Dusan Kuciak: The Resilience and Redemption of a Slovakian Goalkeeper

news-content">The management of the Polish club Lechia Gdansk pushed him “to the edge”, but Dušan Kuciak refused to give up. The reigning Polish champion called and asked for his help. The experienced Slovakian goalkeeper and former international described his difficult “comeback” between the three posts.

Before coming to Czestochowa, he played his last competitive match at the end of May last year. Lechia Gdansk at the end of the season, after 15 years, he was relegated to II. Polish league and Slovakian goalkeeper Dušan Kuciak at that time he did not know that it would be his last game for “white and green” for a long time.

Despite the contract still being valid, he was removed not only from the team, but also from the dressing room and according to the information SPIRIT.sk the management of the club turned their back on the legend of the goalkeeper of the Polish Ekstraklasa, also financially.

The defense of MŠK Žilina, which has three Polish titles, five Polish Cups, one Super Cup, almost 330 games in the Ekstraklasa and holds the record for giving up clean sheets and statistics of games played as a legionnaire, refused and she continued to work on herself. Even in difficult situations.

The wait was worth it for the soon-to-be 39-year-old veteran. The acting master spoke up Rakow Czestochowawho needed help when both goalkeepers were injured. puppy he did not hesitate for a second. In an interview for SPIRIT.sk he went hard for it Lechie Gdansk and what the challenge called Raków means to him.

Accidental and disrespectful

How did the move to Raków come about?

“When the club had two injured goalkeepers last week, he was able to bring in another goalkeeper thanks to a ‘medical move’. They contacted me and asked if I would be interested. It was an issue for me and I immediately agreed. However, some issues with Lechia still needed to be resolved. With a few problems, everything was completed on Friday morning, I signed the contract, they managed to register me, and already in the evening I was available to the coach, who immediately put me in the gate . “

Is the chapter already closed with Lechia?

“I have already terminated my contract with the club and on the basis of a ‘medical transfer’ I am already a Raków player, so my connection with Lechia is already over. Uncertain but ready. Now it is Lechia’s turn, which, I believe, meets all the dates, because we are talking about a great treasure. They have treated me very rudely and disrespectfully for the past year.’

What do you mean?

“After he was kicked out of the Ekstraklasa, a new owner came and I decided that I would no longer be part of the club, which was unbelievable to me because I had a valid contract and I did not break it in any way. He simply decided to take me out of the team and throw me out of the dressing room.

I was changing in one small room and it was very difficult because it had nothing to do with football. I ran, I strengthened, but goalkeeper training was out of the question. Later I heard through the lawyer who wrote the complaint and he changed it a bit. I had a gamer workout once or twice a week.

It continued like this until the winter window came. I believed I would find something, it didn’t work out and it was even more difficult. Especially for the psyche. The transfer window ended, but I didn’t want to give up, I kept working on myself and maybe God has rewarded me now with Raków. On the other hand, I was lucky, but those two guys, on the other hand, were unlucky to get injured. But no player deserves to go through what I did. There has to be at least some basic respect.’

You played 209 games for Lechia, kept 65 clean sheets, won the Polish Cup, the Super Cup and left a deep mark on the club. How did you get such a decision from the management?

“There are people who are aware of what I did for Lechia, but obviously the new owner had a different idea. I was very disappointed with his communication. Even though we agreed on something at the first meeting, nothing came of it the next day. I also ask myself why this happened to me when I was there for so long, but that is not important because something like this should not happen to a player who has been at the club for even half a year It is sick and inappropriate. It makes me angry and I don’t understand it.’

Nevertheless, you said goodbye to the club and the fans through social networks in a very nice way. Was it hard for you to leave?

“I wrote it from the heart. I have my fingers crossed for the guys in the team, the coaches who are doing their job as well as they can, but I can’t keep my fingers crossed for the people in management. It really disappointed me. I got such a slap in the face that I don’t even want to communicate with them. I especially thanked those who care about Lechia and have been connected to this club for x years.

First after eleven months and a heavy blow in the 92nd minute

Was it easier for you to decide on Raków in terms of the Lechie management’s attitude towards it?

“I had no doubts. Raków gave me some conditions, which I immediately agreed to. I would be remiss not to accept it. The acting master spoke, I responded in a second and now I want to devote all my energy to Raków only. I believe we can achieve the set goal.”

You were called on by coach Dawid Szwarga immediately after your arrival and you were just seconds away from a clean sheet against Górnik Zabrze. Anyway, how are you doing physically after such a long break?

“I’m even more sorry that we didn’t get a point when we wanted three. From the 57th minute, we played one less and it was hard to tell. In the end, it was decided by one unfortunate corner in the 92nd minute, which makes me angry.

And physics? I worked on myself all the time and tried to maintain as much as I could, even if I only had the practice of a goalkeeper once or twice a week. But in Raków they were apparently satisfied with my happiness, because they sent me up immediately. I would also like to thank them for their trust in this way, although I regret the decision.”

How did you feel when you got on the court after such a long time without playing practice? Plus after all you’ve been through?

“I’ll tell you the truth when I was getting in and out of the tunnel, I didn’t feel at all that I had such a long break. When I came to the field, it all fell away from me. That’s also why I’m glad I didn’t give up and continue working on myself. He came back. No one will take this feeling away from me. If I wasn’t ready, the offer from Raków would have come for someone else. I’m glad I didn’t give up and break.’

You joined the team as an experienced goalkeeper known by the entire Ekstraklasa. How did you find the cabin in Raków?

“One player asked me who I was and if I had been in Raków for a long time (laughs), but everyone else knew me because I played against most of them. The boys in the cabin are nice and there is no problem. The players are hard-working, intelligent, but maybe we have a little more self-confidence.

There are very intense training sessions, but there will be a game where, although there is intensity, there is a slight lack of self-confidence on the individual side. We have another game on Saturday and I believe we will break it. I saw in training that this cabin has very good quality, so it must come. “

There are 5 more rounds to play before the end of the league and you lose 5 points for 3rd place, the cup. Do you believe that you will succeed in the end?

“The worst thing is that there are a lot of teams in front of us, although the loss is certainly not big. However, I am confident that Saturday’s win will give us such a boost that we will fight for a cup position. This team has it. Raków is strong, everyone knows about it and the boys showed it in Europe too, we have to break it. “

It is a shame that football in Žilina is not a background like hockey

Your contract expires at the end of this season, which is already around the corner. Are you already thinking about what to do next?

“No. Now I don’t decide what happens after the season. I want to give all my energy to Raków and only then will I think about it when it is appropriate again. My desire was to go back to the gate. Now I especially want to enjoy it. After all, it’s a ‘band-aid’ for me. And what’s next? There will still be time to make a decision.”

Your former teammate from MŠK Žilina and the national team, Tomáš Hubočan, returned to Dubeň. Your brother Martin also works there as an assistant. Didn’t you think about coming back?

“Maťo was my first coach. He also taught me to catch moss under the mountain (laughs). Of course, he can also be my last coach, but I’m not thinking about something like that yet. And as for ‘Mushroom’, it’s good that he returned to Žilina. I follow them when I can, and despite selling several players there, they still work very well. I’m sorry there isn’t such a backdrop as the hockey game next door. I think the football players of Žilina would deserve one too.”