Viktor Baier

Viktor Baier (born 16 January 2005) is a Czech professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Viktoria Plzeň.

Early life
Baier was born in Příbram to former volleyball player Petr Baier, who played for the local side. As a child, he took an interest in volleyball himself, as well as playing ice hockey.

Club career
Baier began his career in the academy of Příbram, where he was coached by former professional goalkeeper Radek Sňozík, before moving to Viktoria Plzeň at the age of fifteen. After Viktoria Plzeň qualified for the UEFA Champions League ahead of the 2022–23 season, the under-19 side automatically qualified for the UEFA Youth League, and despite beginning their campaign with losses to Inter Milan and Barcelona, they recorded their first victory against German opposition Bayern Munich, with Baier establishing himself as the team's first-choice goalkeeper with impressive performances.

The following year, in June 2023, he was invited to join a select group of international players as part of Bayern Munich's World Squad, where they would play in friendly matches against a number of youth sides. Baier later revealed that he had already been invited to trial with the German side by goalkeeping coach, and former Czech Republic international, Jaroslav Drobný after watching him in the UEFA Youth League, but he had been unable to attend after Viktoria Plzeň rejected the approach.

Though he was linked with a move to Bayern Munich, he decided to return to Viktoria Plzeň, stating that if he were to make the move, he would have to train with the club's under-19 side, and this would be a step back from training with the first team at Viktoria Plzeň. In late October 2023, with first-choice goalkeeper Jindřich Staněk ruled out due to concussion, Baier was named as a starter in Viktoria Plzeň's UEFA Europa Conference League tie against Croatian opposition Dinamo Zagreb. Viktoria's coach Miroslav Koubek, a former goalkeeper himself, decided that Baier would start following usual reserve goalkeeper Marián Tvrdoň's poor performance in the team's 3–0 loss to Slovan Liberec the previous week.

Having kept a clean sheet in Viktoria's 1–0 win, he remained a starter for the next fixture - a Czech First League fixture against Karviná. Despite surprisingly losing the game 1–0, Baier was commended for his performance. His next appearance would again come in the UEFA Europa Conference League, keeping a clean sheet in another 1–0 win, this time against Kosovan side Ballkani.

International career
Baier has represented the Czech Republic from under-17 to under-19 level.

Style of play
Standing at 2.01 m tall, Baier has earned comparisons to legendary Czech goalkeeper Petr Čech.

Club

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