Rytíři traded their hockey gear for football kits to support a good cause. On Saturday afternoon, they played a charity football match against the AMOND & AFK Tuchlovice selection at the main pitch of the František Kloze Stadium in Kladno, winning 4–3. The goal of the event was to support young Ondrášek. Throughout the afternoon, a total of CZK 138,395 was raised for charity. This amount also includes CZK 75,000, which the club collected through a charity auction of hockey sticks during a recent partners' event.
On Saturday, June 20, the Kladno football stadium hosted a charity event that began at 3:00 PM with a match between the youngest categories of Rytíři and AFK Tuchlovice. Despite the hot weather, a large crowd attended to watch the future talents of two major sports. Throughout the afternoon, visitors could also enjoy several accompanying activities in front of the main stand, including a bouncy castle, the Rytíři Kladno fanshop, and sponsor booths from companies such as AMOND, La Lorraine, and Sedláček Kärcher.
The main event kicked off at 5:00 PM when Rytíři Kladno players and club officials took to the pitch against the AMOND & AFK Tuchlovice selection. The match was played in a fair spirit and featured several attractive plays on both sides. Rytíři took a 3–2 lead into halftime thanks to goals from hockey players Oskar Lisler, Adam Bareš, and Martin Procházka from the penalty spot.
The opposition fought back in the second half to equalize at 3–3, and it seemed the match would end in a draw. However, Procházka produced a determined run before squaring the ball to Adam Bareš, who scored his second goal of the match into an empty net to secure a 4–3 victory for Kladno.
All previously announced Rytíři players rotated on and off the field in hockey-style line changes, with new Kladno goaltender Dominik Pavlát backing them up. Members of the coaching staff, including Radek Jirátko and Jiří Burger, oversaw the team from the bench, while goaltender Adam Brízgala took on the role of head coach. The long-time Kladno netminder clearly enjoyed his coaching debut.
“Since we won, I enjoyed it quite a lot. My tactical instructions were very complex — basically, the goal was to score more goals than the opponent. The guys carried out the task perfectly, so we got the win,” Brízgala said with a smile after the match.
He also noted that events like this are ideal at this stage of preseason preparation:
“It's a great change of pace during summer training because we don't get much fun at this time of year. The whole event was for a good cause, which we're always happy to support. It was also nice for us to get together as a team, since some players train individually. It was great for everyone.”
After the match, a raffle was held at the stadium, with a weekend car rental from AMOND serving as the grand prize. Fans also had their first opportunity before the new season to meet the players during an autograph session, where special autograph cards featuring the team in football jerseys were available.
The entire proceeds from Saturday's event, together with the previous hockey stick auction, amounting to CZK 213,395, will support Ondrášek, who bravely battles cerebral palsy, visual impairment, and epilepsy. He was born prematurely in the 26th week of pregnancy weighing only 590 grams. The funds will be used for medical aids, rehabilitation, and equipment necessary for his care.
