Dušan Fitzel (born 15 April 1963) is a Czech football coach and a former player. He is an assistant coach with FC Viktoria Plzeň. He managed the Malta national football team from 2006–2009, but in July 2009 health problems made it necessary to give up the role of manager. He is married and has two children. He is a lecturer in coach education as well as a contributor of articles on football and coaching in Fotbal a trénink. Playing career For the most part of his career Fitzel played in the Czechoslovakian league for Dukla Prague in the position of defensive midfielder. In 158 appearances he scored three goals. In 1992, he left for EPA Larnaca in Cyprus where he had 42 appearances and scored three goals. Fitzel retired from his career as a professional footballer in 1995 for FK Chmel Blšany. Coaching career His coaching career Fitzel started with the youth team of SK Slavia Praha. From 1998 to 2005 Fitzel worked within the Football Association of the Czech Republic, coaching teams from U18 to U21 level. His greatest achievement came when with him as assistant coach the Czech U21 team won the European Under-21 Championship in 2002. In January 2006 he was appointed the head coach for Malta as the successor to Horst Heese. His contract expires with the end of 2007. The Maltese national team results under Fitzel have been rather promising, including a 2-1 victory over Hungary (first win for the team in official games since 1993) and a 2-2 draw against the 2002 World Cup bronze medalists Turkey. Dusan Fitzel has been nicknamed "La Valette" in Malta after the Maltese grandmaster and hero Jean de la Valette. Honours Czechoslovak First League: Runner-up (2): 1983-84, 1987–88 Czechoslovak Football Cup: Winner (2): 1985, 1990 References External links Living people 1963 births Czech footballers Slovak footballers Czechoslovak footballers Dukla Prague footballers FK Chmel Blšany players Cypriot First Division players Expatriate footballers in Cyprus Czech football managers Czech expatriate football managers Czech expatriate footballers Slovak football managers Slovak expatriate football managers Slovak expatriate sportspeople in Malta Slovak expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Malta Expatriate football managers in Malta Malta national football team managers Expatriate football managers in Russia Association football midfielders Czech people of Slovak descent Sportspeople from Bojnice