departure of Jablonec fans for the derby | Video: Josef Březina
In the Podještěd derby, Jablonec took care of Liberec’s historic debacle, winning 5:0. In a completely unconventional way, Jablonec fans went to the derby in neighboring Liberec by tram. And it paid off. They had something to celebrate. Coach Luboš Kozel, who previously led Liberec, scored a sweet victory in his hundredth match on the bench. Jablonec’s performance was flawless, while Liberec struggled with mental toughness and lack of leadership. This win may attract more fans to the Jablonec Střelnica, where another attractive duel against Slavia is about to take place.
What do you think of the result that probably few Jablonec fans expected?
That was a shock to me, probably like to all people.
Which moment was the turning point for the Jablonec team?
The turning point came with the home team’s own goal. Liberec didn’t have the mental resilience, they were completely broken, there wasn’t a single player who would take it upon themselves and I didn’t see any leaders among the home team.
How do you rate Jablonec’s performance?
He played great. He was perfectly prepared for everything. I say that everything old is not bad. I liked the performance. I liked the tactics of coach Kozlo, who deployed personal defense on the best player Liberec Hlavaté. This completely eliminated Jablonečtí Liberec and the home team couldn’t find any answer at all. They didn’t have it, they lacked plan B and Jablonec played excellently. And he deservedly won.
Did the fact that coach Kozel Liberec was training and now the players stood behind him and wanted to make him happy also played a role?
Probably partly yes. Maybe something like that also played a role. But, I think it’s a derby and the biggest game here in the region. The boys definitely wanted to win for themselves. But they probably also wanted to make both the coach and the president happy. I think that this win is also a prestigious reward for Mr. Pelta. It is a reward for the entire region, for all the people who support Jablonec. The win was well deserved.
How do you rate the referee’s performance?
Judge Všetečka had three or four moments in the match that, in my opinion, he did not manage. VAR played its role again. The referee did not recognize or award a handball penalty. VAR intervened and the referee Všetečka did not award the penalty anyway. In my opinion, if it is not an obvious mistake, then Var should not call him at all. Again, this was an unnecessary delay, an unnecessary delay.
The exclusion of the Liberec player probably played its part.
That was out of frustration. And that was one of those moments when the referee runs, has a yellow card in his hand, and based on some advice from the assistant or the fourth, he puts the yellow card in his pocket and pulls out a red one. The referees are supposed to have their opinion. Sample moment for a red card and the referee has a yellow in his hand. Yes, and then someone fourth has to advise or assistant number one and only then does he give the red light. And there were other moments, but I won’t elaborate on them. I keep saying that the referee should be a persona. And it certainly wasn’t this one.
Which player from Jablonec did you like the most?
Jablonec gave a completely excellent performance, all the players, but the one who excelled, in my opinion, was Beran, he was simply fantastic. I think it was a good purchase, a good choice. It was obvious that the Jablonec team had settled in, the line-up had stabilized. The players know what to play and you don’t see that with some teams in the league. Jablonec plays in combination, sometimes pressing, sometimes going back, changing the tempo of the game, which is excellent.
Which goal did you like the most?
The third goal, the one scored by Nebyla, I liked a lot. I applauded him.
So Jablonec fans had to be satisfied.
It was complete satisfaction for Jablonec fans, less so for Liberec fans. I also felt resentment towards the players and the implementation team from them. They could be heard swearing at them. It can be seen that things haven’t gone well in Liberec yet.
Could this win increase the number of visitors to the Jablonec Shooting Range?
Probably yes. I think that Jablonec is now about fifth in the table. He plays great. Now he will have Slavia at home. I can predict that the Shooting Range will be sold out, there will be a great atmosphere and there will be excellent football to watch. Jablonec is now in form and can beat Slavia. I even wish her in Jablonec to make the league interesting.
So you will go to Slavia?
I will absolutely go.
