Patrick Schick announces his retirement from the Czech national team, ending his 10-year international career.

Czech striker Patrik Schick released a statement on Thursday confirming the end of his decade-long international career.

The 30-year-old Schick has represented the Czech Republic on the international stage since May 2016, making a total of 56 appearances, contributing 26 goals and 6 assists. He has represented the Czech Republic in two European Championships (2020 and 2024), and helped the Czech Republic reach the semi-finals in the 2021 European Championship.

However, Schick and the Czech Republic had a disappointing performance in the group stage of this World Cup. They finished bottom of Group A with a record of 1 draw and 2 losses, accumulating only 1 point and completely losing any hope of advancing to the knockout stage.

Hours after the Czech Republic was eliminated from the World Cup finals, Schick announced his retirement from the national team. He posted on social media: "Today, my national team career officially comes to an end. This decision was not made on a whim, nor was it a choice made overnight. It is a thought that has been brewing in my heart for a long time and has been carefully considered."

"It has been an emotional journey, with joy, disappointment, victory, and difficult moments. I have always given my all for the national team and done my best to represent our country."

"As I leave, I am proud of what I have accomplished while wearing the national team jersey. I also believe that Czech football has far more potential than it has shown in recent years. We need to face reality and make changes to some long-standing problems."

At the end of his statement, Schick concluded: "I said this not out of anger or disappointment, but because I genuinely care about the development of Czech football. Thank you to all the fans, teammates, and everyone who has supported me. I am deeply honored to wear the Czech jersey."

All indications suggest that Schick will focus entirely on club competitions after retiring from the national team. He has played for Bayer Leverkusen since 2020, making 210 appearances, scoring 103 goals and providing 16 assists, and winning the Bundesliga, German Cup, and German Super Cup titles with the team.

Image source: Internet