Vladimír Coufal (; born 22 August 1992) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a right-back for club TSG Hoffenheim and the Czech Republic national team.
Coufal previously played for Bílovec, Hlučín, Opava, Slovan Liberec, Slavia Prague and West Ham United, winning the UEFA Europa Conference League with the latter in 2023, before moving to German side Hoffenheim in 2025.
Coufal made his senior debut for the Czech Republic in November 2017, and has gone on to make over 60 appearances, scoring two goals, and was included in the squads for two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024) and one FIFA World Cup (2026).
Club career Coufal began his career at local club Baník Ostrava, playing in the club's academy, before being released at the age of 17 as he was considered to be too small. In 2009, following his release from Baník Ostrava, Coufal joined amateur club ŠSK Bílovec. He believed Baník had destroyed his opportunity to become a professional footballer and described his time with Bílovec as playing "with 40-year-old men. These guys played for sausages and beer after the game, just to drink after work".
Hlučín Coufal began his professional career with Hlučín, making his debut against Dukla Prague in September 2010 in 2. Liga just after his 18th birthday. During the 2010–11 season, Coufal made 14 appearances for the club.
Loan to Opava Coufal spent the 2011–12 season on loan with 2. Liga club Opava where he made 13 appearances and scored one goal for the club.
Slovan Liberec After impressing in the second division with Hlučín and Opava, Coufal was signed by Czech First League club Slovan Liberec in 2012, following a trial with Sparta Prague, who saw Coufal as a replacement for the outgoing Ondřej Kušnír, who had joined Liberec himself in the summer of 2012. Despite playing for Sparta Prague in a pre-season friendly against Viktoria Žižkov, Sparta opted to sign Pablo Gil over Coufal.
During his first season with Liberec, Coufal played in ten league games. In his second season with the team, the 2013–14 season, Coufal became a regular for the team featuring in 26 matches. Over the next three seasons, Coufal played consistently, making 88 appearances all competitions.
Coufal's last season for Liberec was arguably his most impressive as he made 33 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals. These performances also earned him a call up and debut to the Czech national team. Coufal was with Slovan Liberec for six seasons, making more than 150 appearances across all competitions, and playing in the team which won the Czech Cup in 2015. During Coufal's time at Liberec, he was made club captain.
Slavia Prague Coufal's impressive displays at Slovan Liberec earned him a move to one of the Czech Republic's largest clubs, Slavia Prague, following protracted interest from rivals Sparta Prague. On 1 July 2018, Coufal joined Slavia Prague on a three-year contract, for a reported fee of 18 million Kč. Upon his move to Slavia Prague, Coufal was reunited with manager Jindřich Trpišovský, who he had previously played under at Slovan Liberec.
During the 2018–19 season, Coufal made 39 appearances for Slavia Prague, scoring 4 goals and helping lead the team to the Czech First League title. The next season, during the 2019–20 campaign, he made 42 appearances and scored three goals in a season that was suspended for two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this season, Coufal and Slavia Prague retained the Czech First League title. During the 2020–21 season, Coufal made a final seven appearances for Slavia Prague before transferring to West Ham United and the Premier League, playing his last game for the club in a 4–1 UEFA Champions League qualification loss against Danish club Midtjylland.
West Ham United On 2 October 2020, Coufal joined West Ham United for a fee of £5.4 million, signing a three-year deal, reuniting with fellow Czech and former Slavia Prague teammate Tomáš Souček, following interest from fellow Premier League clubs Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton. He made his West Ham debut in a 3–0 win against Leicester City on 4 October 2020. Coufal created seven assists for West Ham during his first season in English football, one behind Aaron Cresswell. The pair created more assists than any other Premier League full-back duo in the 2020–21 season. Coufal finished runner-up in West Ham's Hammer of the Year award for the 2020–21 season, behind compatriot Souček.
He achieved the UEFA Europa Conference League title with his club, featuring in a 2–1 victory over Fiorentina in the final.
On 9 May 2025, it was announced that Coufal would leave West Ham at the end of the 2024–25 season. In total, he made 180 appearances for West Ham in five years.
TSG Hoffenheim On 5 August 2025, Coufal signed a one-year contract with TSG Hoffenheim in Germany as a free agent. He scored his first goal for Hoffenheim during the 4–1 loss against Bayern Munich on 20 September.
International career In 2014, Coufal made two appearances for the Czech Republic under-21 side. He later debuted for the senior Czech Republic squad on 11 November 2017 in a friendly against Qatar.
On 4 September 2020, he scored his first goal for the Czech Republic, scoring the opening goal in a 3–1 UEFA Nations League group game against neighbours Slovakia.
In May 2021, Coufal was named in the Czech Republic squad alongside West Ham teammate Tomáš Souček for the postponed UEFA Euro 2020. They were later eliminated in the quarter-finals by Denmark on 3 July in a 2–1 loss. On 16 November, he served as captain for the first time, in a 2–0 World Cup qualification game against Estonia.
On 19 November 2023, Coufal along with Jakub Brabec and Jan Kuchta had been kicked out of the Czech Republic training camp after they allegedly went out clubbing two days before the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier match against Moldova.
In May 2024, he was named to the Czech squad for UEFA Euro 2024.
On 31 May 2026, Coufal was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Personal life Coufal was born in the village of Ludgeřovice. Coufal's mother, Alena Dřevjaná, represented the Czechoslovak gymnastic team at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Coufal's siblings, Petr and Jana, are both figure skaters.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsHlučín2010–11Czech 2. Liga14000———140Opava (loan)2011–12Czech 2. Liga13100———131Slovan Liberec2012–13Czech First League10010———1102013–1421010—40—2602014–1513030—30—1902015–1627140—101104222016–1717000—102—2722017–1830230———332Total118312000273101586Slavia Prague2018–19Czech First League28300—111—3942019–2032310—80104232020–215000—20—70Total656100021110887West Ham United2020–21Premier League3402000——3602021–22280002040—3402022–232700010100—3802023–24360202070—4702024–252201020——250Total14705070210001800TSG Hoffenheim2025–26Bundesliga34110———3512026–274010—10—60Total38120001000411Career total39511200707042049415
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsCzech Republic20171020182020194020205120211402022802023602024110202581202670Total662
Scores and results list the Czech Republic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Coufal goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Vladimír CoufalNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition 1 Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia 1–0 3–1 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B 2 Andrův stadion, Olomouc, Czech Republic 3–0 6–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
Honours Slovan Liberec Czech Cup: 2014–15
Slavia Prague Czech First League: 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 Czech Cup: 2018–19 Czechoslovak Supercup: 2019
West Ham United UEFA Europa Conference League: 2022–23
Individual Silver Medal of Jan Masaryk: 2021
References
External links
Vladimír Coufal at West Ham United F.C. (archive)