Kalas played eleven competitive matches this year, ten of which were in the second league. “At the moment I’m happy with the fact that I played as many games as I could. It took me about a month to a month and a half after the preparation that I didn’t have before I got back into physical condition and could start. During the first matches that I played, I always felt that I needed to work mainly on my physical condition, because it affects absolutely everything, all decisions on the field,” said the 30-year-old stopper.
“Even though I could have played 90 minutes, I wasn’t feeling my best because I was sparing myself on the pitch to last the whole game. It wasn’t quite right, but it didn’t take long to get back into shape and I knew I could play 90 minutes without any problems. Then I could focus on the performance itself,” Kalas stated.
Due to injury, he played in only nine competitive games last season. He has been in good health since mid-April. “I haven’t been injured for a long time, I have to knock it off. I hope it will continue like this, because when you go almost a year without football, it’s not like jumping to the ceiling,” said Kalas, who strengthened Schalke in August after the end of his contract in the English second division Bristol.
The traditional German club was relegated from the Bundesliga in the spring after only one season, and the second division year did not start well either. At the beginning of October, Belgian Karel Geraerts took over the team. Now the team is fourteenth.
“Now there is satisfaction, because out of the last seven (second league) matches we have won four times and drawn once. It’s not a bad end (autumn part) after a not-so-promising season. At least it gives us some chance to go much higher in the spring. It’s almost impossible to get a little lower,” Kalas noted.
He had to get used to it in Germany. “The Germans do things a little differently than in England. Of course, the matches are only on weekends, there is nothing else, so there are much more training sessions and they are much harder. That’s what I had to get used to the most,” stated Kalas.
He can’t praise the Schalke fans. “Of course, I have never experienced such fans. Sixty-two thousand spectators for the second league, when we are fourteen, you won’t find that anywhere else. This is unbelievable,” Kalas said.
Photo: FC Schalke 04
Tomáš Kalas and his agent Viktor Kolář from the Sport Invest agency with the Schalke 04 jersey.
He also likes the level of the second league. “There are teams like Hannover, Hamburg, Hertha…, they attack quickly. There are a lot of teams that raise the quality of the second league. The quality of the league is very good,” said the former player of Olomouc, Vitesse Arnhem, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Fulham.
He considers the engagement in Germany to be a good life experience. “If it doesn’t advance me as a player, it advances me as a person. Best to move me both ways. It all depends on whether I play or not. It’s happening now, so that’s the main thing. I can’t complain at the moment,” Kalas pointed out.
The goals for the coming year are given. “It’s best to play all the matches in which I can be used. If he wishes health, then preferably everyone. To move up in the table as much as possible and the best thing is to talk about the nomination back to the rep and play at the Euro,” said the 31-time representative.
The fact that the European Championship is hosted by Germany does not matter to him. “Even if it was anywhere else, I would have the same motivation. I was disappointed not to be invited for the crucial two matches (qualifiers) in Poland and at home against Moldova, even though I felt fit. It was practically the first time in a while that I wasn’t nominated if I was healthy. The motivation is still there, it just won’t change. If injuries were to appear much more, then it would be handled a little differently. As long as I play, reps will always be a priority,” Kalas said.
He spends Christmas in Bristol, where he played for five seasons. “It’s probably my biggest home in terms of my football career. Girlfriend is from Bristol, she has family here. I didn’t want to take her away from her family because I hadn’t seen my family at Christmas for maybe ten years. I didn’t want to disrupt the Christmas she is used to. British Christmas for the last ix years is the only Christmas for me. I’m used to you. I will come home for Christmas after my career to make it up to my family,” Kalas said.
