How did you experience the match as head coach?
In the course of my career, I tried this position already at home in Denmark, but it was the first time I performed in this role at such a big club. But then again, I wasn’t looking for much else in it. We worked as we are used to. I only missed conversations with Brian (Prisk – author’s note) during the game.
What did you miss about these debates? According to the rules, you could not have any contact with Prisk.
During the match, we talk together about how it looks, how it’s going. We discuss, for example, minor tactical adjustments, substitutions, defensive and offensive parts of the game. We talk to each other a lot, we try to always be better during the game.
How difficult was the game at Bohemians?
It was a battle, a struggle, but we knew that beforehand. We knew that if we scored the first goal here, we would have an easier game. And we had those opportunities. We created a lot of chances that we should have converted. We could have scored three goals in the first half. If we had succeeded, I might have spoken differently. But it’s a Prague derby, everyone wants to compete against us, and there’s a great atmosphere here in the stadium, in which our fans also participated. It’s a pure football experience here.
After about twenty minutes, you called the team together when the game was interrupted. What did you tell the players?
I feel like the game was overflowing at that point. It was played up and down. I wanted to calm the team down a bit, to kick on again. We made mistakes a little while ago. We needed to calm down and switch to what we are used to.
You conceded after a set piece, Bohemians were also dangerous from other set pieces. Was that a problem for you?
Of course, we work a lot on set pieces because we know that they are key in today’s football. However, Bohemians are really good in set pieces and centers, they put the ball into the penalty area excellently. It is their characteristic. They are very brave, every Czech team has a problem with that. Therefore, I would not be so strict in this case. In general, I can say that we work on it every day. Because if we take every aspect of our game up by maybe five percent, we’re going to be better.
Photo: Vlastimil Vacek, Sport.cz
The carded Spartan coach Brian Priske watches the match at Bohemians only from the stands. To his left sits the sports manager of the team Tomáš Sivok, to the right the sports director Tomáš Rosický
How important is Veljko Birmančević, who scored two goals, to you?
We know he’s special offensively, but it’s hard work every day in training that leads to success. And Burma works hard. In matches, it is reflected in his sharp attacks, he goes into fights that offensive players don’t really want to undergo. And then from that comes goals, chances, prepared opportunities for someone else. He has a lot of temperament, and when channeled correctly, leads to such performances. I think we haven’t seen the best Birmančević yet. He’s here for the first season and I think he’s capable of getting even more out of himself. In terms of mentality, he is perhaps the most important player for us. He is demanding of himself and his attitude is then reflected in the matches.
Why didn’t Lukáš Haraslín play from the beginning?
Lukáš was heavily exploited in the second part of the season. He played a lot, playing for the national team. It wasn’t fresh. We wanted to play with players that we felt were ready. That’s why he played Tuci, for example. However, there is no doubt about Lukáš’s qualities, after all, he showed them during the season, for example, in the Europa League.
For the first time this spring, you didn’t have an English week. Was it an advantage?
I have to admit that was key for us. It was important to pick up a daily rhythm in the week when you don’t have a game inserted. You have the opportunity to work more in training. When you only play once a week, you have the opportunity to focus on those details. We are proud of what we have achieved this season. But now we needed to train, the week without a match helped us.
2024-04-13 18:59:48
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