Jan Kuchta, Martin Vitík, Albanian Qazim Laci and Serbian Veljko Birmančevič were given time off after the Euros. Lukáš Haraslín continues in the tournament with Slovakia, and Angelo Preciado is fighting for Ecuador in the Copa América. The reinforcement from Kosovo, Ermal Krasniqi, watched the duel only from the stands.
When will the representatives be back?
One thing is what I would like, and another is what is possible and realistic. I would like to have the squad complete and with me ideally yesterday. But the guys didn’t have any vacation and they have to get some kind of break. Their return will depend on when they finish in the tournaments. The season was long and the most important thing for me is that they come back with the right settings in their heads. Otherwise, they would start the year burnt out.
So do you have a specific idea?
The squad will probably only be together before the first league match with Pardubice, and most likely we won’t have it 100% ready even for the second round. Not the best preparation ever. We have young players who would like some loan moves. The Euro is not our best friend, but it is the same for everyone.
One of the most active players against AIK was Kryštof Daněk, who returned from a loan spell in Pardubice. What is his position in the team?
Yes, he was strong when he got into the middle of the pitch. In the attacking third of the field, he showed speed and adaptation to the Spartan DNA. Now the squad without representatives has 26 footballers. We have an idea of the final shape, but not a set plan. The Dane will fight for position 10 in our system, where we see him. Play differently, maybe he would move even more from the side.
A few young guys from the B-team showed up. Did you like them?
Overall, I think we’ve had a good performance. We have to realize the conditions of the match. Significant heat, very good opponent. They did it, understood the structures of the game, and showed what was in them. They represent a possibility, an opportunity for us, they show the strength of the academy and the B-team.
In terms of personnel, you have even more say after the departure of Brian Priske. How else do you have newly distributed competences?
We are looking for a way to get into an ideal cooperation. We lost Lukas Babalola, who was such a hybrid between analysts and coaches. We have a good implementation team. New assistant Jens Askou is in charge of the defensive part of the game. Tim Sparv focuses on standards, but he is not a specialist, he is a classic assistant. He has great ideas and has already paid for a smart player in his active career. Michal Vávra also works with us, who not only gives structure to training.
