Last year, he took Olomouc B in a sensational way to the top of the second highest competition. Therefore, quite logically, Tomáš Janotka got an opportunity with the league’s A team. The result of several months of work: a more attractive gameplay with an emphasis on extreme difficulty and seven points after four rounds. Sigma lost to Slavia 0:2 for the first time (including preparation). “It was a college of football,” nodded the forty-two-year-old coach. Then he answered Sport’s questions.
You lost for the first time this year. Why?
“Slavia deservedly won, they created more dangerous chances. However, we left a good mark here, we did not fail in terms of fitness or intensity of the match. We mostly played a balanced game, we managed to be good on the ball, but we were not dangerous, we lacked a better solution in the final phase, where we were not good. That’s why we didn’t get 100% opportunity. Some of our boys were playing for the first time in front of such a stormy atmosphere, they were not afraid of it, they played it with honor, even though the result is unfavorable. In the end, we had three attackers on the field, they tried to do something with the game, but the second conceded goal solved everything.”
Not once did you send a direct shot on goal.
“It is not easy to win against such a quality team, it was a battle of two worlds. Slavia will buy a striker for one hundred million, which is our club’s budget… That’s why it’s good to know who is being compared to whom. The paper advantage is clear, but to answer you, we needed to do a one-on-one differential action to create a renumbering. Or we should have kept more calm in some situations. We behaved unnecessarily hastily around the goal, there we needed balance to play a quality cross or a final pass.”
You are new to the league coaching scene. How are you enjoying the league?
“The work fulfills me and I am extremely grateful to be able to operate in the league carousel and work in this mode. How we work as a team is important to me. I don’t see myself as just me on the team. I see us as a group of people who somehow try to pull together. I think we are doing well, we managed to bond the team. Therefore, our game, which we promote and represent, gives us meaning. He has a clear vision.”
Sigma’s game looks much more attractive than in previous seasons. Is your vision of football imprinted in it?
“We are happy with where we are heading. The boys were convinced that it is good to have football based on hard work and demandingness. He sees that it bears fruit. Both in terms of performance and results. We lost against Slavia for the first time since training. We have proven that honest active play pays off. It is not that we will be stuck somewhere, but that we will present ourselves with difficulty within the entire area of the field. And then it will be more difficult to establish against us, we will make it uncomfortable for every opponent. We believe in our qualities, we are capable of scoring goals. The Bombers were against us in Eden, but we didn’t make it easy for them. It was a tough paper, but I’m happy with where we’re headed, even though we still have a lot of work to do. With Slavia, it was a college of football for the players. Many of them, after what they’ve been through, will need another year, maybe two, to get to where we want to be.”
Goals
Home: 7. Jurečka, 88. Diouf
Assemblies
Home: Kinský – Tomič (82. Schranz), Holeš, Ogbu, Bořil (C) – D. Douděra (70. Provod), Zafeiris (62. Prebsl) – Oscar, Jurásek (62. Diouf), Jurečka – D. Fila (62 . Sick).
Guests: Stoppen – Hadaš, Dohnálek, Pokorný, Leibl (46. Elbel) – Breite (C) (68. Langer), J. Spáčil – Navrátil (68. Israel), Zorvan (80. L. Juliš), Mikulenka (80. Muritala ) – Clement.
Substitutes
Home: Winter, Carnival, Diouf, Chytil, Parade, Bužek, Vorlický, Chóry, Schranz, Prebsl, Mandous
Guests: Elbel, Šíp, Muritala, Israel, Langer, Juliš, Koutný, Matys, Chvátal
Cards
Guests: Leibl, Kliment, Navrátil, Janotka (coach)
Referee
Petřík – Kříž, Machač.
Stadium
Fortuna Arena, Prague 10–Vršovice
Visit
17,724 viewers
