Conference after #CERWIS

Wisła Kraków has bowed out of the UEFA Conference League, but they'll leave a good impression. In the second leg of the fourth qualifying round, the White Star defeated Cercle Brugge 4-1, with coach Kazimierz Moskal summing up the match.

"I must admit that I'm feeling a lot of mixed emotions, but above all, I wanted to thank my players for this match, because after that first match, we were definitely in a very difficult situation, and no one was expecting a miracle. However, we arrived knowing that we could win this one if we played at our best and avoided mistakes, and I think we succeeded. This match was really good for us. You can regret many things, but I don't want to dwell on that first match or today's. I'm simply impressed with how we played today, and I thank the team for that. I hope this adventure in European competition will have a positive impact on the team, and the experience we've gained will pay off in the league," began Kazimierz Moskal. "Sure, when there's a lot of pressure, sometimes it stiffens you up. We as athletes, players, and coaches have to deal with that pressure, and I think that after that heavy defeat, the pressure was still on us. I suspect the comments were that it could end in a very heavy defeat, but like I said, we came here to play a good match and win. We did. Okay, I'll say this – I don't know what would have happened if we had scored one more goal at halftime and how the match would have turned out then..." he continued.

When asked if the coach was dissatisfied after his strong performance in the second leg, he replied: "I have a lot of things on my mind, because when we get into details like that, you might regret not scoring two goals in Krakow, or not conceding two fewer in Krakow. Is there any dissatisfaction? We won 4-1 against a team from the Belgian league, playing away, so it's hard to say we're dissatisfied. I think this match showed that we're capable of fighting in matches like this and playing good football."

Łukasz Zwoliński scored his first goal for the White Star. Will this feat, according to the coach, help him in future matches? "I think we're all happy because that's what we were hoping for when Łukasz arrived. I think his introduction was also very good, as there were several very good moves. First, he hit the crossbar, and then he scored, so his performance was definitely a positive one. I hope it will, above all, have a positive impact on Łukasz himself," he added.

Karol Dziedzic found a place in the starting eleven. Why this decision? "I think it's also some experience and a step forward for this guy. It really wasn't an easy opponent, even though they made a few changes. Brugge's players played very aggressively, and there was no time to make decisions in midfield, so it wasn't an easy task for him. We made this change at halftime because, looking at the scoreline, we were looking for more attacking options. Hence the change. I wanted to give him a chance in today's match because he's been working hard in training and showing his strengths. I thought it was a good time to just try," he noted.

The opponents played aggressively, and Duarte was injured in one of the older players. Is something wrong with him? "I think Frederico won't have any problems. I think he got elbowed in the face. He has a cut lip, but I think he'll be okay," he said hopefully.

The Krakow team's cup adventure has come to an end, so it's time for a summary: "I think expectations are always high, and I would also expect something more, but I would like us to realistically assess the situation and our current capabilities. I'll repeat this once again - we started from the second tier in Poland and managed to win four of the eight matches we played in Europe. So, I think that, all things considered, this adventure cannot be viewed in anything other than a positive light."

Wisła's players can now focus on the league, where they have a match on Sunday. "Yes, of course, everything is focused on this match. We have less than three days until it, as the match in Kołobrzeg is at 2:30 PM on Sunday, but the plan is to stay in the hotel today. Tomorrow we fly to Poznań. Then we go to Opalenica. We train there in the evening. We stay in Opalenica overnight. We train in the morning and then leave for Kołobrzeg after lunch," he explained.

Words of appreciation also go to the fans who supported the team in every match. "What can I say... I've said it many times, but I feel even more compelled to say it today, because after a 6-1 score, having so many fans behind us and cheering us on is truly a fantastic achievement. A huge thank you to them, and I think a word that's used quite often but conveys so much is fitting here – huge respect!" concluded Kazimierz Moskal.