Mariusz Jop before the #WISKOT match

This Friday at 8:30 PM, the White Star will kick off their 25th round of the Betclic 1 League against Kotwica Kołobrzeg. Before kick-off, the Wisła Kraków coach met with journalists at a pre-match press conference.

Excluded for health reasons are: Patryk Gogół, Piotr Starzyński, Kacper Skrobański and Filip Baniowski.

The first question for the Wisła Kraków coach is about the youth player. Who will take the field in this role, considering that Kacper Duda and Mariusz Kutwa have both played two matches for the U-20s? "It's related. Mariusz played two full matches for the U-20s, and Kacper Duda played 90 minutes in the first and 60 in the second, so a little less. It definitely has an impact. We'll see at Thursday's training session how fit they are, but they definitely have some legs left," the coach said.

He is not on the injured list Marko Poletanović, does this mean that the Serb is returning to the matchday squad? "There is no risk of injury. The injury he suffered is healed. He trained with us full-time all week, so he is considered for the starting eleven," he replied.

The previous clash with Kotwica was an away match and the points were shared. How can we effectively approach the rival from Kołobrzeg this time? "The Kołobrzeg goalkeeper was the MVP of the match back then. This is a team that has only lost once this spring. While they haven't won, they're conceding few goals, only four in five matches. They're certainly a tough opponent, and they've shown they can mobilize and defend effectively with their entire team against theoretically stronger teams. The scenario could be that Kotwica will defend low and rely on counterattacks, but it could also be that they'll play boldly. They'll want to show off. I think it's a positive boost for them that they were able to register players before the final round. Several of them played. They've registered another one. Their morale is high. We need to be a team at a similar level in terms of willpower and determination. I think we'll have plenty of that here, and I know that in terms of quality, we have good players, and I believe we'll create chances that will lead to goals. That's our goal," he said.

Wisła players are waiting again A football marathon. Six matches are scheduled for April, including one in the Super Cup. Will such a busy schedule provide an opportunity for reserve players to gain minutes, or will the squad remain unchanged? "More likely the latter. Of course, we'll be constantly monitoring player fatigue and assessing their physical condition. On the other hand, this is time for players who haven't played as much, as they're more likely to get their minutes," he replied.

Mental preparation for the game is the most important element. The last time the White Star faced opponents in the Polish Cup and league, these thoughts sometimes diverged. How can we prevent this with the Super Cup looming large? "I don't think it's possible to completely distance ourselves from it, because if you look at what's been written about Wisła Kraków lately, the main topic is the Super Cup. Even that question alone speaks volumes, so it's difficult to isolate the players from this news. However, as a coaching staff, we worked all week to ensure that the main focus was on training and the immediate goal. I think the players also have some experience and know that if they don't prepare well for the match mentally, it's very difficult to change it on the pitch. We're constantly working on this. The players are aware of this, too, so I hope there won't be any problems in that regard," he emphasized.

The injury list is slowly shortening, but young Filip Baniowski has made an appearance. Why is he on the list, and what are the status of the other injured players? "Filip suffered a shoulder injury during a national team match. Fortunately, it's not serious enough to require surgery, but he's not training with the team. He's in the process of rehabilitation. As for Joseph and Marc, they're already training fully with the entire team. Marc is closer to a full return to fitness. Joseph is a bit further along, in my opinion. As for the post-injury aspects, it looks promising. There was also a question about Bartosz Talar, who is returning from injury. "It's hard to say. Bartek is a long time after surgery, but there are other issues he's struggling with, and that's holding him back a bit when it comes to returning to full physical condition and feeling on the pitch. He definitely needs some more time. I think he'll be able to get back to good form a bit faster through the reserve team. We plan for him to play for the reserve team this Saturday, and we hope that after facing an opponent, not in a training situation, things will look good and he'll be able to take the next step towards his return," he said of his health assessment.

How can we avoid repeating the situation from a few matches ago, when Wisła dominated the pitch but still conceded goals? "Of course, we're doing something to eliminate such errors. That's what analysis is for, that's what individual conversations with players are for. That's what training is for, to work on this, and we're doing it. Sometimes, however, it's simply someone's carelessness, someone's human error. A player on the team is smarter at a given moment, they'll win the duel, the fight for position. With the type of marking we've chosen, one-on-one marking on corner kicks, individual carelessness can be very costly. Because if the ball falls into that zone of the penalty area, the player is free from pressure from us. This is something we need to work on, something we need to train on, and we've certainly worked on it," he noted.

Łukasz Zwoliński's lack of effectiveness continues. Despite numerous scoring opportunities, the striker has yet to score a single goal this spring. "I think it's positive that Łukasz has these chances in every match. I believe he'll break through any moment. We know Łukasz's history, and he's a player who either scores in bursts or doesn't score in bursts. I hope this streak of him not scoring goals ends after Friday's match. He's been working hard in training on finishing in the penalty area. That's the only way to break through in a match," he continued.

A week ago, the White Star players hosted Banik Ostrava in a friendly match. The match was closed to the press and media. Mariusz Jop was asked at the end what prompted this decision. "The president explained the reasons for this situation. For me, this friendly wasn't an end in itself. I treated it as part of my training, a good work ethic throughout the week. Of course, we had the opportunity to practice a few elements of our tactics, and in that respect, it was also a fruitful match.

To clarify the situation once again, Damian Urbaniec, Spokesman, took the floor. "Let me be more specific. The stadium was being prepared for the Marzanna Half Marathon, and certain areas were closed to use. This included stand rental. Several factors contributed to the cancellation of the friendly, and it wasn't the coaching staff's decision," he concluded.