The presentation of coach Kazimierz Moskal is behind us

Kazimierz Moskal has once again taken his place as Wisła Kraków coach. After nine years, the coach has returned to the R22 team and, starting in the 2024/2025 season, will lead the team in the FORTUNA 1 League and European competitions.

"I've always felt my heart beating faster, no matter what role I've been in at Remonta 22. Today is no exception. This is the place I've wanted to be since I was a child. The life of a football player and coach is such that sometimes we're thrown around the country or the world, and you have to learn to live with that. I'm glad to be returning to the place closest to me," began coach Kazimierz Moskal. "I decided quickly; we hit it off after the first meeting. Then it was all about the formalities. There's pressure everywhere, but there are places you return to with your heart pounding. Then you feel a much greater sense of responsibility. The fact that I was a coach here, and previously a player, helps in some way. I'm not so old yet that the current players don't remember that I played football at some level. It's easier to reach the players then, because they know they're being spoken to by someone who knows what it's like. However, in football, it's about the result, and what you can achieve, not what you once achieved. I want the team to perform well in terms of sport in the coming season," he said.

On Tuesday, Kazimierz Moskal met with his predecessor, Albert Rude, exchanging a few words with the Spaniard: "It's normal. I'm a very open person, although I can sometimes give a different impression. Coach Albert Rude was at the club when I was there, so we exchanged a few words in the presence of the president. However, I've never asked my predecessor what he thought, what the shortcomings were. I'm the coach here and I have to draw my own conclusions."

When asked about his assessment of Wisła's game and the areas that need improvement, he replied: "I didn't watch all the matches, but what caught my eye were two different teams. Wisła was a different team in the league and a different one in the Polish Cup. The First League is unique. You have to play 34 matches, and streaks are important. If you have one long or a few short ones, that translates into your results in the table. If I'm to say how I want to play, I will push my philosophy of play, so that Wisła is a team that wants to play football. Everyone has their own ideas. I thought long and hard about what would be the best idea. We know where Wisła is. If anyone thinks that after winning the Polish Cup, which was undoubtedly a great success, we have a team ready for the First League, they're wrong. My role is to ensure the team progresses. We know there's very little time to prepare, but we have to deal with it," he added.
The R22 team is facing a rebuild, which began after the end of the previous season. "We've discussed this. We've identified names, but we all need to be aware that time passes between the moment a player is considered and the finalization of the deal, and these discussions can fall apart, and it's not necessarily our fault. These players must have significant potential as footballers. They must also have good physical preparation. I want them to be intelligent footballers. I want this team to have character and the ability to sacrifice. In football, sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I'm not just talking about sacrifices on the pitch, but also about how a player conducts themselves. Whether they focus on recovery or getting enough sleep. If we have players like that, I'm convinced we'll build a team. I'm not saying it will happen immediately, because we know the situation we're in, but we'll strive for it," he noted.

The Krakow team's defense is one of the elements that the White Star coaching staff needs to focus on. "I've always believed that a team should play attractively, but a team is also built around defense, and the striker should be the first defender. I can't imagine anyone not being 100% committed to defense. Sometimes there are situations when defense is impossible. I remember a match under coach Petrescu against Korona. We were leading 1-0, and in the last minute we had a corner kick. Jean Paulista took it. There was only Branko Radovanović in the penalty area and about eight defenders, yet Paulista crossed the ball so precisely that we scored. There's no other way than to work on improving our defense. My suggestion would be for everyone to try to defend and everyone to attack," he suggested.

There was also a personal question about Dani Ramirez from ŁKS, with whom Kazimierz Moskal had the opportunity to work. Is there a chance of bringing him to Wawel? "I highly value Dani Ramirez; I gave him the chance to make a name for himself in Poland. However, I don't think he wants to play at this level. Besides, I've heard that ŁKS will make efforts to keep him," he replied curtly. As for whether Wisła will see a more balanced nationality mix, he replied: "I'd like to have six or seven Poles in the starting eleven, but we don't know who we'll have in the locker room yet."

A key player for Wisła last season was Angel Rodado, whom they will want to keep at R22. "Of course, players like Rodado, who have a significant influence on the team, are a desirable prospect on the football market. We also have to realize that a player wants to play at the highest level possible. We want to keep such players, but sometimes the desire to promote themselves at a higher level or the power of money is greater. However, we will do everything we can to keep Angel with us," he assured.

What will Moskal's coaching staff look like? "I had the opportunity to meet with some members of the staff, and I'm meeting with more on Monday. There won't be a revolution. I have my own ideas, but talks in the coming days will show whether they can be implemented. I think I'll have more influence on what we do than being influenced by what they've done before. Of course, there needs to be continuity at every club. The trick, however, is to choose the best things and implement your own ideas," he revealed.

Six months ago, the Krakow club placed an emphasis on developing data, which also helps with player selection and other football-related aspects. "When it comes to data, I wouldn't exaggerate, because sometimes it can overload people's minds. I'm talking about players. These things are necessary, but they need to be used wisely. I sometimes get irritated by comments like, 'It's the first quarter of an hour and the team hasn't scored in that stretch for several games. For me, it's the final result that counts. You can base your decisions on statistics, but more on those that have a direct impact on the game. For example, how many runs a player has made, how many sprints, etc.'" he analyzed.

The White Star team will have a lot of matches coming up in July, when they will compete in the league and European competitions. Asked if he was worried about injuries, he replied: "There's no point laughing. This is the problem I mentioned at the beginning. We're starting preparations on June 17th, we're going to Wola Chorzelowska for the training camp on June 20th, and we'll be preparing for the first match quickly. It's hard to predict how it will all go. It's a big challenge. July will be demanding. I don't want to call for a hundred days of rest, but we have to realize it's going to be difficult. We have to control it, we have to do something to avoid overuse injuries. If there are mechanical injuries, we have no control over them. If there are muscular injuries, we'll have to beat ourselves in the chest."

Players returning from loan spells will be reviewed by the coaching staff, who will assess their suitability. "These are players who are our players. I need to keep an eye on them. I wouldn't expect many players to arrive. I want to build the team, but that doesn't mean a truckload of players will arrive in June. The sporting department and I decided it was better to bring in fewer players, but with higher quality. Quality is the priority here," he emphasized. "I need to have the final say, but we want to create a system where several people work together. The strength of my voice will be important, but that doesn't mean I have to torpedo everything others say. Everyone needs to take responsibility and have the opportunity to speak their mind. The responsibility will rest with the staff, with the people responsible for the sporting department," he added.

"Our main task is to prepare for the next match. I get angry when the friendly matches don't go my way. There are various theories. Some say that if the friendly matches don't go well, we'll do well in the league. Others think otherwise. I want the team to be ready for every upcoming match," he explained.


Jarosław Królewski also commented on the changes on the Wisła coaching bench. "I think that if we're talking about Brzęczek, Sobolewski, or Rude, then yes, it's pathological in Polish football that we, the presidents, the public, the fans, have become accustomed to frequent changes. Exerting such pressure during the season is simply scandalous. That's my opinion. I don't think there's anything unbelievable in my words today. Please remember that I've always supported the coaches who were employed here. They're people too. If they feel pressure, they consider the good of the club, not their own ego. If Radosław Sobolewski hadn't resigned, he would probably still be Wisła's coach today. It would be similar with coach Rude. The coach sitting next to me now is not only a Wisła player, but above all, a competent person and will get time at Wisła. As long as he wants to be a coach here, I will strive to keep him here. However, I don't force coaches to stay here either. I give them a free hand. That's what happened with coach Sobolewski and coach Rude. That's all..." the President announced. "We've reached an agreement. The coach will work here for the next two years. Knowing my stability, we'll do everything we can to ensure he's the coach for those two years. The plan is to make Wisła stronger from a sporting perspective. The coach's goal is to develop the team athletically," he added.

"Already in the winter, the President of Wisła contacted Kazimierz Moskal, but a different solution was chosen at that time. "I always talk to coaches who could be a good option for Wisła. During the winter, the current coach was among them, but also coaches Papszun and Skorża. Then we decided on a coach who, in my opinion, was supposed to build the team's vision for what would happen at Wisła. The current coach also passed the verification of our systems, and if he hadn't been green, he wouldn't be here now. In football, you can say that you only need to remove one element and everything would be different. But it doesn't work that way. You can't generalize. When making any decision, in the context of a coach, we talk about visions. Visions can differ. In the context of Wisła Kraków, which wants to play attacking, everyone wants them to return to the top league. Last season, we managed to do many good things, but we didn't achieve the most important thing: promotion. In the context of what the coach said, we had a long conversation. The coach will get time, he will have the freedom to choose. This is very important to me," he continued.

What are the club's priorities for the R22 team in the near future, and will the position of sporting director be filled? "League competitions will be key for us. We treat what we can build in the Polish Cup and European competitions as a bonus. In the case of a sporting director, we will be closely monitoring who could be such a director. Perhaps such a person will emerge soon. There are various models. I believe our club should have a sporting director. However, we won't drop everything to quickly hire such a person. The coach has already informed our sporting department what they should be paying attention to and what profiles they should be looking for. The coach has a very clear vision. We will focus on players who will provide us with quality from day one," he announced.

The coach confirmed how important Angel Rodado is to Wisła's squad, whose future in Kraków is still unclear. "Above all, I appreciate what Angel has done for Wisła on many levels. I've spent many hours talking with Angel's agent. We'll be reviewing offers. We'll wait calmly and make the right decisions. Please remember that we also have other players, such as Marc Carbo, Joseph Colley, and Kacper Duda. Offers may come for any of them, as well as for others," he explained. "Bartosz Jaroch and Igor Łasicki have signed contracts. Kamil Broda and Bartosz Talar will be offered new contracts," he revealed.

Olivier Sukiennicki of Stal Stalowa Wola is one of those players who could join Wisła Kraków. "For some time now, we've been intensively developing the processes for players to join Wisła. We've done a lot of work, including scouting. Almost until the very end, it wasn't clear which league we'd be playing in, which was important when considering signing individual players. Olivier Sukiennicki is in our area of ​​interest, and this stems from the work we've done. He's one of the players we want to invest in," he said.