Press conference before #KFLWIS

It's time for the second leg of the first qualifying round for the Europa League. On Wednesday afternoon, Wisła Kraków arrived in Kosovo for an official training session ahead of the second match of this stage of the competition. The preparations also included a press conference attended by coach Kazimierz Moskal and White Star defender Bartosz Jaroch.

The following players will not play on Thursday due to injuries: Kacper Duda, Igor Łasicki, Dawid Szot, Bartosz Talar, Enis Fazlagić, Jakub Stępak and Jesus Alfaro.

Kazimierz Moskal - coach of Wisła Kraków

"We're just getting to grips with it, and it's safe to say that the hot atmosphere at Reymont will be replaced by hot air here, at the stadium. We'll definitely have to adapt. These aren't ideal conditions for playing such matches, but oh well... That's the date and time that was set. Both teams will have to adapt to it. The players will be heading out for training soon and will have to get used to it. Fortunately, the last few days in Poland have also been quite hot. Maybe not as hot as here, but still. I hope this will make it easier for us to adapt to these conditions," began coach Kazimierz Moskal when asked about the weather conditions that greeted the Krakow team.

How does Wisła intend to play in the second leg? "I'd like us to play our game, whether home or away. Of course, there will be moments in different matches when we need to defend more, but I absolutely wouldn't focus on just defending a 2-0 result. We know this is a dangerous result and we'll want to play in a way that allows us to try to score here," he assured. "After the first leg, we have more information about this team than before the match in Krakow. I think every coach has in mind the idea of ​​surprising their opponent. Whether it's with the formation, the lineup, or some tactical setup. We have to be prepared for that, but we definitely know a lot more after this first match," he added.

Last week's match was the first official one in which the R22 players participated. What would the coach like to improve after that match? "There's always something you can do better. There are always things that can be improved. We also have to consider what I mentioned earlier. On the other hand, there's also a coach who hasn't lost his mind and is also thinking about how to surprise us. We have to be prepared for every eventuality. We've practiced that in training," he emphasized. "For us, every day, every week is a benefit, and I think that will have a positive impact on the team, although how this match will unfold is a completely different matter. We've only been together for a short time, new players are joining, and we definitely need time to gel and for the automatic mechanisms to kick in. Just as I would expect," he continued.

Is the coach planning to make more changes to the squad due to the weather? "I don't know. The conditions here are certainly more demanding for all the players who will be taking part in this match. We have to take that into account, although everything will depend on how the match goes. How the players who will be in the starting eleven will cope with these conditions, and secondly, how they perform football-wise. There's no point in making changes just for the sake of it. They are made when they are needed, i.e., when someone is forced to leave the field due to injury, a loss of strength, or other reasons, such as tactical ones, or someone isn't feeling their best. I don't rule out the possibility that more will be needed. It will all depend on how the match goes," he explained.

Before the team's departure, the club signed Łukasz Zwoliński. How does the coach assess him? "We can treat this as a gift of sorts that we haven't yet unwrapped. He only arrived at training yesterday and trained with us. His training has varied lately – he's trained a bit with the team, a bit individually, and probably more in the gym. I wouldn't worry about his physical condition, but I do want him to train with the team a bit. So that – as the saying goes – he gets a feel for the locker room, his teammates, but above all, he gets to know the way we want to play. Can they play with Rodado? I think they can. It will depend on who we play, the opponent, and the tactics. Anything is possible," he analyzed.

Journalists were also interested in the coach's idea for Olivier Sukiennicki. "I have plenty of ideas! He's the kind of guy we can use anywhere on the pitch, and I'm happy about that," he concluded.

Bartosz Jaroch - Wisła Kraków player

"It's hard for me to name a match where I'd play in these conditions. They'll definitely be demanding. However, they'll be the same for us and our opponents. It's hard to get used to it, but we have to. We have training today, a short acclimatization period, and tomorrow we have to go out on the pitch and win the match," he announced.

When asked how the defender assessed his opponent's level, he replied: "You can't judge them by one match. We expect them to play differently here, that it will be a different match." "Before the first match, there was one big unknown. We had prepared an analysis on Llapi, but we didn't know what to expect from them. And you know the league – most players know each other, most teams know each other. They play repetitively, but here was something new, a nice new stimulus, and it's nice to compete in the Europa League," he added.

The player spent the beginning of the preseason recovering from an injury, which has since disappeared. "I trained individually for the first few days of the preseason because I was still feeling some pain from last season. But for now, everything is fine. I'm 100 percent healthy," he assured.

The new season has brought a change to Wisła Kraków's coaching staff. What differences does the defender see in the coach's work? "It's too early to assess what has changed, as we only have one match behind us. However, we are definitely training a little differently. We also have different goals to fulfill. Time is also on our side. Day by day, training by training, week by week, we will learn more about what the coach expects from us and we will strive to implement them in matches," he continued.

The final question concerned the rescheduling of the match against ŁKS Łódź. Would the player prefer to have it behind him? "It's not up to us, and we'll soon be playing every three days anyway. We'll have to get used to it. With the league and European competitions combined, we have to be ready to play every three days. Quick recovery and giving 100 percent in every match," he concluded.