Rudé: Everyone has to be ready

On Friday evening, Wisła Kraków will kick off their spring season at R22, with coach Albert Rudé making his debut in front of the Krakow crowd. The White Star coach met with media representatives ahead of the #WISTYC clash.

On Tuesday, Anton Chichkan was announced as the club's new goalkeeper from the R22. "We had a few days to assess what kind of goalkeeper he would be. After this analysis, the decision was made to sign Anton. He's a high-quality goalkeeper who has competed in difficult conditions throughout his career, playing for championships. He has the awareness we want to bring to our locker room. The registration process is underway," he began. Young midfielder Karol Dziedzic is scheduled to begin his medical. "This player was on the club's roster a season ago and has been under observation for a long time. Now we've decided to bring him in because he's talented, young, Polish, and an additional factor was the fact that we have injuries in the position he plays," he added.

When asked what the coach would like to change in his team's play after the match in Rzeszów, he replied: "First and foremost, we have to understand that playing away from home in this league is very difficult. We've only won three of nine matches. From that perspective, you can see how valuable those three points were. We need to improve many things. First of all, we had too many turnovers, which caused us to suffer in the first half. We have to accept that there are different opinions, but we also have to look at the numbers – for example, we recovered 25 balls in the opponent's half. That's something that's very difficult. Our expected goals statistic was 2.5 points, while our opponents had 1.6. We had 42 touches in the opponent's penalty area. This shows that our performance was high enough to win. However, to be clear – neither I nor the team are satisfied with how we played in this match."

Who will be starting in midfield in the absence of Marc Carbó, who is suspended due to suspension? "We have several options to replace him – there's Sapała, there's Kutwa, who has done a good job recently and helped the team. There's also the experienced Basha," he said.

GKS Tychy will present themselves differently in front of their own fans and on the road. What kind of match should we expect on Friday? "As I said, playing away from home isn't easy. Tychy has struggled, but it's important to emphasize that Górnik Łęczna has yet to lose at home. It was a completely different environment for GKS to play in away from home. Of course, we analyze different situations, different circumstances. GKS normally plays with five at the back. They have very strong players at the back. They like to press high, they like to attack spaces. They know exactly what to do on the pitch. These are the basic things we can expect from them in the next match," he analyzed. "Our game plan is always the same. We want to be in control from the start. Sometimes we can capitalize on those opportunities, and sometimes we have to make up for lost time, like we did last time," he added.

Is the Spanish coach feeling extra emotional before his first match at the R22? "It will be special for me to lead the team in front of our fans. I can't hide the fact that I'm excited about this. I know our fans supported us in Rzeszów as well. Now we'll play at home and I'll be able to feel that atmosphere," he revealed. "The fans are very important to any team. If the fans are behind the team, you can feel it. If they're behind you in difficult moments, it makes all the difference. As a coach, I want to connect with everyone at the club, especially the fans. When we say 'Together for promotion,' it means we're all going for it," he added.

What are the coach's thoughts after his first encounter with the first division? "I think this league is completely different from the Spanish one. It's more intense. Players look for duels and fight for position. In Spain, we try to exploit space more. This is my personal opinion; as a player, I played the same way as here, and it suits me better. I like contact, I like pressing, I like intensity. I'll learn match by match how to prevent counterattacks, how to handle duels, how to fight for second balls, because it's completely different from what I've experienced in the leagues I've played in so far," he said.

Wisła Kraków is struggling to find a starting eleven for the #WISTYC match. Can we expect any changes? "As I said, the players are giving me a headache when it comes to the starting eleven, and after this match, that headache is even bigger. Because the players who came off the bench played very well. It's great, though, because we have a lot of matches in a short time. Everyone has to be ready. In the end, we'll choose the best formation to face Tychy," he noted.


"I think I'm more focused on us now than on the opponent. Why? Because we choose our own path. Step by step, match by match, we'll get better; we have to develop. Of course, my staff is doing a great job, giving me the analysis on the opponent that we need to prepare the best game plan. This involves highlighting their mistakes, but also preparing to counteract their strengths," he revealed.

Marc Carbo's performance in Rzeszów was bittersweet. Did the coaching staff take the time to analyze the individual players' attitudes? "Of course we talked about it. We talk to the team in the locker room about what was good, what was bad, and what can help with development. My approach is very simple. Many players will make mistakes. What matters is what a player does after that mistake. The most important thing is that Marc maintained his desire to play despite the mistake he made. He ended up scoring a goal, which means he reacted positively," concluded coach Albert Rudé.