World Cup
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

František Svoboda (5 August 1906 – 6 July 1948) was a Czech football player who played as a striker. His nickname was "Franci" (the French).^[1]

Club career

He started his career with Vinohrady Rapid, from where he moved to Slavia Prague in 1926, and with them he was the Champions of Czechoslovakia 8 times, played a pivotal role in helping the club to win 8 national league titles, scoring 101 league goals in his 14 years at the club and being the top goalscorer of the 1934–35 season with 27 goals.^[2]^[1] He remained in Slavia until 1940, after which he succeeded Viktoria Zizkov.

Svoboda enjoyed great fame in his playing days, being a respected and feared striker throughout Europe. Svoboda was a very strong and muscular player, but despite being robust in stature, his movement was elegant and he excelled especially at rocket shots even from great distances, becoming known for his goals from long range.^[1]

International career

He played 43 matches in 10 years for the Czechoslovakia national team, scoring 22 goals, and he was a member of the team that reached the final of the 1934 FIFA World Cup, playing in three matches and scoring a goal in the match against Switzerland.^[3]^[1] Half of his international tally came in the Central European Cup, and with those 11 goals, he is the fourth all-time top goal scorer in the competition's history.

International goals

Czechoslovakia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Svoboda goal.

International goals by cap, date, venue, opponent, score, result and competition^[4]^[5]
No.	Cap	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2	2 January 1927	Stade de Sclessin, Liège, Belgium	Belgium	1–0	3–2	Friendly
2	2	2 January 1927	Stade de Sclessin, Liège, Belgium	Belgium	3–1	3–2
3	4	24 April 1927	Stadion Letná, Prague, Czechoslovakia	Hungary	3–0	4–1
4	8	23 October 1927		Italy	1–1	2–2	1927–30 Central European Cup
5	8	23 October 1927		Italy	2–1	2–2	1927–30 Central European Cup
6	9	28 October 1927		Yugoslavia	2–1	5–3	Friendly
7	9	28 October 1927		Yugoslavia	5–3	5–3	Friendly
8	12	3 March 1929	Stadio Littoriale, Bologna, Italy	Italy	2–2	2–4	1927–30 Central European Cup
9	13	17 March 1929	Stadion Letná, Prague, Czechoslovakia	Austria	3–2	3–3	Friendly
10	15	8 September 1929		Hungary	1–0	1–1	1927–30 Central European Cup
11	17	6 October 1929		Switzerland	3–0	5–0	1927–30 Central European Cup
12	20	23 March 1930		Austria	1–1	2–2	Friendly
13	23	13 June 1930		Spain	2–0	2–0	Friendly
14	27	22 March 1931		Hungary	1–2	3–3	1931–32 Central European Cup
15	27	22 March 1931		Hungary	3–3	3–3
16	30	15 November 1931	Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome, Italy	Italy	1–1	2–2
17	30	15 November 1931	Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome, Italy	Italy	2–2	2–2
18	32	22 May 1932	Stadion Letná, Prague, Czechoslovakia	Austria	1–1	1–1
19	35	10 June 1933	Stadion Letná, Prague, Czechoslovakia	France	3–0	4–0	Friendly
20	36	25 March 1934	Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, France	France	1–1	2–1	Friendly
21	37	31 May 1934	Stadio Benito Mussolini, Turin, Italy	Switzerland	1–1	3–2	1934 World Cup quarter-final
22	42	21 February 1937	Stadion Letná, Prague, Czechoslovakia	Switzerland	3–1	5–2	1936–38 Central European Cup