2011 is the centenary anniversary of the founding of Czech side FC Viktoria Plzeň and what better way to celebrate than win your first ever Grambinus Liga title? How about a place alongside the great and the good of European football in the Champions League Group Stages?

Plzeň were plying their trade in the Czech 2.Liga just nine years ago, gaining promotion as champions in 02/03 and since then they have gone from strength to strength. A Czech Cup win in 2010, their first trophy since a 1971 victory in the same competition, impressed many and the signs were there that they were making strides towards challenging for the title.

However, anyone who tells you that they predicted or expected last season’s title win is, with all due respect, a bit of a fibber.

Win they did and in relatively emphatic fashion to boot. Whilst they only claimed the title by a single point ahead of Sparta Prague, they did so scoring the most goals and with the second best defensive record in the league. They lost just three games compared to Sparta’s six  defeats.  Despite such wonderful performances and such a fantastic achievement the footballing world raised an eyebrow when their name was drawn out of the Champions League play-off hat. Following a quick Google search, there were many who remained unconvinced of their chances of seeing off FC Copenhagen. How wrong they all were.

Going into the first leg of the qualifying tie Plzeň had won all four of their earlier qualification games and scored an impressive thirteen goals along their way. By the end of last night’s game they had added a further three goals and given themselves a commanding position going into next Wednesday’s return leg at Prague’s Eden Stadium. Some people will point out the fact that their opposition were ‘just’ a Danish side and that the Danish Superliga can’t be all that much better than the Grambinus Liga, but those people will do well to remember FC Copenhagen’s participation in last season’s Champions League Round of 16.

The fact that 36 year old captain, Pavel Horváth, has played a starring role in Plzeň’s rise to success says a lot about the club and the vision their manager, Pavel Vrba has. The former Sparta midfielder moved to the club in 2008 and brought valuable European experience with him, having spent time in Turkey and Portugal as well as collecting 19 caps for the Czech national side. Horváth, despite a notorious incident in 2007 involving a Nazi salute, epitomises professionalism, work rate and determination. They are all attributes that have helped forge this side which includes just four Slovaks and no other foreigners, into a unit that can perform above and beyond even their own expectations.

Plzeň took the lead thanks to a Solvi Geir Ottesen own goal on 52 minutes and doubled their advantage with a Václav Pilař finish just before the hour mark. FC Copenhagen looked to have got themselves back into the game when Geir Ottesen made up for earlier error with a goal in the 69th minute but Plzeň’s two goal advantage was restored ten minutes later when stand in striker Martin Fillo, playing in place of the suspended first choice Marek Bakoš, showed what he was capable of and gave Vrba a selection headache ahead of the second leg.

Horváth, who set up two of the three goals was quick to pour water on the flames of expectation and urge caution, “We are only at half-time and nothing is definite. But we have a big chance and it will be a pity to waste it. We have had a feeling of euphoria from the start of this campaign and I hope it will continue. The first goal was decisive as they had to open up and we had more room after that.”

A big chance indeed and what a pity it would be to waste such a fantastic opportunity, but one thing is for sure, no eyebrows will be raised if the name FC Viktoria Plzeň is drawn from the hat when the Group Stage draw is made next week.