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Four years after the collapse of Sberbank CZ, the Guarantee System has recovered almost all paid-out funds

Prague, 18 February 2026: It has been almost four years since the Czech National Bank declared Sberbank CZ unable to meet its obligations. Following this decision, the Guarantee System began preparing the largest compensation payout to clients of a failed bank in the history of the Czech deposit insurance system in terms of total volume of funds.

At the turn of February and March 2022, Sberbank CZ failed to withstand a so-called bank run. “As a result of massive client withdrawals and transfers of funds outside the bank, Sberbank CZ lost its liquidity. The Czech National Bank was therefore forced to announce that the bank was no longer able to meet its obligations, meaning it could not provide clients with the requested funds. Based on this, the Financial Market Guarantee System started paying compensation for insured deposits within seven working days, with payouts to clients of the failed bank made through Komerční banka branches,” explains Renáta Kadlecová, Managing Director of the Financial Market Guarantee System.

Over the course of three years, the Guarantee System paid clients of the failed bank a total of CZK 25,702,715,442 1. Funds exceeding CZK 183 million remained unclaimed.

The Guarantee System did not lose the paid-out money. Thanks to successful insolvency proceedings, 99% of the paid-out funds returned to the Deposit Insurance Fund managed by the FMGS. “This is certainly not standard. Usually, only single-digit or tens of percent return to the fund. Recovering almost all financial resources represents the most successful and fastest insolvency proceeding involving a failed bank in the entire history of the Czech deposit insurance system,” says Renáta Kadlecová.

Thanks to the successful insolvency proceedings and the return of funds, there was no need to increase regular contributions from banks and other financial institutions to the Deposit Insurance Fund (to which all banks, building savings banks and cooperative credit unions headquartered in the Czech Republic, as well as branches of banks from non-EU member countries, are legally required to contribute). The Deposit Insurance Fund currently holds CZK 53.11 billion. Its resources are used to compensate clients of failed financial institutions.

In addition, the Guarantee System also manages the Crisis Resolution Fund, whose purpose is to prevent crisis situations in which a financial institution risks becoming unable to meet its obligations. Resources from the Resolution Fund can be used to finance crisis resolution measures for a given financial institution so that it is not necessary to terminate its operations and begin compensation payout to its clients. This fund currently contains CZK 41.09 billion.

If needed, resources in both funds can be increased, for example through extraordinary contributions paid by financial institutions participating in the deposit insurance scheme or, in the case of the Resolution Fund, also by securities traders, as well as through other methods stipulated by law.

1 This refers to the total amount paid out as of 31 January 2026, including the settlement of enforcement orders, transfers to Czech Police accounts based on decisions regarding the release of seized funds, and funds transferred to a court escrow account due to ongoing inheritance proceedings.


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