Pre-#WISCER Conference | Part 1

Wednesday is traditionally a day dedicated to media activity before the #WISCER match. This time, coach Kazimierz Moskal and player Olivier Sukiennicki were on hand for journalists.

The following players will miss the match against Cercle due to injuries: Dawid Szot, Bartosz Talar, Enis Fazlagić, Kacper Duda, Jakub Stępak, Joseph Colley and Łukasz Zwoliński .

Kazimierz Moskal - coach of Wisła Kraków

At the conference, a question was asked about analyzing the match against Arka Gdynia, which the White Star failed to win. "For me, the biggest problem was that we didn't control the course of the match. Mainly in the midfield. In my opinion, the midfield should give much more to the team. The way the game plays out depends on the midfield players. When to speed up, when to slow down, how to regulate the tempo of the match. At 2-0, the match probably would have played out differently if we hadn't conceded so quickly to make it 2-1. Obviously, I'm not talking about the red card, but I still think that's what we need to focus on: to use the ball better in the midfield, to simply keep it longer," he began.

The Krakow team quickly had to switch from a league match to a European competition. Was it successful in changing their mindset? "Now there was a little less time. Was it successful? Emotions were high after that last match. I think not only immediately after the match on the pitch. I think also in the locker room and the next morning, when we analyzed the match. Fortunately, there's another one, and we have to focus on that. I think that's how everyone approaches it," began coach Moskal.

Where, in relation to Spartak and Rapid, would the coach place Cercle Brugge? "I think this is a team modeled after Red Bull, as the coach had the opportunity to work at that club. I think they want to press hard, but they try to play with simple means. I think they're a physical team that can work hard for 90 minutes. How would I rank this team? Certainly above Spartak Trnava. There's no doubt about it. I have a slight problem compared to Rapid. In my opinion, Rapid is a team with more quality football. But sometimes it's not just the quality of football that determines a team's strength. We'll see tomorrow; we're prepared for a tough fight," he said. "What will be the most important thing? They say that football is about scoring goals. Today, I would happily reverse that statement and say that football is also about not conceding goals. I think we have to play responsibly, above all as a team, to avoid conceding a stupid goal. Of course, there are situations when it's simply impossible to do so, because the opponent is so good, or there will be such a shot that no goalkeeper or defense could cope with. However, looking at this last match, or going back to Spartak, we have to be vigilant at all times to avoid such situations. Tactically, we couldn't do anything. What we've been doing so far is only analyzing after the match, because we don't have time for that in training. It's not about defending tomorrow, because attacking is a good method, and I want us to play aggressively, starting with the striker," he continued.

The Polish Football Association agreed to the club's request and postponed the league clash with Miedź Legnica. Was the coach happy with the news? "Yes, yes, that's why we tried to postpone it, because let's be honest, we play every three days, and slowly, the players who are heavily used are starting to feel the effects of this marathon, so a week like this will definitely be useful," he replied.

Upon returning from injury, the coach will also have Jesus Alfaro at his disposal: "He is being considered for the matchday squad. Of course, we have to realize that he's been away for a long time, hasn't trained with us for a long time. Nobody here expects him to come on for 45 minutes or even 30, but he is being considered for the matchday squad for tomorrow's match."

Who will we see in goal this time? The answer was simple: "Kamil Broda. We won't lie here. It's our decision that Kamil will defend in the cup competitions, and I hope nothing more happens here."

Journalists also asked about the condition of James Igbekeme, who joined the team this week. "I think he needs time to be ready. If I were to judge, he only trained with us yesterday for the first time, and he trained with the group that played less in the match against Arka, so it's harder to draw any deeper conclusions after such a training session, but I think I'd place him between Kiss and Duarte," he noted.

Angel Rodado is being heavily exploited, regularly finding the back of the net. Is the striker feeling the strain of the matches? "I think I'm not the only one hoping for that, we all are. So far, Angel doesn't seem tired or bored. He's having fun, and I hope it continues," smiled the coach.

Coach Kazimierz Moskal has already led Wisła against another Belgian team, Standard Liege. "We played two matches with ten players against Standard. In the first half, Michał Czekaj got a red card, and in Liege, Gervasio Nunes got a red card around the 60th minute, and we had to finish the match with ten players. I don't have fond memories of those matches, not only because we didn't advance to the next round, although we didn't lose either of those two matches against Standard. Generally, the atmosphere after that match in Liege, both on the pitch and in the locker room... I have very unpleasant memories," he recalled.

Finally, when asked about the best match his players played in the ongoing cup qualifiers, the coach replied: "I think we haven't reached that point, but the best match was undoubtedly Spartak Trnava."

Olivier Sukiennicki - Wisła Kraków player

What position does a player feel most comfortable in? "I think it depends mainly on the match. I really like playing number eight because I'm always in the game. Of course, number ten suits me very well too. Like I said, depending on the match and what the coach decides, I adapt to that," he said.

Where would he like to play against the Belgians? "I don't know what else to expect. Obviously, I work very well with Carbo in midfield. He's a bit more defensive, and I'm more drawn to the forwards. I think our partnership is very good, and I hope it's similar in this match to the one against Spartak, that we'll work together," he noted. "Matches like this are a dream for every young player, but also for every older one. When I wake up in the morning, I immediately think about how well I want to be prepared. It's like a dream come true to walk onto the pitch in front of so many fans," he added.

When asked if he would have believed he would be playing with Wisła in the cup competitions just a short while ago, he replied: "It would definitely surprise me, very, very positively. It happened. I'm where I am and I'm very happy to be competing on the international stage," he announced. And what will happen next year? "I'm focused on the here and now. Every next match is very important, and that's what we want to focus on as a team," he said.

The White Star plays matches every three days. How is Sukiennicki coping with this? "After joining Wisła, everything is new to me, but I think I'm coping quite well so far. I'm devoting a lot of time to regeneration and sleep, and that's key, to making the most of the time we have, even though we don't have much of it, to regeneration. The intensity is indeed quite high, but I think I'm coping quite well," he replied.

Wiślak was also asked about the difference between the league and the cups, and he replied: "The quality of the opponents is quite noticeable in matches, and the pace of the game is definitely much faster when we play internationally. You have less time to think and make decisions." "We prepare for every match the same way. We want to do it as well as possible, and it doesn't matter whether it's an opponent in the First League or the Conference League," he added.

How is the young midfielder coping with the increasing pressure, and has the move to Wawel Castle changed him? "Like I said, I think about every next match, and what's happening around me hasn't changed me. I still want to be the same player I am and give my all in every match," he concluded.