Who is Antonin Kinsky? Tottenham's New Goalkeeper and the Next Petr Cech

 

Tottenham’s 4-0 win at Manchester City was miraculous for more reasons than one. Granted, City were mired on a poor run of form, a streak that has only recently ended, but with Spurs struggling on the road at the time; few gave Ange Postecoglou’s side a chance of securing all the spoils.  

 

Disaster really struck for Spurs when Guglielmo Vicario went down midway through the first half. The Italian went on to put in an inspired display as the north London outfit claimed a memorable three points, yet it was confirmed after the victory that Vicario had broken his ankle. Since his arrival from Empoli, the 28-year-old has been a mainstay in the Spurs starting XI, and the club have been worse off during his absence. 

 

 

Fraser Forster may have a greater command of the penalty area at corners yet the 36-year-old isn’t as comfortable with the ball at his feet as was evidenced in the 4-3 EFL Cup win over Manchester United last month. Forster then sat out the 2-1 loss to Newcastle on Saturday owing to illness with the club in the midst of an injury crisis. 

 

While teams often refrain from splurging in the January window, Spurs have been forced into action this month. They are going to undergo a busy January as they look to strengthen in key areas. And Spurs have acted quickly in bringing in a new goalkeeper. Few on English shores would have been aware of Antonin Kinsky prior to rumours of Saturday’s swoop for the Czech youngster. 

 

Kinsky only broke into the Slavia Prague starting XI this season, yet he has quickly won a legion of admirers across Europe for his assured performance for the Czech outfit. He has started all 19 league games for a Slavia Prague side that has conceded fewer goals (7) than any other team in the Chance Liga this season. With the division currently on its hiatus, Slavia Prague unsurprisingly sit top of the Czech top tier having won 16 of 19 games. 

 

While the Europa League form doesn’t make for great reading – Slavia Prague sit 29th in the 36-team table – Kinsky has still looked solid when called upon, with his distribution a key strength. Indeed, of goalkeepers to have made at least five appearances in Europe’s second club competition, the 21-year-old boasts the best pass success rate (83.9%). 7.3 accurate long balls per game ranks eighth in the Europa League, and a long ball success rate of 55.7% is the best of the 45 players to have attempted 50 or more long balls.

 

 

"He doesn't care which foot he uses to kick the ball. I asked him in training which one he prefers, but he said it doesn't matter. In short, he kicks with both equally," Rostislav Horacek, the scout who discovered Kinsky as an 18-year-old, said back in October when describing the goalkeeper’s ability with the ball at his feet. "His style of play is such that he's straight away preventing himself from coming under pressure." 

 

The words will come as a welcome boost for Spurs, who have really struggled without Vicario between the sticks. Having been compared, too, to former Chelsea and Arsenal shotstopper Petr Cech, supporters can feel confident they have landed a real star in the making. 

 

Crucially is that Kinsky hasn’t arrived to operate as backup to Vicario, but rather challenge the latter for the starting spot at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. With that, it’s very likely that Forster has played his final domestic game for the club with Kinsky set to come in as first choice for the remainder of the season, and potentially beyond depending on Vicario’s recovery. 

 

While WhoScored don’t have full coverage for the Chance Liga, highlight reels show a goalkeeper with lightning fast reflexes, and an ability to make Schmeichel-esque saves, of which supporters have become accustomed to with Vicario. With a potentially greater command of his area than his new teammate, it’s no shock that Spurs have quickly pulled the trigger to sign the youngster.

 

The son of legendary Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, shotstopping runs in the blood and fans will be hoping the son can usurp his father as the more memorable Kinsky. With a style of goalkeeping that’ll suit Postecoglou’s gameplan, that should become a reality before too long.

Who is Antonin Kinsky? Tottenham's New Goalkeeper and the Next Petr Cech