It is not often that a coach with a history from the English Premier League heads to a Slovak football club. Moreover, as a player he enjoyed winning the European trophy. A man with such a portfolio will try to put DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda back on its feet. Spaniard Xisco Muňoz also commented on Juraj Kucka.
news-item-description">Francisco Javier Muňoz Llompart became the new coach of DAC Dunajská Streda football players. The Spanish coach signed a contract until the end of this season with an option for another year. He will replace Adrián Gula, with whom the club’s management ended cooperation on Friday.
It happened five days ago, during the November international break. Shortly before the end of the autumn part of the Nike League, the management of DAC Dunajská Streda made a fundamental decision and dismissed Adrian Gula from the position of coach.
The reigning vice-champion, who after 14 rounds is up to 6th place, had to act and find a new helmsman who can get the ambitious DAC out of the shallows and aim for the top of the competition. In connection with Dunajská Streda, the name of Russian Stanislav Čerčesov was also mentioned, but instead of the former coach of Hungarian Ferencváros, an even bigger surprise is coming to Žitný ostrov.
news-item-description">In a little more than three months, it will be ten years since Oszkár Világi joined FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda as majority owner. When he arrived, the team was still playing in an old, dilapidated stadium. Mikuláš Radványi led him from the position of coach, who soon made way for the Croatian Tomislav Marič.
DAC is to guide Francisco Javier Muñoz Llompart (43), or as he is known to the football world, Xisco Muñoz, to a better tomorrow. The native of Manacor is a former winger who played for example for Betis Sevilla, Dinamo Tbilisi or Valencia and won the UEFA Cup (today the European League) with “Los Che” in 2004.
As a coach, he led Dinamo Tbilisi, Spanish Huesca, Cypriot Anorthosis Famagusta (with Erik Saba in the squad) or the English clubs Sheffield Wednesday and Watford FC. “The Hornets” managed to get into the Premier League and the Slovakian representative and midfielder of Slovan Bratislava Juraj Kucka also played in the team at the time. In response to ŠPORT.sk, Muñoz admitted that he also spoke with him about DAC. You can read more in the following lines.
Xisco Muñoz, DAC Dunajská Streda, source: dac1904.sk
Ambitions were decisive
How do you feel after your first contact with DAC?
“Everything is OK. I already knew about the training grounds here and everything is perfect. We have what we need for our work. This is important for us, because then it is easier for us to align with the team. The players are also fine and showed themselves in a good light in training. I realize that we have little time to prepare for the next match (Saturday at 15:00 against ViOn), so we need to shorten the time to assimilate with the team so that we can give our best.”
What do you know about this club?
“The most important thing is that this club has ambitions. When they approached me, the most important word for me was ‘ambition’. Everyone here wants to take a step forward and we have to try. I believe that we will succeed, but it will only work if we give our all.”
DAC Dunajská Streda, MOL Arena, source: dac1904.sk
Everything agreed in a day. In the DAC, the conditions are the same as in the Premier League
When did you have your first contact with DAC and what finally convinced you?
“Everything went very quickly. Sometimes it takes a very long time, but this was not the case. Both sides are for the same thing, i.e. moving the club forward. Everything was done in one day.’
Have you had the opportunity to find out from your team what their weaknesses and strengths are?
“I’m only here for 24 hours and there’s a difference when you see the team only from a screen or on a computer. I need to see him live and in different situations. One of the things I am thinking about now is how I will be able to put my thoughts into the training process of this team. In terms of playing style, I like to play athletic and attacking football. I think we have the players to do it.”
Xisco Muñoz as manager of Watford FC, source: SITA
You are a coach who has worked in the English Premier League. In Slovakia, it attracted attention that someone with such a history was coming. How do you perceive it?
“DAC is a big club that can move forward in the future. We have to start thinking about our ambitions. And when you come to the training center here, you have conditions like in the Premier League. You have everything you need at your disposal.
Now we need to think about how we will humbly move forward step by step, how much we can play in Europe and so on. The most important thing will be moving forward and thinking like a big club. This is also how players who want to think about big goals have to think. But back to your question, this club is big, it has ambitions and that’s important for me.”
Adrián Guľa, DAC Dunajská Streda, source: dac1904.sk
He does not plan to contact Adrián Gula
Are you planning to contact your predecessor Adrián Gula regarding any information?
“I don’t plan, because there are also people in my implementation team who have 100% information about this team. They know everything about the team. So what and how are the players doing, what can we continue and what should we change. It’s completely normal. Every coach has a different vision of football. There is always something good and not quite the best. We’ll see what we want to do next.”
Xisco Muñoz, DAC Dunajská Streda, source: dac1904.sk
What is your first impression of the DAC cabin?
“Very good and one of the things I said to the players is that I trust them. They were unlucky at some moments and could have scored a bit more. We certainly have talent and quality players in the team. They have to try to match their performances, put more composure in the game and try to follow the instructions that are necessary for my play style.
It will also be important that we think ‘both sides’, that is, we want to have clean accounts in the matches. To be able to look at the top ranks, we need to be consistent and avoid performance fluctuations. I know we have quality in attack, but the players have to give a lot more at the back. It’s important that you do what you have to do in defense, because if you don’t, you lose points after making stupid mistakes.”
news-item-description">Slovak coach Adrian Guľa will no longer lead the football players of FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda. Assistant coach Ladislav Kubalík also ends up in the team of the Nike League participant.
What do you know about Slovak football?
“If you look at my history, you’ll see that I try to think of ‘all’ countries. I have already been to different corners of the world, for example in Georgia or Cyprus, but the most important thing in football is the time you get. I’m new here and told my implementation team that I would need help with some things. There is a difference between watching football on TV and seeing it live. But I can say that in a short time I will know everything I need.’
Juraj Kucka, still in Watford FC jersey, source: SITA
Rival Juraj Kucka? That’s what football is about, too
In the past, you have already worked with several Slovak footballers, such as Juraj Kuck in Watford…
“One wonderful person. I have a good relationship with him and he’s a great guy, a huge professional on the field and a great personality off it.”
Xisco Muñoz, DAC Dunajská Streda, source: ŠPORT.sk
Did you talk to him?
“Yes (smile).”
What did he tell you about Dunajská Streda?
“He just congratulated me for coming here. He was a great support for me at Watford when he stayed with me and as I told you, I know what a great footballer he is, I know what he can do on the pitch and what a great person he is off the pitch. I don’t just look at it from the point of view of the ‘coach-player’ relationship, but what kind of person you are is also important to me.”
Juraj Kucka, source: TASR
Juraj Kucka plays for SK Slovan Bratislava, which is the biggest rival of Dunajská Streda, so now he is also your rival. What do you say to that?
“Yes, this is also what football is about and we know that it brings different situations. He was in my team two years ago and now he’s a big rival, but it’s important for me to be able to talk about him as a great person and player.”
In just a month you will have the opportunity to face each other…
“Yes, that’s true, but now it’s important for me to convince the players to believe in my vision of football. Also what we need to change and what will move us forward.”
2023-11-22 14:53:50
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