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Čihák didn’t take a twenty because of Boleslav, now he can regret it: Repre is not refused, but I made an exception

According to owner Jan Plachy, this year’s squad is the most expensive in Mladá Boleslav’s history. Why was the team cowering in the bottom tiers of the table under your leadership?

The beginning went as it should. The summer training was good, as was the start to the extra league. But then we had injured players, especially centers, and despite all the boys’ efforts, we did not win. Although the performances were often not bad in my opinion. We didn’t score goals, it was difficult. In addition, there was an unexpected change of sports managers. Even so, I tried to support the team and keep it afloat. But we didn’t manage the games after Christmas and for me what came came.

How can a coach break the pain of players in the endgame?

Sometimes too much attention is rather counterproductive. But we talked about efficiency and I tried to influence the players to work on shooting during training. To get into the slot and into the gate. We improved that, but we didn’t score goals from those positions. Even the players said that there is already the same crisis as last year. They had it in their heads. Because of this, a coach is on the bench to give the team a mental boost.

How did you want to pull Boleslav out of the crisis?

I had a certain medicine, unfortunately I can no longer apply it. We knew that the squad would be rebuilt during the year and for the next season. That’s why I had trades in my head. Some of them took place even after I left. I talked a lot with sports managers. First with Václav Nedorost and Radim Vrbata, then with Martin Ševec. However, replacing Pavel Kousal was not quite on the agenda. However, we knew he would leave after the season anyway. Anyway, I wanted to revive the team, the arrival of an elite Czech striker from abroad was also discussed.

Photo: Ondřej Hájek, CTK

From the left, Martin Beránek, Daniel Přibyl from Mladá Boleslav, Giorgio Estephan from Litvínov and Mladá Boleslav goalkeeper Filip Novotný.Photo: Ondřej HájekCTK

But it didn’t work out in the end. And the new players Kelly Klíma, Daniel Přibyl, David Dvořáček, Tim Söderlund and Ondřej Roman have not been given a chance to work into the squad.

Not that I wasn’t expecting to be fired. I had an agreement with Martin Ševec that he would keep me, but unfortunately it only lasted one match with Karlovy Vary. After the lost match, he already thanked me and said that the cooperation was ending. Management made a decision and I respect it, even if it is a bitter pill for me. Of course, I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there to build a new team. I believe that we would still be able to do well this season and build a good team for next year.

Do you think you could have done something better? Maybe prepare trades earlier?

We solved them in time. And I don’t play “if” much. Of course, I take it as the first unsuccessful engagement and learn from it. I have a few things in my head, but I’ll take them to the grave. They’re more details.

How did the aforementioned departure of Vrbata and Nedorost affect the club?

I didn’t expect it at all, it was an unpleasant surprise. The cooperation worked perfectly. Both of them did a great job and they deserve a big thank you. I’ve trained outside before, he’s an incredible hard worker. He kept sending me drafts of players to see if I would be interested in them as a trade or as a purchase for next season. But sometimes unexpected things happen in the hockey industry, the club has to move on. Martin Ševc came, we all tried to help him. We knew that the beginning was not easy for him.

But on paper, he got a great team from his predecessors.

That of course. Venc and Radim put together an excellent team. They reinforced him well in attack. Róbert Lantoši came. We didn’t have centers, so we made him one. He has hockey in him and he coped with it incredibly. I’m sorry that another summer signing, Pontus Aberg, left in December, I didn’t want that. He was able to calm down the power forwards, he kept the puck. Unfortunately, he seemed a bit of a slacker to a lot of people. But that’s what a lot of great players look like.

It’s all the more unfortunate that he came as a replacement for Pavol Regenda, whom you had signed. However, now he shines on the farm of Anaheim, he also played 14 games in the NHL.

Regenda was another great buy, he would help us tremendously. But he made it to the World Cup and was unfortunately scouted overseas.

How will you look back on your engagement in Boleslav? Don’t you regret going for it?

Definitely not. I must have disappointed a lot of people, but that’s the sport. You’re on top for a year and everyone is patting you on the back, but that’s fleeting. I always remained humble and knew that worse times could come. I believed in myself and gave everything to this race. I didn’t take other offers.

For example, from Jirka Kalous to the post of head coach of the national team. I greatly appreciated his interest. Representation is not refused. But I made an exception. Maybe it’s a lesson for next time. Maybe I’ll regret this decision for the rest of my life, but I’m not taking it that way now.

Like Radim Rulík, did you not consider combining work in the club and in the national team?

As a new coach, I didn’t allow myself to spend a month in August and a month at the turn of the year with the 20-year-old. This risk paid off for Radim in Pardubice, the silver medal is great and after many years I could say that we are equal partners of the hockey powers. I snickered while watching. The boys have a great future ahead of them. But, of course, this does not mean that everything is fine with the youth. Youth competitions, education and the training process still need to be improved.

It was Jiří Kalous who took over the place in Boleslav after you. Did you give him any advice regarding the engagement?

He called me and we exchanged a few sentences. Jirka is a great coach. We have known each other for many years and I wish him much success. He himself knows very well what to do. I didn’t succeed, I wouldn’t like to advise him. I still have a lot to learn and I have a lot of respect for coaches like him.

You don’t have to solve hockey and pull the club out of crisis for twelve days. Do you feel a little relief?

Actually not at all. I had tremendous energy in me. I wanted to overcome a difficult period with Boleslav, which every team encounters during the season. Especially when the playing staff has a lot to deal with heading into the next season. I mainly feel disappointment because I am convinced that I would have brought the team up. I didn’t panic, I wasn’t broken.

Not at all. I’m sorry it’s over, but I don’t want to take a break from hockey. I will be anxiously watching the rest of the extra league season. And I’ll see if the phone rings with an offer, that’s a new situation for me.

How do you maintain your relationship with the cities in which you worked?

I remember them very fondly, only at their best. I liked Pilsen, Hradec is a wonderful city, in my eyes one of the most beautiful in the Czech Republic. Boleslav is smaller, but still close to Prague. That’s why I married her, I wanted to stay as close to my family as possible. This way I could commute and spend more time with the children. They are only small once.

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