This is the third time the former Chelsea goalkeeper has joined a club in the British Elite Hockey League
Hockey Belfast Giants officially announced that the legendary ex-footballer Petr Cech will rejoin the club on a short-term loan.
The 42-year-old goalkeeper himself commented on his return to the club from the capital of Northern Ireland:
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Belfast. Everyone knows my connection with the Giants and I had a great time playing with the team last season, so I’m delighted to be back and playing my part during pre-season while Jackson [Уистл] will be absent due to a call-up to the Great Britain squad. This is the Belfast Giants’ 25th anniversary season so it’s a special one and I hope the team can come together well and have as successful a season as possible.”
This is the third time that Cech has come to this club. Petr first joined Belfast in November 2023. The goalkeeper played one match, coming on as a substitute against Glasgow Clan (5:1). Before that, the goalkeeper took part in a charity hockey match between Belfast Giants and Kherson Dnipro. The match was held as part of the Ukrainian Hockey Dream program to raise money to help Ukrainian hockey players and coaches.
Cech’s second stint with the Giants is scheduled for February 2024 – as before, the Czech player arrived on a short-term loan from NIHL Division One club Oxford City Stars.
As a footballer, Čech played 333 matches for Chelsea between 2004 and 2015. Together with the Blues, the Czech goalkeeper won the Premier League four times, and also became the Champions League winner in 2012. He also played for Sparta Prague, Rennes in France and Arsenal in London. He played 124 matches for the Czech national football team.
Belfast Giants (2023 champions) finished third in the regular championship last season, before reaching the playoff final, where they lost to Sheffield (1:3).
Belfast will play a number of friendly matches in the near future as part of their pre-season preparation. On August 24, Cech’s team will face the Cardiff Devils, after which they will host two Canadian teams – Carleton University and the University of Alberta.
Source: Sportarena
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