Sparta Prague is the biggest club in the Czech Republic, according to Sima, a player for Glasgow Rangers. This statement caused a stir in the media, both in Scotland and in the Czech Republic. However, Sima later clarified his comments in a conversation with Zdenek Houska, the assistant coach of Slavia Prague.
Jakub Splavec, the director of strategic communication for Slavia, shared the text conversation on Twitter with the consent of both parties. According to Splavec, Sima also reached out to his former teammates and other people from Slavia, with whom he had developed a close relationship during his time at the club.
Splavec also mentioned that Sima asked his club and the Scottish media for a correction. As a result, an amended article was published on the Daily Record website, referring to Sparta as a „big club in the Czech Republic.“
Sima spent two years at Slavia Prague, scoring 11 goals in 24 league matches and winning the league title. He transferred to Brighton in the summer of 2021 and has since had loan spells at Stoke and Angers before joining Glasgow Rangers this season.
Even without the recent controversy, the match between Glasgow Rangers and Sparta Prague will be closely watched. The events surrounding the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 in 2021 are still fresh in memory. During that match, Glen Kamara, a midfielder for Glasgow Rangers, accused Sima’s former teammate Ondrej Kudela of racism.
The two-legged tie between Sparta Prague and Glasgow Rangers in the Europa League group stage in 2021 was also eventful. After the match in Prague, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard criticized the booing of Kamara by children, resulting in his dismissal.
The Scottish side was unwilling to understand that Kamara’s actions had provoked negative emotions not because of his skin color but because of his behavior on and off the pitch. The incident attracted attention from high-ranking officials and politicians.
