Michał Białoński: Raków Częstochowa – Qarabach 3:2, Ordabasy – Legia 2:2, Lech – Żalgiris 3:1 and Linfield – Pogoń 2:5. How do you assess the recent performances of our teams in the fight for European cups?
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Zbigniew Boniek: In general, I start to be interested in the qualifiers for European cups from the third round. However, watching these matches, I have to say that almost everything went according to plan. Certainly, Raków played a good match, although I do not understand why in the forecasts before it, everyone was prepared for defeat. Qarabach is a good team. He confirmed that he is better in football, more experienced than Raków. But it was the Polish champions who won the victory, which gives hope for defending a modest advance.
Raków must lose by two goals to be eliminated. It seems to me that with good organization he can go to Azerbaijan with a positive attitude.
Certainly no one expected that Legia would have to rise from the score 0:2, in the end they managed to draw with an opponent with whom it was not proper not to win. But there is nothing to criticize her, you have to approach these first skirmishes in Europe calmly.
Even Pogoń Szczecin, which was clearly better, allowed the Irish to do too much. All in all, her promotion and Lech’s are unthreatened. Just like Legia, which will do what it needs to do on Łazienkowska Street. The only question mark concerns Raków whether in the third round he will play in the qualifying rounds for the Champions League or the Europa League.
Aren’t you afraid that there will be a repeat of the situation from a year ago, when Lech won 1:0 at home with Qarabach, also led with him on the road, to finally be defeated 1:5?
Looking at the experience and results of Qarabach, there is certainly such a risk, because the Azeris are playing well at home. However, statistics are also there to be changed. Of course, Rakow must play the best he can if he wants to advance. In Częstochowa, the goals for Qarabach were scored after beautiful actions, and the first two for Raków after the goalkeeper’s mistakes. The second leg will be difficult for sure, playing against Qarabach at his stadium, there is always a risk of defeat. There’s nothing to complain about right now, just stay positive.
I can see desire and enthusiasm in Rakow’s game. After Marek Papszun left, everyone there breathed a sigh of relief, as if someone had opened a window. Now everyone feels important, and before everything revolved around coach Papszun. In the first games of this season, there was a new energy, a different enthusiasm.
Certainly, Raków’s chances are increasing due to the fact that goals scored away from home are no longer important. Under the old rules, a 0:1 or 1:2 away defeat would eliminate the Polish champions. You lobbied for a departure from this rule that ruled the world’s playing fields for many years.
In fact, I raised this issue in the world football forum. I think in the previous era, an away goal must have counted twice because there were other surprises, different refereeing, no VAR and a hundred thousand other problems. It was a bit of a journey into the unknown, you felt as if you were entering a house for the first time, you lacked certainty.
Today, the difference in playing at home and away is minimal, it comes down only to cheering fans. Refereeing and many other aspects have changed. Therefore, the departure from bonusing away goals is a very good change that does not promote those who accidentally scored on the opponent’s territory. You won 3-2 at home and as long as you don’t lose by two away goals, you have a chance to keep going. When Rakow loses a goal in the rematch, he can still be positive with good organization in defence. Therefore, I hope that Polish clubs will benefit from this change.
How long future do you predict for Fernando Santos with the Polish national team? Recently there have been reports of an offer for him from Saudi Arabia. The coach was supposed to be the opposite of Paul Sousa and hardly leave our country, meanwhile he disappeared from Poland after the March match against the Czech Republic and Albania, as well as after the June match against Germany and Moldova, appearing only for a day and a half, for the Super Cup.
Forgive me, but I do not speak about the manager and what is happening around him. I am also not going to refer to Fernando Santos’ declaration from the first conference in Warsaw. I am far from these matters, I have not been the president of PZPN for two years, so I am not commenting on these topics for now.
2023-07-28 09:04:00
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