Pickup on the Slovácko countryside: no surprises. He has a chance, Kolín is not in shape. Is Svědík heading to a bigger club?

Did you expect that Uherské Hradiště’s team would still be realistically fighting for promotion from the group after the lottery?

Everyone considered Slovácko an absolute outsider, but I didn’t see it that way. He has a very experienced team and I am not surprised that they play a good role among strong opponents.

Slovácko matches are very attractive. How do you rate performance?

There hasn’t been a single game in which they have completely failed or disappointed. Obviously they lost the match they won against Partizan. They could end up losing those two points. They won in Nice, although to be honest it should have been decided there after the first half. However, they managed to come back from the weaker half and overturn the game, a lot helped by goalkeeper Nguyen, who took many chances.

Before the last two games, the situation is open.

Yes, everyone can still advance. In order for Slovácko to keep their hopes alive, they must beat Kolín nad Rýnem on Thursday. They are capable of it at home, they managed to put both Partizan and Nice under pressure, even if in the end they only got one point. However, a lucky win in France gave them a new chance.

In Uherské Hradiště you worked twice as a coach, then also in the management of the club. Is there a player who surprises you this fall?

It is a great pleasure for me how Milan Petržela presents himself. I coached him in Slovakia already in the 2005/2006 season, when he was there as a kid. I am happy that he is in good health and he will probably break the record for the number of league games. I also had it in Pilsen. I’m glad he made it. Even in old age, he has lost none of his performance.

Exactly. At his age and the way he plays, it’s terribly important. If he stays away from the injury, we will see him on our lawns for some time to come. I wish him that.

You mentioned the record number of league appearances, Petržela currently has 464, as does Jaroslav Šilhavý. Will the 500-game goal be achieved?

I am sure. As I said, health matters. But in terms of performance and match approach, this milestone is not unrealistic.

Would you say that in 2005 Milan Petržela would have achieved similar goals?

It was hard to predict at the time. After all, it’s already been 17 years (laughs). But he had qualities that are appreciated nowadays: speed, good ball game, one on one. He has also improved in his defensive work, he is one of the key men for Slovácko.

In the 2017/2018 season you already had several departments of the current squad under you. Who met expectations the most?

Marek Havlík clearly had high expectations. He can play in multiple positions, has a great left, is creative and has also improved his defense. Now he mostly stabilized his performance, his potential was definitely there. With the accumulated experience, he only confirms it. However, it must be said that Slovácko has re-evaluated the strategy that was there during my term. They wanted the foster children and players of the region to initiate, so that the young people had a chance. The philosophy is currently radically overturned, they bet on expert footballers who have something behind them. Bring them success.

As you say, Slovakia is experiencing an exceptional period. However, the classification of adoptive children is important. How do you perceive the change over time?

The championship cannot be played only with young people. It’s nice when they have the opportunity, but performance should always be the deciding factor. It doesn’t matter if the player is foreign, regional, young or old. At any cost, trying to play with children will sooner or later catch up with you and get you into trouble. This has also been shown at times. I was surprised that the change was swift and radical. Slovácko have the oldest squad in the league. This is related to the fact that the team is financially expensive. However, the bet on quality is clearly paying off. The only question is what will happen in the future.

There are so many in their thirties in the squad and we don’t know how quickly they will go one after the other. If more of them were to finish at once, they could cause problems.

Could this be one of the reasons why Slovácko, unlike the Conference League, are fighting in national competition?

Most of our teams, when they play two games, have problems in one of them. Although it surprises me a little with Slovácko. They have a quality and mostly wide roster, several reinforcements have arrived. I expected them to handle the double load better. They lost unnecessary points. The last match with Teplice, which they managed to overturn, but showed that they will gradually rise again.

The dominant personality of the success is the coach Martin Svědík. Does it grow with the results?

The fact that he got Slovácko in these positions and worked in the club for some time is a testament to his quality work. It is true that even before leaving I recommended it, I followed it on previous trips. His career has started very well and he will also have to prove it in a bigger club than the provincial Slovácko. There, the pressure is not as huge as in other bigger teams in our country or abroad.

Has the time come when Martin Svědík overtook Slovácko and should look for a job at a bigger club?

First of all, it is Martin Svědík’s overriding decision, the one he wants. I can barely recommend him, the verdict is up to him alone.

As already mentioned, Bundesliga team Kolín nad Rýnem will travel to Uherské Hradiště on Thursday. How do you read its current form?

This season is not as stable and successful as last year. It won’t be easy for him to repeat his senior year. Even though he beat Slovácko at home (4: 2), he clearly didn’t convince me of his strength. The big warning is the latest league blast, when they lost 0: 5 to Mainz.

In the opening duel, they started without the biggest supports. Do you expect that this time you do not underestimate anything?

For Cologne, as well as for Nice, national competition is a priority. I’m not saying they underestimate the Conference League, but it’s not their top priority. They certainly won’t lose, but Slovácko has a great chance to win the game and fight for promotion to the spring stage.

Is it true that you still have an apartment in Cologne?

You are right. Since my daughter was studying hotel and tourism management. This was many years ago. But I still have the apartment and the rent.

Do you have a relationship with both cities, but will you support Slovakia?

I want us to see beautiful and interesting football. Before that I’ll be talking about Sport 1 Slavia in Kosovo and Arsenal, so I won’t see much of the game. I wish it was an attractive show for the audience. I will avoid the question like this.