For any club to stump up £9m for your services, you must have done something right. And Cvancara – capped eight times – did plenty right at Sparta.
At his best in the Czech top flight, the 6ft 3in forward used his presence, pace and power to devastating effect, while he was also clinical.
Netting 24 times in 39 starts, a goals-per-minute ratio of around 131, triggered interest from Gladbach, who brought Cvancara to the Bundesliga in the summer of 2023.
The forward’s career stalled in Germany, though, scoring just eight goals in 54 appearances, most of which have come from the bench.
But his time at Gladbach will be remembered most for being at the centre of an extraordinary team dispute at the end of a challenging season last…