As Chelsea begin their Women’s Super League title defense against Tottenham Hotspur in 13 days, we introduce you to our Czech midfielder Katerina Svitkova, who is no stranger to life in the WSL.

Player Profile

Name: Katerina Svitkova

National team: Czech Republic

Place of birth: Plzen, Czech Republic

Position: Midfielder

Date of birth: March 20, 1996 (27 years old)

Height: 1.66 m (5 ft 6 in)

Career at Chelsea

After two seasons at West Ham United, during which Svitkova made 34 appearances and scored five goals, the Czech international arrived at Chelsea ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

It was a difficult first season in blue as injury limited Svitkova to five appearances in all competitions. She did, however, score her first goal for the club in the 8–0 victory over Vllaznia in the UEFA Women’s Champions League in October.

Svitkova started her career with Slavia Prague and has scored an impressive 188 goals in 177 appearances. She was the top scorer in the Czech First Division in 2016/17 and 2017/18 and was named Czech Footballer of the Year four times.

International career

On the international stage, Svitkova made her debut for the Czech Republic at just 17 years old. Since then, the attacking midfielder has scored over 20 goals for her national team and played for her country on 48 occasions.

Click on here to book your tickets for the Blues’ WSL opener against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Sunday October 1, kicking off at 5.30pm (UK time).