Celtic are on the brink of bringing Tomas Cvancara to Glasgow, but the striker arrives with a history packed with storylines you’d expect from a television drama.
The 25-year-old Czech international is expected in the city today, Wednesday, January 21, for a medical ahead of a loan move from Borussia Monchengladbach, with an option to buy. If everything is signed off, he could be in the squad for Sunday’s trip to Tynecastle to face Hearts.
It would bring to an end to a dramatic spell in Germany for Cvancara. His only Bundesliga season produced two goals from 32 appearances, a return that left both player and club frustrated.
What followed was extraordinary. Reports in Germany claimed Cvancara’s own teammates went to Borussia Monchengladbach’s hierarchy and asked for him to be dropped from the squad altogether, citing his influence in the dressing room (The Herald).
Gerardo Seoane, who was manager at the time, shut down the public discussion quickly:
“What is decided internally is communicated internally and dealt with accordingly,” Seoane said. “Every coach in the world has the responsibility to decide who will play.”
Cvancara did not deny that the situation was toxic. He openly admitted his dissatisfaction with how his season had unfolded and where he stood at the club. He said:
“I was the first to come to the management in the winter, saying that after an injury, I was not performing as well as both sides had imagined.
“I wanted to go on loan to get back to the form I had after coming to Gladbach. I was not granted this, and instead I received promises that were not kept.”
Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Tomas Cvancara reacts REUTERS/Annegret Hilse DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO.
The row forced a sit-down meeting with Borussia Monchengladbach’s sporting director Roland Virkus, who later attempted to draw a line under the episode.
“It was an important conversation. Tomas realised that he made a mistake by making that statement,” Virkus said. “But I understand that he is dissatisfied. We talked about it. At the same time, it shows his high ambitions. I consider it a closed matter.”
Cvancara’s temperament has been questioned before. Two years ago, he addressed criticism of his attitude head-on. The 25-year-old said:
“People say I am out of my mind and that I lack humility.
“And yet none of them actually know me personally. None of them has ever asked me what I’ve been through in my life and why I’m the way I am on the pitch and in life.”
He went further, clearly irritated by the noise around him.
“It is terribly easy to smear anyone, to criticise – we can all sit down at the computer and type something on social media. What some people are capable of writing on the internet is disgusting.
“And it doesn’t matter if they write about football or anything else. They should think about themselves.”
Since then, injuries and a messy loan spell in Turkey, which ended early after he terminated his Antalyaspor deal due to unpaid wages, have stalled his progress.
He now looks to get back on track, and Glasgow could offer the perfect destination. Celtic are betting that the player who scored 24 goals in 49 games for Sparta Prague is still in there.
At 25, this feels like a last chance to reset his career at a serious club. Celtic will back him if he delivers, and so will the fans. If the noise follows him to Glasgow, patience will be thin – hit the ground running and help secure the league title, he’ll be a hero.
