They played it for the first time in the 2018/2019 season, when they won just two matches. “It crushed us, and the opponents’ fans applauded us out of sympathy after those debacles. We really don’t want to experience that again,” says Šiřina before returning to the prestigious competition.
Opavané will play their first match in the Champions League on October 18, and they will begin their journey to defend the league title on Saturday, September 23 with a derby match in Ostrava.
What do you personally expect from the Champions League, where you will face Greek Patras, Lithuanian Vilnius and French Dijon?
A lot of travel. (laughs) But no, it probably won’t be as much as it was four years ago, when we had another seven opponents in the group. But I expect quality matches and opponents that we don’t have the opportunity to meet every year. We will encounter a different style of basketball, I think that especially for our young players it will be a lot about gathering experience that can advance them a lot in their careers.
Last time you managed to win only two matches and you admitted that you were not ready for the confrontation. Will it be different?
We were such a scared newbie. The club wasn’t ready for that, nor were we the players. Even that system was murderous and it crushed us. We were really catching debacles and the fans of the home teams applauded us out of sympathy. We really don’t want to experience that anymore. I believe that we will be more competitive. By winning the title, we fought for it and we need to grab it by the right end. So that we don’t just play the ball and get a good result, because you don’t play such matches every year. Someone will never play them.
What has the league title changed in your life?
The main thing that has changed is that we have gold medals and a cup. And also the fact that when we go somewhere now, they will address us as acting masters. That’s the biggest change.
And in personal life?
Of course, there was a feeling of happiness that, after many years of my career, I managed to make it to the golden end. If someone had told me earlier, I wouldn’t have believed it. In the Czech Republic, Nymburk ruled for many years, and the possibility of winning the title with another team was hard to believe. And yet it happened. It really is a basketball fairy tale.
Has anyone from another club called to thank you for ending the Nymburk domination?
No, because I think there was a sense of disappointment from the other clubs as well. They too saw that Nymburk was not as dominant as it used to be and sensed a chance. Some guys congratulated, but it wasn’t anything crazy. No thanks. (smile)
When did you realize what you had actually accomplished? Did you absorb it right away, or did you discuss it after the party was over?
There were plenty of celebrations and they were demanding. And we enjoyed them. It was very pleasant to listen to the feedback from fans and acquaintances. They said it was nice to watch not only the final, but the whole playoff. That win in the final was already the proverbial cherry on the cake. We didn’t dissect it completely after that. And we’re not even doing it now, when we’re already focusing on the new season.
Will you be in a different position now, or will Opava remain that small, almost family club?
We will now be in the position of a team that has to, or rather should, defend that title. And that’s harder than winning it. So we’ll see how we can handle it. The first quarter of the regular part of the competition will tell us where we are going.
How do you get rid of the feeling that you have done your best in the Czech Republic and you have nowhere to move from that peak?
The coach (Petr Czudek) will probably talk to us a lot about this. I don’t want to say that we have it there, but he will certainly appeal to get some relief from our minds. So that we don’t end up in trouble, which I don’t think is a threat here anyway. We are maybe the oldest team in the league or the second oldest team in the league.
Are you seniors taking a break from the difficult season?
I believe so. We are the oldest, but also the most experienced, so we know where we can investigate and where, on the contrary, we can add. I’m not afraid of that. I dare say we have an even better team than the one that won the final. It will be about playing and being healthy. And if it works, we can experience the same successful season again.
Last season you had an American in the team, you are going into the new one with only one foreigner, Slovakian Mokrán. Do you see it as a return to that Czech or Czechoslovakian way?
Above all, I see it as a good path that has been set here for the long term. Of course, sometimes it doesn’t work out that way and circumstances force you to reach out to strangers. This year they managed to sign Šimon Puršl, who is a really quality pivot who plays in the national team, so he already has some experience with European basketball. Now just really pray that we avoid injuries, so that the team does not have to be affected and there is no need to attract other players here.
Petr Czudek: In some time, Kuba will be the head coach of Opava
The position of Petr Czudek, who, in addition to coaching the league team, also holds the position of sports manager in Opava, is stable, but he is already thinking about who will replace him one day at the league team. And he’s pretty clear. Team captain Jakub Šiřina should become the coach.
Photo: BK Opava, Facebook
Jakub Šiřina and coach Petr Czudek (right) after winning the championship for Opava
“In some time, Kuba will be the head coach of Opava. The quarterback is the extended arm of the coach in every team. The quarterback decides what to play, thinks about the play. Especially for quarterbacks, there is a further continuation in the role of coach. Cuba has achieved many things here, played in all the most important events in the national teams – the European and World Championships, was at the Olympics. Who else should continue to pass on the experience to the boys. It would be an ideal choice,” said Czudek to the 35-year-old native of Ostrava, who recently tried out for the position of assistant with the under-20 national team.
“I’m glad he went for it when the opportunity arose. Although it is very time-consuming and he doesn’t get much time off from basketball,” Czudek added.
Last season you experienced what it’s like to be an assistant with the U20 national team. What was the experience like?
Very pleasant and I am very glad that she came. I didn’t know what to expect from it at the beginning and was therefore pleasantly surprised. My job was that I led training sessions dedicated to the individual skills of the players, but above all I edited videos and did tactical preparation for opponents. And during the match, I gave some tactical advice to the coach, so that he didn’t have to put everything on his shoulders. We managed to get promoted back to Division A, we had a lot of fun, so I’m happy for the experience.
Will the cooperation continue?
I had a contract for one year, but the coach (Lukáš Pivoda) expressed an interest in me being with them at the next European Championship. But we still haven’t decided exactly whether it is or not. We will call each other at the turn of the year, when the exact timetable will be known. It’s a great experience, but I also need some time off for family and vacations. I don’t want to finish the season at the club and then spend the whole summer traveling around the halls. That’s why we’re leaving it open for now.
Would you like to be a coach someday?
I would like to try it, slowly start to gather the experience. I have been playing basketball for some time and it would be a shame to give it up. I don’t want to say that I can do it, but why not give it a try and see where it takes me.
