II. league – Dušan Trnka from FC Košice on goals for the spring

It has been 8 long years since Košice were last in Slovakia’s highest football league. The metropolis of the East witnessed a big and steep fall of football in Košice, and even the biggest optimists did not believe that it could finally recover.

It seems that the state of football optimism is finally here. The FC Košice club plays home matches in a modern stand, is economically stable, is preparing the construction of a modern academy, and coach Anton Šoltis has a qualitatively balanced squad at his disposal, which is rightly suited for promotion.

The president of the club also believes in him Dušan Trnka, who revealed in an interview for ŠPORT.sk what he agrees with his old rival Tatran Prešov. By the way, the “horsemen” are before the start of the spring part II. league with a rebound of 3 points at the head of the competition just ahead of FC.

The arrival of quality led by the “Liptovsk Messi”

How do you feel after winter training?

“We are very satisfied. The coaches and the implementation team planned the training in such a way that we would meet challenging and high-quality opponents during it. They vetted us enough so it served its purpose. In principle, we were not concerned with results, but with other things, so the preparation fulfilled all that for us.”

You have signed several better quality and experienced players. What do you expect from their arrival?

“We focused on more experienced names that have already played something. Our general manager Pavol Turczyk did an excellent job in this process, who, together with the implementation team, appropriately supplemented the staff.

Now it will be important that the reinforcements fit into the team and that coach Anton Šoltis finds the ideal lineup. I believe that it will show already in the first round of spring and the boys will help us to our goal, which is promotion to the Fortuna League.”

Photo gallery

Dušan Trnka

Source: DT Archive

Miloš Lačný is also among the reinforcements of Košice. Were you pleased with the arrival of such an experienced player?

“Certainly yes. On the other hand, it is necessary to objectively say that we have certain expectations from him, which he could not fully fulfill during the preparation. I believe that he is saving his best for the spring part of the season and his abilities will be shown on the field at the right time (smile).”

Only two players left the club, which means that the team basically remained together. Do you consider this a good sign before spring?

“We especially wanted to double the posts so that injuries would not surprise us. We had problems with it in the fall. Spring fights can bring tougher fights, after which there can be a threat of injuries, and at the end of the competition, the width of the squad can also be decisive.”

Photo gallery

Erik Pačinda and Martin Baran in the fight between FC Košice and 1 FC Tatran Prešov

Source: fckosice.sk/Šimon Pavlišin

What do the people of Košice agree with the people of Prešov

Ľuboš Micheľ from Tatran Prešov said that from the financial point of view it is better to play in the top competition than in the II. league. Do you agree with his words and how is Košice doing economically?

“We have the budget covered exactly as we planned. Of course, today we live in difficult times and every club finds it very difficult to raise funds. It makes football and sports as such even more difficult, because the support from the state is very weak. A possible promotion to the Fortuna League will open up new possibilities for us.

We are Košice, the second largest city in Slovakia, and the interest in football here is different than elsewhere. People would come to the league in larger numbers, which would also help us. In the Fortuna League, finances are on a completely different level than in the II. league, whether thanks to money from TV rights or various other parties, so from this point of view I definitely agree with the people of Prešov.”

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The club only recently agreed on cooperation with betting company Niké, so is this also something for FC Košice that can bear fruit in the future?

“We consider this connection to be another step forward for our club. It helped us free up our hands a little and thanks to that we could also look for better reinforcements. It is also important from the point of view that today in II. it is very difficult for the league to find a serious sponsor. I believe that thanks to Nike, Košice will be able to work on further progress and with more peace of mind.”

Photo gallery

FC Košice

Source: fckosice.sk

The goal is first place and direct promotion

In Tatra, they also claim that there is more pressure on Košice than on them, because you are said to be a bigger favorite to progress. What do you think about it?

“We didn’t fit into the position of favorites. Rather, the media did that. We just followed our set path and step by step. On the other hand, we definitely feel the pressure, because people in Košice want to see the top league again in their city. I think they deserve it just because of the stadium in which we play our home games.

That time will surely come, and today we took another step to make our team even better. Now all the details have to fit together. Players are on the move to bring not only quality, but also heart to the pitch. Prognoses may be given, but the important thing will be revealed only on the field. The players simply have to make sacrifices.”

After the fall, you are 3 points behind Prešov, but direct promotion to the top competition is certainly more attractive than a playoff. So you only take first place?

“We would not like to calculate with a barrage, because we could already see how it turned out in the past when someone from II. leagues to get higher through the playoffs. It is necessary to openly say that every team that is playing in the Fortuna League for retention has high quality. Therefore, it would be very naive to think that you can easily defeat someone in a shootout. We are focusing on first place and direct promotion.”

Photo gallery

Košice (Košice football arena) – current capacity 5,836 spectators / planned capacity 12,658 spectators

Source: archive

How does it look with the completion of the Košice arena?

In 2025, the Under-21 European Championship will be held in Slovakia, and Košice will be one of the venues. What does it look like with the completion of the stadium?

“I can’t say exactly how the work is progressing, but the city already has the finances ready, so I hope that it will be possible to finish building the stadium as soon as possible. After that, Košice will be able to welcome not only EURO U21, but also matches of the Slovak national team. And as for FC, we could, for example, sell out the stadium for a match with Slovan or with other teams.”

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What still needs to be completed?

“Essentially, it’s the stands behind the gates, corner fillers, and we also have to buy more light boards. The capacity is set to 12,500 spectators, which, in my opinion, is absolutely ideal for Košice. I believe that everything will move in the right direction by the end of the year.”

How is the Košice football academy?

“It’s probably the most important thing of all that we’re trying to do. We also need to build it on young talents to make the club sustainable in the future. We also need ideal infrastructure for that.

We are currently in the stage of preparing the project documentation. By the end of the year, the construction of the academy could begin, and in Košice we could have one of the most beautiful in Slovakia. All age categories will have facilities there and it will be at the European level. We are very much looking forward to it.”