Jop: The most important match for us is on Saturday

Wisła Kraków will return to the league with a match against Znicz Pruszków. Coach Mariusz Jop met with journalists ahead of the 20th round of the Betclic 1 League.

"I think the players have adapted to the conditions in Poland after a demanding camp in Turkey. In the first week, considering other factors such as commuting to training, different weather, different pitch, and of course, hard work, the freshness wasn't there yet for the match against Hutnik. However, this last week has been a normal starting micro-cycle, and I see energy, freshness, and a hunger for play in the team. This looks optimistic," the coach began.

Marko Poletanović has returned to Wawel Castle to bolster Kraków's midfield. "There's nothing better in a team than good competition in individual positions. It's a highly desirable element. It's the same with us. I'm glad we have this kind of competition in many positions, which poses a major dilemma when it comes to fielding our starting eleven. I'm glad Marko Poletanović is with us because he's a player who knows the Polish league, knows the mentality, knows this club, knows the fans, so we know that this adaptation process in our team will be very quick, and we can already take him into account when it comes to our starting eleven," he noted.

Joseph Colley, meanwhile, is undergoing rehabilitation and continues his work in Myślenice. "I think he'll be back in a few weeks, but how many weeks it will be is hard to say. I wouldn't want to take on the role of a doctor here. There's definitely progress, but it won't be two or three weeks, but, in my opinion, much longer," he added.

The rival from Pruszków comes to Kraków after defeating the White Star in the previous round. What kind of opponent is the coach expecting? "The entire autumn season shows, and the statistics and our away match in Pruszków confirm it, that this is a team that is focused on fast attacking, set pieces, and low defense. Sometimes they use a very flat 5-3-2 formation. This is a team that has two very outstanding players in their ranks. Daniel Stanclik and Radosław Majewski are players who mean a lot when it comes to the quality of this team in attack. Of course, we have materials, we analyzed Znicz in friendlies. We were curious if anything new would emerge. New elements appeared in friendly matches, but I know many players and many teams that play more risky, more openly in friendlies because there is no pressure to play for points. And then the league comes and we go back to the old pattern, which was effective. As a team, we are prepared for every scenario, for Znicz's aggressive play, for dropping deep, looking for counterattacks, set pieces, and counting on Majewski's brilliance. There are several possibilities, but as I keep saying, we focus on their game, on polishing elements that are often repeated when facing rivals from the first league," he analyzed.

There was also a question about further transfers: "I said at the end of the previous round that the team I had at my disposal, these people, were capable of competing with anyone for three points, home and away. This is a team that can beat anyone, and we confirmed our very good form in many matches. I'm glad no one left this team. Of course, Marc Carbó's injury forced the transfer of Marko Poletanović, and I'm glad he's with us. However, it's not like we need to make any transfers to realistically think about showing good football and fighting for three points in every match," he explained. "Every player is a little different, but Marko Poletanović has a similar profile to Marc Carbó. He's a player who's good defensively, but also has a calm play. He looks to accelerate the game with passing rather than driving the ball. We have several players with a slightly different profile, and Marko fits the mold we need in our game," he compared his players.

There's also plenty of competition in goal. Is it clear yet which goalkeeper will be on the pitch on Saturday? "Of course, there's competition, as in every position. The goalkeepers saved more or less equally, although Patryk played the most minutes in the friendlies. This is because all three are in good form. They work very hard in training, so I wanted to give them time on the pitch, in friendlies, so they can show their skills not only in training conditions. However, as for the goalkeeping staff and who is number one, we'll find out on Saturday. I won't reveal that now, because the team doesn't officially know who will be starting eleven yet," he said.

Oliver Sukiennicki and Tamas Kiss were recently unavailable due to illness, but he now assures: "Yes, they are available. It was a two-three-day period of problems related to infections. However, they are back and have been training practically since the beginning of the week, so they are available."

Matches at the R22 are always emotionally charged. What can be done to ensure the stadium remains a fortress? "It's a difficult question, because every match presents a different scenario, different situations, but I'm a proponent of doing the things we practice, regardless of where we play. The point is not to look for solutions that are haphazard. That's my philosophy. Sometimes, however, a team needs a boost in the form of a set piece, a good combination move. We know that at home, we often face a low opponent's defense, and it's not so easy to create chances and be effective in a positional attack. Efficiency, a flash of individual talent, a set piece—these are the things that sometimes tip the scales towards a victory rather than a draw," he continued.

Patryk Gogół and Bartosz Talar are among the players who are also still recovering from injuries. "I'm sorry Patryk wasn't able to play in any of our friendly matches. He began his preparations with the team as usual, but then old problems he had last year resurfaced, and there's a bit of uncertainty because his rehabilitation process is difficult to pinpoint. I don't want to go into medical details. I hope he'll return to us as soon as possible, because I value him as a talented player. However, we can't consider him for now," he said of Gogól, also referring to Thaler: "It's also a matter of rehabilitation and his availability after the serious injury he suffered. There are still some complications, his muscles aren't fully recovered yet. There have already been training sessions where he trained with the team, but we didn't want to risk a major injury given these deficits. There are protocols that allow a player to participate in matches, whether friendly or for points. His muscle imbalances aren't yet sufficiently resolved for him to take risks, and for us to take such risks."

League matches carry an added emotional charge and pressure. How do you deal with that? "There was, is, and will always be pressure here at Wisła Kraków, at this club. And I don't see it as anything special. It's still the same and will always be the same," he announced, adding: "The most important match for us is on Saturday. Of course, nothing is certain in football, and it could be that we'll be fighting in the playoffs. I always think about winning. Ten points down is a lot, but it's not impossible to make up for it. However, I'm more focused on preparing the team as best as I can for each upcoming match, and we'll see what the total points we earn will mean in the end."