Sparta Prague have not won in England since 1983, but at Southampton on Thursday their manager will hope to again inspire victory and end that run.
Zdenek Scasny was the goalscorer on that past occasion, in a 1-0 win at Watford, and now manages a team that has failed to defeat English opposition during its past 14 attempts.
The absence of former Arsenal wide man Tomas Rosicky, owing to a lack of match fitness, will potentially undermine them as much as their poor record.
Scasny, however, remains adamant that the many changes that took place at Southampton over the summer means the midfielder's experience of English football would prove only of limited influence.
"We were leading 1-0 and I scored the goal," Scasny recalled of the victory over Watford, before adding of Rosicky: "It is a shame we are losing him as he knows the Premier League inside out.
"I was talking to Tomas about the situation and he said he knows the players but the systems will have changed since (Ronald) Koeman left.
"He can hardly help with the way they play nowadays. He has a high respect in the squad and I consulted him.
"We are well prepared for them, we have watched videos. They are very good in attack as they showed against Arsenal in their last match."
Since they secured their sixth-placed finish on the final day of the past Premier League season, Southampton have again experienced numerous changes.
Claude Puel was appointed after Koeman's departure for Everton, and the influential trio of Victor Wanyama, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle have been sold and replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Nathan Redmond and £16million club-record signing Sofiane Boufal.
"Southampton are a strong side," said midfielder Lukas Vacha.
"We are aware they suit their formation. We hope that we have quick breaks and have to watch the set-pieces.
"We know that Southampton will have hard players."
Source: PA-WIRE
