Jop: It was a successful camp

After two weeks, Wisła Kraków returned to Poland, concluding their Turkish training camp. The final highlight of the camp was a friendly against Obolon Kyiv. Join us for a short interview with coach Mariusz Jop.

"This friendly concluded our training camp in Turkey. It was a training camp where the players worked very hard. I'm glad we were able to spend time at the camp in good conditions; it was a successful time. I believe that the work we put in will pay off in the league. In the end, we played against a good opponent who set the bar high for us. It was a match – for this stage of preparation – played with good intensity and good pace. There were some interesting moves, and there was also a lot of aggression from both sides, in the positive sense of the word. I think it was a successful match. Of course, we always want to win, and this time it didn't happen, but the most important thing is that we managed to test some of the solutions we had been working on. This friendly also showed us which elements we need to focus even more on," the coach began.

With Wisła having played almost all of their friendly matches, is the coach already planning a starting eleven for Znicz Pruszków? "Of course, I already have an outline of the starting eleven in mind. However, there are a few positions where there's a lot of competition, and that's good, because it helps the team develop and the players make individual progress," he explained.

The White Star will now enter the final phase of their training, during which the workload will be reduced. "We still have two weeks until the first meeting. The next week will be similar to the competition micro-cycle. After all the work we did in Turkey, we will definitely need to reduce the workload a bit, but that doesn't mean we won't be training. We will continue to work hard, but we will focus on other motor and tactical aspects. The players also need to re-adapt to the conditions in Poland, as the weather in Turkey was exceptionally good this year. Therefore, we must adapt and do everything we can to be as prepared as possible," he added.

Young players attended the camp with the first team, working on their form under the guidance of the coaching staff. When asked if they would remain there permanently, the coach replied: "For now, everyone will continue to train with us. We'll see how the situation develops, especially with those recovering from injuries, and when they join us afterward. We'll make decisions then. Assuming Angel Rodado returns, we have 21 outfield players training, including the youth players. So, for now, the young players will train with us."

Also present at the camp were the injured Marc Carbó, Igor Łasicki, and Patryk Gogół. What's their situation? "They're still recovering. Marc is the furthest from returning to training. In the case of Gogół and Thaler, the doctor will have to decide when they're fully ready. We're not pressuring them. Igor Łasicki, on the other hand, is recovering quite quickly from surgery and I hope he joins us soon. Joseph Colley will arrive soon, and physiotherapists will assess his fitness and determine when he can train with the team normally, but that's still likely a matter of weeks. Unfortunately, Piotrek Starzyński has joined the injured group," concluded coach Mariusz Jop.