Mariusz Jop before #WISPGS: The team's well-being is always the most important thing and that's what I'm always guided by

Before the 29th round of the Betclic 1 Liga match against Pogoń Siedlce, Mariusz Jop met with journalists at a press conference. We have a transcript for you.

Patryk Gogół and Mariusz Kutwa, who has already begun individual training, are excluded from Saturday's match. Rafał Mikulec is suspended due to a yellow card.

The White Star coach began by answering the question about the defensive formation - "Combinations are possible, of course, but there's also a certain hierarchy in positions. We could also make a move like this: Dawid Szot, who returned from injury, also plays at left back, so that's also an option for us."

In recent matches, you've rotated your lineup quite often. Will that be the case this time around? "We now have a large number of players in the second line at a good level, and performance in the week leading up to the match is key. It will be the same this time. The team's well-being is always paramount, and that's what I always consider when selecting the starting eleven. In my opinion and that of the coaching staff, those who are currently in optimal condition will play." - he replied.

Łukasz Zwoliński's goalscoring form remains disappointing. Will he start from the bench again, as he did in the match against Odra in Opole? "There are two options. In fact, in the last match, what was more important was that the physical effort in the previous four matches was considerable, and that was the decision to bring him on from the bench. However, this week he worked solidly. Of course, there are different options and solutions to situations in which a player goes without scoring for a long time. Sometimes it's a little easier if you come on against tired opponents. Defensive formations always loosen up a bit during a match. This is also an option to break through, but I wouldn't like to reveal our formation at this point. I don't want to make it easier for the opponent, which they also have to do." - he said.

Recently, Pogoń Siedlce has shown that they can beat stronger teams. So, which team do you consider your closest rival? "Lately, this team has shown that they can beat stronger teams. It's true that the position Pogoń Siedlce occupy doesn't reflect their performance in the spring, because it's a team that has changed significantly. Several experienced players have arrived. Some may not have played at the top league level, but they brought a lot of quality there. This is a team that is a very difficult opponent, because if we look at their results, in really difficult matches, firstly, they played well, and secondly, when they lost, it was only by a small margin. They also took points from teams that were considered favorites. This is definitely a team that will come here to fight for points. To show their best side in Krakow. I don't think I need to give the players any special warning, because the team knows perfectly well how difficult these matches are, because recent matches have shown that you have to take those points from anyone. It's the attitude and willingness, above all, to fight, to sacrifice yourself in every match, to not calculate and to be one hundred percent in "Every phase of the game is key. I think that if we have the same level of motivation as our opponents, we have a lot of quality in the team, and then we can show it. However, the absolute foundation is the willpower. Preparing for the match is, of course, the work of the coaching staff, but it's also the individual work of the players. I think the players also demonstrated this attitude in recent matches. Their readiness to take on the fight was very good," he said.

You're facing matches against teams you'll be competing against directly for promotion. So, how's your mindset? Are you managing to keep your mind focused on the here and now? "I'm definitely succeeding, and I think the players have also developed this mindset, which doesn't mean they don't look at the table and don't observe other matches. That's natural. However, we know that thinking too much about the future makes it harder to focus on the here and now and what's most important. And the most important match will always be the closest one. This is obvious in such a difficult league as the one we play in, where the opponent's position often doesn't reflect their strength. Sometimes you don't see this in matches, because these are teams that can rise to the top and play a good match against the favorite." - he replied.

Wisła Kraków's next matches will be played on Fridays at 8:30 PM. Will knowing that the kick-off time will always be the same help you in your micro-cycle? "Regarding the micro-cycle, if there are seven days between matches, as we will have, because we have four matches in a row at the same time, then in a classic seven-day cycle it's certainly easier to manage. There's no such thing as five days, four days, and that changes. So when it comes to stability in training and preparation for training, briefings, and all the other elements we're working on, then yes, it's a kind of convenience. However, the fact that we won't know the other results doesn't seem like a problem for us, because, as I said, we always focus on ourselves and we know that we have to do our job first, because other teams' results don't matter if we don't win," concluded the Wisła coach.