What will it be like for you when you step into a competitive match on Christmas Day?
Turks don’t celebrate Christmas, so it’s normal for them. The derby between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray is played, for example. We have the advantage of playing at home, where we usually start at 1:30 p.m. So sometime after four o’clock I’ll be home with my family and we’ll spend Christmas Eve together, even though I might be a little tired after the game.
Will your Christmas Eve be typically Czech?
Absolutely not. My wife and I decided not to do carp. Potato salad is, however, and we’ll add another fish to it. We are by the sea, so we don’t have far to fish. Only it won’t be Czech carp, but some local Mediterranean carp.
Is it strange to spend Christmas in a country that doesn’t celebrate it?
Yippee. I was thinking that there is nothing like Christmas here. It is true that there are nice decorations in the cities of Turkey, but that is because of the arrival of the new year. It lights up nicely, which at least gives us a Christmas atmosphere. As in the past in Antalya, I was able to find a tree here, albeit an artificial one, which we decorated and which has been shining in our house since the beginning of the month. We experience it in our own way, but in the Czech Republic we would probably live more during Christmas.
Didn’t the Turks look at you strangely when you bought a tree, or are they used to it?
They are used to. There are a lot of people from other European countries, for example Russians, who have Christmas a little later. So I wasn’t the only one buying the tree. I didn’t look like I fell off Mars. (smile)
Does the engagement in the second division Bodrumspor meet your expectations?
Yes, everything is going as I wished before I signed the contract. Knock on wood and hope it continues. I know from my own experience that football can turn things around very quickly. But the achilles, which I have struggled with for the past two years, is holding me back. I go through all the training sessions without relief, I play all the matches, I only substituted in one due to injury, otherwise I play everything. I appreciate that the most. Of course, I also come home in a good mood and immediately have a different effect on the family. Health comes first. I was most convinced of this in Sparta. Until then, I thought I was immortal and would survive anything. When I was injured I had days where I thought about everything including the end of my career.
Great euphoria, at thirty my football dream came true, says the author of the winning goal Ondřej ČelůstkaVideo: Sport.cz
What was the turning point?
When I flew to a specialist in Switzerland, who put my achilles back together perfectly. I thank him very much. Then I was able to play again and I felt that I still enjoy football. I threw away all the black scenarios. Also thanks to Sparta and its B team, I restarted in the second league under coach Janoušek. Everything was running, I was happy with how it was working, but in the summer I had to make a difficult decision. I had to decide whether I will continue in Sparta in an excellent team and on a winning streak, or whether I will take an offer that is interesting for me and my family. I chose Bodrumspor. We are in a nice destination by the sea and at the same time I am under the people I played under for almost four seasons in Antalyaspor. I know the president and the sports director personally, I was very attracted to it. And I also admit that I perceived that I was already some age, a long injury behind me, and there were stoppers in Sparta who played well the whole season. I felt I wouldn’t have such a busy schedule.
Even so, it must have been difficult to leave Sparta after the title and at a time when they are constantly improving and on a roll, right?
Certainly. It is as you say. A lot of things went well, the team went up under the leadership of coach Brian Priske, stepped up, I was healthy again. It was very difficult for me to leave Sparta. On the other hand, every footballer decides for himself, I always followed what I personally wanted. And I also consult with my dad, who played professional football, and I rely on him a lot. The Turkish engagement gave me head and heels.
Do you follow Sparta?
When I have time, yes. Following on from last season, he is running like a well-oiled machine. I am glad for that. The season before we struggled, we didn’t meet the expectations of the fans. Those were more difficult times, but with the arrival of Brian (Priske – author’s note), many things turned for the better. Sparta is now winning, it has a successful streak on the international stage as well.
Photo: Vlastimil Vacek, Law
Ondřej Čelůstka and Sparta Praha coach Brian Priske-
And in the first round of the elimination phase of the Europa League, they will face Turkish Galatasaray.
As soon as the baskets appeared, I wanted this lot. I just hope that I will have such a schedule around the game that I can fly to the boys in Istanbul the day before the game, say hello to them all and maybe give them some advice. I will now be watching Galatasaray even more closely than before.
How do you see this duel?
The Turkish boys made fun of me immediately after the draw. But that’s part of it. They feel strong, they make shoulders, but I hope that Sparta will throw them out of their sometimes arrogant ways. Of course it will be difficult, it will be hell in the stadium in Istanbul. But the boys will at least have a great experience and I believe that if they don’t cash in quickly and keep up with the Turks, they can make them nervous and prepare a good result for the rematch in Prague at Letná, where anything can happen. Sparta has its home stadium as an impregnable fortress. Galatasaray is the favorite for most people, but I know from my own experience that you can beat a team that has bigger names. And beware, Galatasaray has eleven more games to play until then, while Sparta rests, recharges batteries and can prepare well for the doubleheader. That can play a role as well. It will be decided on the field.
Where is Galatasaray’s greatest strength?
Definitely in attack, they have excellent offensive players, they score a lot of goals. They certainly won’t want to play zanďour, not at home at all, people would eat them up. I don’t think they will go to Prague to defend either. I believe that even Sparta will not stop it and that it can be a nice football.
There is speculation that striker Mauro Icardi could leave Galatasaray in the winter. How big a loss would that be?
Logically big. Icardi is the biggest concept here now, he has a very good shooting style, he is a shooter. Given that they have not progressed further in the Champions League, it is really possible that they will sell him with a big offer. And when I see their other forwards, I don’t think they can replace him.
Did the Turks jump out at you even after the draw for the European Championship, where the Czech team will play against Turkey?
I have never seen a Turk who is not confident (smile). Their national team now looked good as a team, it’s not just individuals. But with the championship still a few months away, a lot can happen. Now it’s hard to judge what it will look like. A lot of people may favor the Turks, they proceeded with more insight than us, but it will be decided in the championship match itself. Anyway, it is laughable that such big Czech-Turkish fights will take place. We will joke around, I will not give them anything for free and I hope that both Sparta and the national team will succeed, and I will be able to give them everything back.
How long do you plan to stay in Bodrumspor?
If everything was the same at the end of the season as it is now, we would probably stay here with my family for one more year. However, we will make a purely emotional decision sometime in May or June, so far we are satisfied with the engagement, it fulfills our expectations. Football and life.
Are you planning to return to the Czech league in the future?
Good question. Honestly, I currently have no ambition to play in the Czech Republic anywhere other than in Zlín, which prepared me for big football and where I went through everything from preparation to the first team. Out of nostalgia for the city and its environment, I would like to return there at the end of my career. But we will also see what the ideas of the club, the management, the coaches will be and how I will be. But brother Tomáš works there. We have been talking about it for some time now that we would like to play together on a professional team. This is our long-term wish. If it was home Zlín, it would be very nice.
Photo: Vlastimil Vacek, Law
Ondřej Čelůstka in Sparta’s jersey and Tomáš Čelůstka in Pardubice’s colors after the first game against each other in their careers.
Is your brother cheating on you?
I have to admit that he called me in the summer right after the signing in Zlín, even though I had already signed in Turkey. He tried again, but it didn’t work for this season. We’ll see what happens after this or the next season. In the summer, I also talked a little about it with Zdenek Grygera (general manager of Zlín – author’s note), when I went to watch their first friendly match. But at that moment I only had Sparta or Bodrumspor in my head. We’ll see, I’d still like to keep this option open.
