“You can’t play for a draw. I believe that the boys will enter the last match with great vigor and try to decide the match in the first ten to fifteen minutes so that they don’t have to worry until the end. I believe that they will manage the match,” former representative Daniel Pudil tells Sport.cz.
How does a player experience when a key encounter comes, in which only victory and advancement are expected? Does he allow himself to have huge expectations? Is nervousness working out with him? “The matches go quickly, there is no room to think about anything. Yes, it’s an extra important match, but the boys have already had big matches, either in cups or European leagues. There is a slight nervousness because it is about everything. But as soon as a person enters the field and makes the first pass, wins a fight or something like that, it falls off him,” describes the player who played for the national team in thirty-five matches.
The atmosphere around the national team is fueled not only by the still uncertain participation in the championship in Germany, but also by many other circumstances. The absence of midfielder Antonín Barák for several months is being dealt with, emotions were caused only by the additional nomination of forward Tomáš Čvančara and other moves by coach Šilhavý. The builder of the elite selection has been heavily criticized from many quarters for some time now, and his position is constantly debated.
“One certainly perceives it in some way, but I know from my own experience that when you come to a meeting, you try not to deal with external things. You concentrate on yourself, maybe you say something about it at the beginning of the meeting, but then you just concentrate on the performance. If the guys can do it, and I believe they will, everything can change and the criticism will subside. Everyone expected to pass such a group easily. But the teams we used to score seven goals a decade or more ago aren’t around anymore. It is necessary to take it in perspective. All teams are getting better,” explains Pudil.
However, he admits that criticism motivates the team. “Every player is happy when he can be in the squad. It’s not nice when people criticize you. But it gives you internal motivation, you want to shut up the critics, show them that you belong to the team. But the very first thing you want is team success. He is mainly looking at that one. The native must stick together. And whether you play or not, it doesn’t matter. You are in the selection of the best players of the Czech Republic. Of course, everyone wants to play, but they have to put their ego aside and be a team player,” mentions the fighter, who in his career worked for Slavia, Liberec, Genk, Watford and Sheffield Wednesday.
He himself recognized when negative comments, mistrust, and criticism rained down on the team. And he experienced an outburst of emotions with the national team, after advancing to the European Championship in 2012 in Montenegro, the footballers insulted former representative Radek Drulák and tore their suits.
“There was a lot of criticism at that time, it was really unpleasant. You feel it, you perceive it. And then everything falls out of you, you are relieved, you don’t think at all what the consequences might be. Sometimes you don’t mean the things you say or do. You are in euphoria, someone starts something, others catch on. It’s hard to tame. Hopefully the boys will be more reasonable now,” recounts Pudil, who ultimately did not watch the Euro in 2012, but then played in the continental championship four years later.
Photo: Daniela Pudila archive
Daniel Pudil.
He has no doubts that the Czechs will make it to the European Championship on Monday. He believes in the strength of the team and the magic of Androva Stadium in Olomouc. “There was always a wonderful atmosphere there. Spectators will be excited to see progress to the Euros. They drive the team forward. I believe that they will give the boys self-confidence, and they will be able to do it,” exclaims the thirty-eight-year-old former representative, who now regularly reports on English football for Sport.cz.
2023-11-19 09:11:28
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