Czechs stand firm in Bejbl row

Bejbl looks like missing the Spanish Cup final

The Czech Republic are refusing to release Atletico Madrid midfielder Radek Bejbl for Saturday's Spanish Cup final.

Atletico take on Espanyol in the final as they try to salvage some pride from a traumatic season which saw them relegated from the Prima Liga.

Club official Clemente Villaverde said he had pleaded with the Czechs to allow Bejbl - a veteran of the Euro 96 runners-up side - to fly to Spain from the national squad's Euro 2000 training camp in Vienna.

But Czech coach Jozef Chovanec turned down the request. His team face a warm-up match against Germany in Nuremburg on June 3.

Another Atletico player, Dutch striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, is expected to be released by the Holland squad for the cup final.