Uryga: We showed that we can fight

Thursday evening ended with Wisła Kraków defeating Belgian side Cercle Brugge 4-1. Despite the victory, the White Star failed to overcome their first-leg deficit at Reymonta Stadium, meaning they were forced to bow out of the UEFA Conference League. We spoke with Alan Uryga after the match.

The captain of the Wawel team, assessing the match against Cercele Brugge, focused on the emotions that followed the victory: "There were mixed feelings in the locker room after the match – on the one hand, sadness, and on the other, satisfaction that we managed to win and take a positive step into the league, which is now becoming the most important. There was a noticeable sense of dissatisfaction, especially considering the first match, in which we conceded so many goals that the return match was less exciting than it could have been with a lower score at Reymont. We regret this, because we showed we can fight. If the first match hadn't ended with such a result, we would have had much more of these emotions."

During Thursday's match, White Star found the back of the net four times, with the White Star captain being one of the authors. "Of course, I always have to remember that defense is my priority, but moments like scoring a goal are special for a defender and bring me a lot of joy," he admitted.

Alan Uryga, especially at Wisła Płock, often found a way to defeat opposing goalkeepers. Hopefully, the captain will also regularly add goals at Wawel. "I always say I know my worth when it comes to aerial duels and headers, so if I have a few elements, like a good cross, I can be dangerous. I hope there will be at least a few more moments like those against Cercle and Spartak this season," he concluded.

The Krakow team approached the clash with Brugge without any complexes, despite their heavy defeat in the second half. "Our attitude was absolutely the same as usual. I can't say anything has changed in terms of our approach to the match, the briefing, or the coach's motivation. Perhaps subconsciously, we felt less pressure due to the result of the first leg, as we knew it would be very difficult."

When asked if the players had considered what would have happened if the first match had ended with a better result for Wisła, he replied: "We could have scored a few more goals in the first half, and then something spectacular could have happened. The first minutes of the match weren't as perfect as we would have liked, so there wasn't really that relaxed atmosphere from the start. Only when we broke the Belgian pressure did our confidence and skills emerge, which we managed to maintain until the end of the match," he explained.

A victory at the end of their cup campaign could be a positive boost for the Kraków team, who will face Kotwica in Kołobrzeg on Sunday. "In my opinion, this is the biggest plus of the evening – we're returning to Poland after a win. We can prepare with positive thoughts for the league match, which is just around the corner. It's always harder to go into a match after a defeat, as we experienced in Vienna, when we lost by a large score and the team atmosphere was poor. This time, we're happy that the mood will be positive and the team will have a winning energy," concluded the captain.