“I hope everyone is well and we enjoy 2023. I would like to wish good health and success not only to the Czech footballers, but also to the national team to start the EURO qualifiers well and make the fans happy,” said the historic national team top scorer Czech. flight, which is currently winning the regional championship in South Bohemia for Olešník.
Of course, it closely follows the Czech league. “I don’t see the competition front as very balanced, we Spartans still have a gap, even if the end of autumn has enticed us a bit”, recalls Lafata that coach Brian Priske’s team loses seven points from third place to leaders Pilsen after the autumn part.
However, he has nine points from his last three duels before the winter break. “I hope the form lasts and is confirmed already from the beginning of spring. “Maybe Sparta will mix their cards again in the fight for the title and there will not be a moment when they will say that we have to start again,” the 41-year-old shooter wishes.
Sparta certainly aren’t idling through the winter and have already brought in three foreign reinforcements. Midfielders Kaan Kairinen and Qazim Laci have arrived at Letná, Dmitrije Kamenović will strengthen the defence. “To me the players are unknown. I hope Sparta know what they are doing. They needed to strengthen and we will see if they have hit the mark,” comments Lafata cautiously.
On New Year’s Eve, he went to the traditional international derby, which was played on artificial turf in the Prague Eden. Sparta led 3:1, but Slavia managed to turn the situation around 6:3. But Letenský didn’t give up and showed a fantastic turnaround until the final 7:6.
“We almost had a chance, but in the end we made it through sheer willpower. I’m glad we changed the game,” said Lafata, who was also voted his team’s best player. “Thanks to whoever picks the prize, but we definitely had more hopefuls,” praised the rest of the team.
But at one point he wasn’t laughing. At 6:4 for Slavia, he didn’t convert the penalty. “I rushed to no avail. We had a big loss, so I was probably too hasty. The last time I didn’t score in the derby was two years ago,” he recalled. But then he led the aforementioned turnaround with two goals.
