The 26-year-old defender, who skippered Sparta Prague to two league titles, has been handed the armband ahead of Thursday’s clash at Prague’s Eden Stadium. Krejci, now playing in the Premier League with Wolves, has won 23 caps and scored three international goals.
Victory over Ireland would secure Czechia a home play-off final at Letna on 31 March, where they would face either Denmark or North Macedonia for a place at the tournament.
The decision follows controversy over the captaincy dating back to November’s match against Gibraltar, when Tomas Soucek was stripped of the role after a dispute involving supporters. Despite a 6-0 victory, the team initially left the pitch without acknowledging the travelling fans who had provided vocal backing throughout.
Soucek and Vladimir Coufal later returned to address the supporters, but their actions were not endorsed by the Czech Football Association.
“The players should have reacted differently,” the association said in a statement. “They should have thanked the active supporters not only for the Gibraltar match, but for their long-term and tireless backing throughout the qualifying campaign, particularly after a series of unconvincing performances.”