Kocian: a difficult rival stands before us

NOBODY in the Burlington Hotel’s Elgin Suite was surprised yesterday when Slovak coach Jan Kocian was asked his opinion on the crisis facing his opposite number.

The colleague in question wasn’t Steve Staunton, but Czech coach Karol Bruckner, who has had to handle the fall-out from a story involving players, parties and prostitutes in Prague after Saturday night’s defeat to Germany.

Kocian played the diplomatic card in handling that particular query — as he did when asked about Staunton’s own difficulties later on — and, if the truth be told, he has more than enough on his own plate in Dublin.