“We sat down (with Dynamo’s management), the requirements for me, the conditions were explained to me and everything fit together. Pardubice is a club with the highest ambitions – for this season, the next one and many years ahead,” says the 27-year-old Kometa trainee in an interview for the Pardubice club’s video channel.
It was Dynamo’s ambitions, the sports side, and probably a better salary evaluation, that decided that Zbořil unexpectedly gave the parent company Brno a basket. At the same time, Kometa boss Libor Zábranský paid a lot for the services of the World Cup 2023 participant.
“I didn’t talk to anyone about my decision, I didn’t contact anyone. I wanted to keep things under wraps as much as possible. I had to bite myself that I would not return home, where I grew up, but that I would go to strengthen Dynamo. I’m really looking forward to it,” explains Zbořil, who met a lot of familiar faces in the Pardubice locker room, including another Kometa protege (a year younger) fullback Libor Hájek.
“Libor and I grew up, we’ve known each other since I was two years old. I look forward to further cooperation. The welcome from everyone was great,” says Zbořil, who characterizes himself as a two-sided defender.
“I come from a good defensive background, which is in the first place for me. But I’m happy to support the attack as well, and I’m now set in my head in such a way that I’ll try to be everywhere to help as much as possible. I will try to say something in the dressing room if necessary,” thinks Zbořil, who has played 18 matches in the extra league so far when he started for Kometa in the 2020/21 season during the covid era.
Photo: Vlastimil Vacek, Sport.cz
“At that time I also started in Pardubice and I played really well here. I hope it hasn’t changed at all,” he wishes before his debut in the Pardubice jersey, which should come already on Tuesday against Mladá Boleslav.
He has respect from the extra league, its quality has reportedly gone up in recent years. “Extraleague hockey looks great on TV now. And the guys who have returned to it have told me that in the last two years its level has gone up a lot,” he shakes his head.
