Mariusz Jop after #STAWIS: We won and kept a clean sheet

In the final round of the Betclic 1st League regular season, Wisła Kraków secured a 3-0 victory over Stal Rzeszów, securing 4th place in the table and a favorable position ahead of the playoffs for promotion to the Ekstraklasa. After the match, Wisła Kraków's coach, Mariusz Jop, spoke at a press conference to summarize his team's performance and address several key issues related to preparations for the most important phase of the season.

"I would like to congratulate the team on a strong finish to this regular season. No matter who or where you play, you always have to prove your footballing superiority and quality on the pitch. I'm glad we won today and kept a clean sheet," said Wisła Kraków coach Mariusz Jop after the match.

The White Star coach also expressed his respect for the hosts: "I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the project Stal Rzeszów has been implementing for a long time. It's a good place for young players to develop. Of course, in such conditions, it's harder to achieve consistent results, but I see a great group of people here who are doing a very good job – the young players are really developing. I congratulate them on this and wish them perseverance."

Jop also emphasized the importance of the match in preparing for the playoffs: "Besides winning, which was our main goal, we were able to practice various tactical options and also rest several players who had a lot of minutes on their feet. I'm glad we managed to reconcile all of this and achieve our goals," he said.

During the match in Rzeszów, Łukasz Zwoliński experienced a dangerous-looking intervention from one of Stal's players. The White Star striker was hit in the ankle area, which at first glance might have raised concerns about his health and availability for the upcoming playoffs. However, coach Mariusz Jop calmed the situation after the match: "It was a scratch on the pitch," the Wisła Kraków coach succinctly commented.

The conclusion of the Betclic 1st League regular season has ushered Wisła into a key moment of the season – preparations for Thursday's playoff match against Miedź Legnica. Although Saturday's victory over Stal Rzeszów gave the team a moment of joy, the team knows full well that the real challenge is yet to come. "There's definitely a moment to celebrate after the match. We know that our main task now is to recover well and prepare for Thursday's match. We know how important it is, the players are aware of that, but there's good energy, a good attitude, and a positive attitude in the team, because we've also won our last three matches without conceding a goal. Yes, we'll be ready to win the match against Miedź on Thursday," said coach Mariusz Jop.

After the final match of the regular season, Wisła Kraków isn't slowing down. Thursday's playoff semifinal against Miedź Legnica leaves no room for rest – preparations began immediately. "Yes, in such a short micro-cycle, with four days until the match, there's no time off, it's all about regeneration. The players who didn't travel, didn't come with us today, with the squad – I mean those who were on the cards – they also had training today. So, as I said earlier, we worked on two fronts to get them ready for Thursday," emphasized coach Mariusz Jop.

In the context of the upcoming playoff semifinal against Miedź Legnica, the topic of Wisła Kraków's disappointing performance from two years ago was also raised. Despite being the favorite, the White Star lost to Puszcza Niepołomice and failed to advance to the Ekstraklasa. Does that experience have any relevance today? "I don't see the relevance; it was two years ago, with different people, a different staff, a different moment. Now it's a different team, and I believe we'll be ready for it. I know we'll be ready for the fight – in a difficult match, of course – but we'll be ready for it and we'll be mentally prepared as well," replied coach Mariusz Jop confidently.

At the press conference, a question was also asked about the future of Wisła Kraków's squad – specifically, about possible reinforcements in the event of promotion to the Ekstraklasa. Is the club already preparing for transfers? "I think the time will come. Of course, the sporting director and the scouting department are working on potential transfers, and various options are being considered, but right now the focus is on preparing for Thursday's match," commented coach Mariusz Jop.

The final question during the press conference once again concerned the match against Stal Rzeszów. Even before the match, coach Mariusz Jop had announced that he expected a more open and attacking opponent. What was his final assessment of the opponent's approach? "There were various phases of the match. There were moments when Stal dropped a little lower and allowed us to play, there were moments when they tried to break out a little more aggressively – either with number eights or with wingers to our half-left or half-right center-back. There were also moments, practically the entire second half, where we were lower down, waiting for them, giving them the opportunity to build their attacks, and from there we tried quick attacks, taking advantage of this transition phase. There were various moments, as I said, we could have also tried some tactical variations here," concluded the Wisła Kraków coach.