Petr Slaný

Petr Slaný was born on 1 September 1952 in Olomouc, in what was then Czechoslovakia. He began playing football with TJ Sigma Hodolany in his home city and was soon picked for Czechoslovakia's under 18 team, for which he played six times. He later described himself as a Moravian first and foremost, whatever club colours he wore.

Slaný joined Baník Ostrava and made his first league appearance in June 1971, aged 18, replacing Karel Herot in the 74th minute away to Dukla Prague. In the 1971 to 1972 season he played every one of Baník's 30 league matches. He spent the 1972 to 1973 and 1973 to 1974 seasons with Dukla Prague while doing his military service and then returned to Bazaly.

In 1975 to 1976 he was among the most regularly used players in the Baník team that won the first league title in the club's history. In the second round of the 1976 to 1977 European Cup he started against holders Bayern Munich in Ostrava; in the 27th minute his right footed shot forced Sepp Maier into a fine save, and from the resulting corner he crossed for Verner Lička to head Baník's second goal in a 2 to 1 win. He also scored in European ties against Real Sociedad and Napoli. In November 1976 he earned his only senior cap for Czechoslovakia, playing a half in a 2 to 0 friendly defeat to West Germany in Hanover. He was named among the reserves for the 1976 European Championship finals but did not travel to Belgrade, where Czechoslovakia won the title. In total he made 114 league appearances for Baník and scored 15 goals.

In 1977 he joined Sparta Prague, where he played until 1982 and was one of the team's main scorers, with 11 league goals in 1978 to 1979 and 14 in 1979 to 1980. With Sparta he won the Czechoslovak Cup in 1980. Across his career he played 277 matches in the Czechoslovak first division and scored 66 goals, made 20 appearances and scored three goals for the under 21 team, and played four times for the Czechoslovak Olympic side. In European club competitions he appeared 18 times and scored four goals.

Slaný moved from Ostrava to Prague in 1977 largely for family reasons. His wife suffered badly with bronchial illness in the industrial city, and a doctor advised that she would only recover if they left. The couple had a young son at the time. Asked late in life whether he was a Baník man or a Sparta man, he answered fifty fifty, adding that he was above all a Moravian from Olomouc. He spoke fondly of his career in interviews, including a 2024 appearance on the Sport.cz programme Kopačky na hřebíku.

Slaný died on 22 October 2026, aged 74, after a short and serious illness. His family informed Baník Ostrava, which announced the news on its website on 23 October and expressed its sincere condolences. The club said the last farewell would take place in a close family circle.

Slaný is remembered as one of the players who brought Baník Ostrava its first league championship in 1976, a team celebrated by the club 50 years later, and as a member of the side that beat Bayern Munich at Bazaly. At Sparta Prague he is remembered as a goalscoring forward and a 1980 cup winner.