Petr Cech suffered ice hockey heartbreak over the weekend (Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Petr Cech has suffered ice hockey heartbreak after his team lost a cup final to their fierce rivals over the weekend.
The four-time Premier League champion was on the losing side as the Chelmsford Chieftains were beaten by Invicta Dynamos in the final of the NIHL Division One South Cup. Cech was unable to prevent a 9-4 aggregate loss as Saturday’s 6-3 first leg defeat was followed by a 3-1 reverse at home on Sunday.
Cameron Bartlett’s goal for the Chieftains proved too little as Cech appeared as goaltender against their Kent-based rivals.
The Chieftains will now focus on their league play-offs campaign, with the end of season event scheduled to take place in Milton Keynes on April 9 and 10.
Cech joined the team in November after three years with Guildford Phoenix, who he joined in the fourth level of British ice hockey in 2019.
He opted for a move onto the ice after hanging up his boots earlier the same year, appearing as a goaltender and fulfilling his childhood dream of playing ice hockey.
Petr Cech’s Chelmsford Chieftains were beaten by Invicta Dynamos (Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
His ice hockey career had been paired with a role as technical and performance advisor at Chelsea before Cech left Stamford Bridge last summer following Todd Boehly’s takeover of the club.
Cech even claimed in February that he finds ice hockey more fun than winning the Champions League due to the different pleasures involved.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he explained: “It’s a completely different level of pressure. This [ice hockey] is more fun than when you play a Champions League game.
“I still have that feeling in myself because I want to perform. I want to win. I hate losing. It’s the same feeling I had when I played football.
Petr Cech swapped football for ice hockey after retiring in 2019 (Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“You still get that feeling when you’re walking through the corridor, to the ice, surrounded by all these people. Maybe if there were 30 fans, it would be different. But the building is full. That’s what I like.”
Prior to switching to ice hockey, Cech made 443 Premier League appearances for Chelsea and Arsenal, with his four league titles amongst 17 major honours he won with the Blues.
The former Czech Republic international also won the FA Cup during his time with Arsenal before announcing his retirement aged 37 at the end of the 2018/19 season.
Source: dailystar.co.uk
