“I like people who are passionate about something, and when Jarda Kolínek (sports manager of SFC Opava) called me and outlined the situation at the club, I promised him that I would try to help. I was very interested in the vision of the club, because I like to join something that is being built and should move forward,” said the 53-year-old former goalkeeper to the club’s website, who, in addition to Slavia, also played in the first league in Olomouc (2001 to 2005) and Drnovice (1977 to 2001).
The ninth team after the autumn part of the Fortuna National League would like to talk again about the fight for promotion to the top league, and the native of Ústí nad Labem should help with this together with coach Miloslav Brožek. “I would like Opava to experience again the times when the stadium was full. In that stormy atmosphere, I always felt bad as my opponents. I would just like people in Opava to enjoy football again,” said Vaniak.
The seven-time international started his career as a coach immediately after the end of his football career in 2011. He started in Slavia, from where he moved to Bohemians, Viktoria Plzeň and most recently to Zbrojovka. In 2018, however, he disappeared from Czech football and went to work in Switzerland. At first he worked there in construction, then renovated apartments with a friend.
And for that he trained goalkeepers. “The FC Ämme club got me a job, where I coached youth and women. I was led there as the third goalkeeper and when their first two goalkeepers were injured, I caught a glimpse of the competition at the level of our division at the age of fifty-two,” Vaniak described.
But the opportunity to train in the Czech Republic made him return home. “The main reason for coming back was probably that I was a bit tired of it. I lived there alone, or with a friend who trains Ämme. We both went to practice after work. And even though it was a nice change because I wanted to take a break from big football, I think it’s time to jump into it again. That’s why I accepted Opava’s offer,” explained Vaniak.
Opava’s number one goalkeeper in the fall was 25-year-old Jablonec student Adam Richter, who caught 14 second-league matches and scored five clean sheets. In the remaining two matches, 23-year-old former Baník player Lumir Číž was given a place. “Now I’m going to coach guys I don’t know. So I’ll have to make some judgment calls on what needs to be worked on the most first. It will be important to see how they behave in a tight match,” said Vaniak.
The first opportunity to see his charges in action will be on Saturday, January 13, when the Slezans will play two preparatory matches. First in Prostějov against B team Sigma Olomouc (at 10.30 a.m.) and then in Karviná (from 3 p.m.). Slezský FC will enter the spring season of the Fortuna National League with a home match against Příbramí (March 2), before that they will face the MOL Cup quarter-final against Dukla Praha (Sunday, February 25).
2024-01-11 19:38:24
#time #fly #full #stadium #Opava #coach #Vaniak
