yesterday 6:30 p.m
|
Italian coach Francesco Calzona can be beneficial for Slovakia, Napoli sent a signal towards the championship Scudetto and Filip Balaj could help to save in the Czech league. FC Trinity Zlín official Zdeněk Grygera said it.
He belongs to the most famous generation of Czech national football after the division. The Dutch could rely on his abilities ajax AmsterdamItalian Juventusbut also English Fulham.
Right now, though, he’s a once-great full-back Zdeněk Grygera already in the functionary position, which he performs in the “mother” club FC Trinity Zlín. After the “shoes”, he also went to the winter training camp in the south of Europe, where the traditional tournament is at its peak at this time Tipsport Malta Cup.
The general manager of Zlín talked not only about the expectations that the Czech club places in the fresh Slovak reinforcement Filip Balajbut also about his former team Juventus, Napoli’s chances of winning the Scudetto after 33 long years, Stanislav Lobotek or Slovakia’s national team coach Francesco Calzona.
In short, the 42-year-old Grygera also recalled his two national team goals for the Czech Republic – one against Slovakia in 2007 and the other against France in 2003, when he took the ball from the star Zinedine Zdane and with his “weaker” left-hander he pulled the now-legendary volley directly under the gallows goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé.
The semi-finalist from EURO 2004 in Portugal talked more in the following lines.
Expectations from Balaj in Zlín
You welcomed Filip Balaj to your team. What do you expect from him and how did you get to him?
“Through our acquaintances and also Jakub Jugas, who is our pupil and currently works in Cracow, Krakow, where they played together. We got a type of him, well, and we knew that he was very successful and a goal scorer in the Slovak league. That’s exactly what we’re looking for now and what gave us a lot of trouble in the fall. We were getting opportunities, but they couldn’t convert them. That’s also why we decided on such types of players as Filip and Libor Kozák.”
Do you believe that Balaj could help save you?
“I believe so. Typologically, he fits into our team. Even though it was his first game on Tuesday (against Germany’s Sandhausen, 1:2), we saw that we could benefit from him from the posts and high centers.”
Is there a permanent transfer option in his contract?
“Not now. It’s more like a collaboration where we want to help each other. We know he wasn’t used enough in Krakow, so we’ll see what happens in the summer.”
He also talks to Neddvo about the situation at Juventus
You also spent a significant part of your career at Juventus. Do you still follow them?
“Yes, because it is still a matter of my heart. I experienced basically the best thing that I could achieve in my career there. Of course, now the situation is not completely optimal, which is also confirmed by their last one mutual match with Napoli (1:5)who was cruel.
It certainly didn’t help the whole situation much. On the other hand, in the previous matches they won eight times, did not concede a goal and worked their way up to 2nd place. It was like a miracle, but now they messed it up with this last game.”
Did you follow him?
“(Smile) He watched, watched, and it was definitely not pleasant. I have to admit that Napoli was clearly better and the result could have been even higher. On the other hand, such a slap can still help Juventus.”
How do you perceive the latest events at Juventus, which also affected your friend Pavel Nedvěd?
“Of course I’m watching it. I read something in the newspaper and sometimes I also talk to Pavlo. It’s not pleasant for me or him. Above all, I believe that it will turn out well for Pavle and also for Juventus. I believe that everything will be explained and Juventus will continue.”
Signal from Naples and important Lobotka
Are you also following the performances of Stanislav Lobotka, who improved in performance under coach Luciano Spalletti?
“I saw his performance and I must say that he has been serving them for a long time. From what I see of Napoli’s matches, he plays reliably in them. You can see that the team is really used to him and he is very important to him.”
Do you think that Napoli could finally reach the Scudetto like in the time of Diego Maradona?
“I think they are definitely closer to that after this result. It was always said that it had to wait until Christmas, because Napoli had already led the league several times and could not manage the spring part after Christmas.
They lost the very first match against Inter Milan (0:1), so it was expected how they would handle it and whether it could throw them off. But then they won at Sampdoria (1:2) and beat Juventus 5:1, sending a signal that they could really go for it this year.”
A calzone? The results will show everything
The Slovak national team has coach Francesco Calzona on the bench. Do you follow our national football selection and what do you think about this “Italian road”?
“I registered a report about it. However, I don’t know this coach, so it’s hard for me to judge. On the other hand, we can see that today the national teams are changing considerably and many coaches are not ‘local patriots’ but come from another country. We will see. The results will always show everything.”
Do you think it can be a good move when Slovakia went to Italy and will play more tactically?
“I will certainly not speak negatively about it, because if he is an Italian coach, then he should be an asset and he should have quality. Of course, we know that the Italian coaches focus a lot on tactics and want to have things set up accordingly.
This could be an asset in this. We’ll see if the mentality can be put together, but I think that you already have some experience with it in Slovakia, because Marco Rossi was in Dunajská Streda, so there is some experience there.”
When he scored a goal against the Slovaks and grabbed the ball from Zidane
You scored two goals for the Czech national team, and the second one fell right into the Slovakian goal. How do you remember him?
“(Smile) I remember it well because I didn’t shoot them that much. The only thing that was a bit negative was that I was substituted after half time. I recovered some muscle injury then, but I was happy with that goal. Of course it was unpleasant for you.’
You scored the first one against the French left-handed, and coincidentally Zinedine Zidane “prepared” it for you…
“It’s a goal that basically everyone associates with my name. Everyone remembered it and I’m definitely happy about it. I like to remember it very much, but time flies and it’s been a while. I used to say look who took the ball because a lot of people didn’t realize that (laughs).”
