Moskal: I hope that the experience in cups will be helpful in the league

Before the #KOTWIS match, coach Kazimierz Moskal, who is currently in Opalenica with the White Star, met with journalists online. They face a league clash in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship on Sunday.

The return match against Cercle Brugge and the trip to Opalenica are behind us. How are the R22 players feeling physically after this intense period? "Today is the second day after the match, and the players are certainly still feeling the strain of the match, but I think it was the optimal solution to fly from Bruges straight to Poznań. We had two training sessions planned here in Opalenica. One was a bit adventurous, but that's life. Today after lunch, we're leaving for Kołobrzeg. The match is at 2:30 p.m., so there's not much time for recovery and rest, but we want to be 100 percent ready for Sunday," he began. "First and foremost, I hope that the experience we've gained in European competition will help us in the league. I'd like our approach to matches to be the same, meaning that regardless of who we play, we take it very seriously. I think a match like this should definitely be very motivating for us and give us more confidence. It all starts with our attitude," he said of the team's mental approach.

Igor Łasicki played the full match against the Belgian team. Will he also be in the starting eleven for the match in Kołobrzeg? "I think he took advantage of the opportunity. We were waiting for Igor to recover so he could play. The only issue is that he hasn't played for a long time, and now he's played the full 90 minutes at high intensity, and we have to keep an eye on him to see how he performs. However, if nothing happens, he has a good chance of playing," he noted.

How can we expect Kotwica to play on Sunday? "I think Coach Tarasiewicz has a significant influence on how this team plays. He has his own style, which he seems to have been trying to enforce for years. In my opinion, it's more based on solid defense. They're also a team that positions themselves somewhat to suit the opponent. They can play with three or four defenders. They're a bit unpredictable, as is typical for a newly promoted team. It's like when a team from European competitions comes, they'll definitely want to give us a tough challenge," he analyzed.

Kazimierz Moskal, when asked about Cezary Polak, who was of interest to Wisła Kraków, replied: "I haven't had any dealings with him. I haven't seen much of him, so I won't comment on him. I don't know anything about his transfer."

After the match in Kołobrzeg, Wisła Kraków will have a national team break. How do they plan to use it? "We want to rest. The first week after the match in Kołobrzeg will be more relaxed. The players who played a lot will have Friday and Saturday off. On Sunday, we will begin preparations for the match against Warta. We have three league matches outstanding, and we will have to play them at some point. I think now is the optimal time to try to make up for it. Better now than in December or February," he said.

Media representatives inquired about the progress of the youth players. What are they currently looking like? "I think we have a close competition at the moment. Obviously, they're in different positions, as we have Piotr Starzyński, who plays on the wing. We have two central midfielders – Kutwa and Dziedzic, and two defenders – Skrobański and Wiśniewski. Skrobański hasn't had a chance to play at the moment, but there's a competition between them to see who will play in a given match. It also depends on how we want to play and who we're going to play against. I think the players who got a chance, and I'm thinking about Mariusz and Piotrek, definitely had more opportunities to show their skills, and that was definitely a plus for them. Karol got a chance in the last difficult match, which will also be a step forward for him. As for Wiśniewski and Skrobański – as I said – they haven't played much. So it's hard to say there's any progress, although they're really doing well in training," he said.

Coach Kazimierz Moskal also commented on James Igbekeme's condition, as he needed to work on his form after joining the team. "He definitely won't be able to play 90 minutes, but looking at him—of course, it will also depend on the intensity of the match—I think he'll be able to easily play 45 minutes," he concluded.