Mariusz Jop in front of #WISCHR

Coach Mariusz Jop met with journalists ahead of the league clash with Chrobry Głogów. Watch the press conference.

You made numerous changes to your lineup in the match against Warta Poznań. Will this continue in the coming days, considering you're playing two matches in one week again? "For now, we're focusing on what awaits us tomorrow, but that's certainly a possibility. The players who played in Grodzisk Wielkopolski showed a good performance and showed they can be counted on. It's possible that some of them will play in the next match on Sunday." - he replied.

In recent matches, Wisła has shown that they're fighting for victory until the very end. Is it a matter of determination? "The team has certainly shown character, tenacity, fighting spirit, great determination, and a desire to pursue the goal we set for ourselves in every match. However, I wouldn't call the last match a pushover, because if you look at the statistics from that match, you'll see that the xG was around four. This shows that we did create a few chances. Of course, the game wasn't as fluid as we usually play, and that might be why I feel that way, but as I said, the conditions weren't easy there. And that probably affected our play. Plus, when there are a lot of lineup changes, the flow of the game is always a bit disrupted." - he assessed.

What is the health condition of Wisła's striker, Angel Rodado, since we saw the Spaniard in the matchday squad in Poznań? "Angel will definitely be in the squad for the match. We'll see how things go during the match. He's training with the team. Of course, this week off is definitely important, because when you get out of rhythm, it takes some time to get back into it. That's natural. But I'm glad he's back with us. He's training fully and we can count on him," he said.

When asked about the positioning of the central defense and midfield, the coach replied: "Mariusz Kutwa has started training, but it was a very gentle introduction, and he only participated in the initial phase. He's not considered for the next match. We don't want to take any risks, as it's a muscle injury. Not very serious, but we'd rather wait a day longer than start him too early and end up with a serious injury. There's Igor Łasicki, Wiktor, and Alan. Joseph still needs some time to recover from a very long layoff and a very serious injury. So does Bartek Talar. We have three players in central defense who are performing at a good level. We're waiting for Mariusz to come in so that the competition is even stronger. The situation is similar in midfield, where we also have four high-level players. I'm very happy about that, because I know it will impact the quality of the entire team," he added.

How do you assess Wisła's closest rival - Chrobry Głogów? "This league shows that there are no easy matches. There are teams at the bottom of the table who play against the top teams, and very often the scores are close. The final minutes decide who will tip the scales in their favor. I also expect a difficult match on Wednesday. Chrobry is a team that recently snatched three points late in the match. They scored three goals against Znicz. Earlier, they scored two goals against Polonia. They have strengths in attack, but they also have some problems defending, as they concede a lot of goals. This is a team that can also change their style of play and system during the game. They have strengths in fast attacks, they have strengths on set pieces, so they will definitely be fighting here. They will come to Krakow to show their best side. However, as we always approach matches, we have information about the opponent, but we are mainly focused on our own actions. Because I know that if we do it very well, we can beat anyone, and I'm counting on that scenario on Wednesday." - he said.

The referee for the #WISCHR match will be Piotr Rzucidło – the same referee who operated the VAR system during the match against Warta Poznań. Could he feel more pressure from the stands as a result of these decisions? "I think it's a factor that the pressure from the stands will be greater on the referee. Of course, mistakes happen to everyone. Coaches, players, and referees too. That's how you have to look at it, and that's how I look at it. However, I think it's a bit unfortunate because the referee will have a harder job," he said.

Returning to the match against Warta Poznań, how is Kacper Duda feeling after Jakub Kiełb's dangerous foul? Did he experience any health issues, and do you think the issue of his shin guards being too low played a role? "He trained fully. As for shin guards, I think they've been a bit of a fad for a while now. It's not just this one, but for many seasons. Many players only wear shin guards in name only, because they're such a small piece of plastic that doesn't offer much protection. I'm certainly in favor of these shin guards being much larger, but that's the player's decision. Kacper is absolutely not an exception when it comes to using shin guards. They are permitted, so the regulations don't prohibit this type of protection," he concluded.