Sigma Olomouc Coach Reflects on Tough Loss and Looks to the Future

Don’t you look too upset after a big loss?

Of course, we are sorry about the loss 4: 1. On the other hand, I saw a special potential of our team for the future. We have our limits and Sparta proved their favorite place.

But was the difference in quality between the two units that big?

Compared to teams like Sparta and Slavia, we have a lot to catch up on. These are big clubs that, with the exception of Pilsen, are isolated from the rest of the league. We washed as much as we could. But I wouldn’t want to talk about the fact that the game showed something. We went in well, after a few minutes Sparta scored an offside goal, and we eliminated them. However, I already said last time at Slavia that these duels are decided by efficiency. When you don’t convert any of the few chances you have, we had one at 0:0, it’s bad. We scored two goals from an unfortunate penalty and then a corner. Then Sparta settled down, gained confidence and looked bright.

But you didn’t expect to torment Sparta any more?

You always go for it. But, going by what I said a moment ago, it is difficult to get back. You naturally want to reduce it to 2:1, you open it more and with that the headaches come in the form of our mistakes, which the opponent punished.

Can you blame Pokorný for saving the penalty on Kuchta? He seemed to have gone down the path in vain…

Every coach will say that when a player behaves like this in the box, it is a risk that could turn into trouble. I knew straight away that it was a penalty, and I didn’t even expect VAR to rule on it. He sailed from excess of struggle and bad conditions.

What did you say about the environment in the auditorium, which could accommodate 12,359 people? It was sold out, the highest attendance in Olomouc in the history of the independent Czech league… Was the fantastic atmosphere mainly due to Sparta fans?

She was beautiful, amazing. But I also noticed our fans, who were cheering for us continuously. And also the fact that it was a kind of graduation for some of our players, especially the young ones. Several of them played such a game for the first time.

Photo: Luděk Peřina, CTK

From left, František Matys from Olomouc and Jan Kuchta from Sparta

Now you are waiting for the superstructure in the middle group. You still have something to play for. It is about participation in the European Cup. From Sigma’s point of view will the season end successfully or not?

If we play the final, if we succeed and if we qualify for the European Conference League, we will evaluate the season positively. If it doesn’t work out, even considering our previous ambitions, it will be the other way around. But for me, the main thing that is important now is that the team confirms the ability I was talking about and confirms the move for the better.

Maybe it will also be about the further work you might have with the team?

Management has to respond to that. But, I don’t want to see it as about me. We are Sigma Olomouc, we finished in eighth place after the regular season, we had a difficult time, we almost finished in the group for rescue, but we are grasping at straws, we succeeded and now we will we first fight for promotion with Hradec Králové. We know it will be challenging. However, another competition begins, essentially a hockey playoff. We will do our best and we want to do it.