In the summer, it shocked football Europe when it defeated the famous Besiktas Istanbul in a friendly match. However, in the autumn part of the MONACObet league, Petržalka’s performances were fluctuating. In the end, they finished sixth.
The controversial moment took place in the derby with Inter Bratislava, in which coach Ľuboš Reiter insulted the substitute referee and, according to the official record, physically contacted him. In the end, the team from Petržal could not manage the match and lost 0:1. Shortly after the end of the match, the former representative resigned and his then assistant Rastislav Urgela took over the management of the team. The man who took care of Pohronia’s sensational promotion to the Nike League in 2019.
“It would be wonderful if I could do it with Petržalka as well. Because this club clearly belongs to the league. This would restore the traditional derby that people still remember today. There are plans to build a stadium in Petržalka, so I can’t imagine a better connection than advancing and playing in the Niké League.” said the 49-year-old coach. In an interview with ŠPORT.sk, he revealed much more.
You will read in the interview– Did Reiter leave the club because of a conflict with the referee? What did he leave him?
– The players were shocked, what did he tell them?
– Who did he win the second league with and what are his goals now?
– How did they beat the famous Besiktas, what about the legendary Solskjaer?
– What changes are planned in Petržalka?
An offer that cannot be refused
You became the head coach of Petržalka under interesting circumstances, when coach Ľuboš Reiter resigned from his post. Did you immediately decide to accept the offer?
“After the departure of coach Reiter, there was not much time to think. Therefore, I had to make a quick decision. I knew that we had a difficult period ahead of us, and the draw at the end of autumn was extremely difficult. However, the offer to become the head coach of Petržalka was not rejected. We agreed with the management very quickly.”
Was it difficult to consult with the players about this change, how did they accept it?
“Of course, they were surprised. But we said a few sentences and understood that such things also bring football. And since we were already playing a championship match against the leader in Banská Bystrica in three days, we threw ourselves into work.”
You have experience in the second and Nike league, so it was nothing new for you.
“Yes, I do. I was the head trainer of Pohronia for a while, so I know how it goes.”
I?
“When the team is not doing well and the results are not expected, the coach is always the first to deal with it. That’s why it was nothing new, unknown to me, I went through it myself and felt it.”
Rastislav UrgelaAs a player, he recorded practices with Žiar nad Hron, Dukla Banská Bystrica and Slovan Bratislava. He took the team to the top competition as a coach, he succeeded with FK Pohronie in 2019. Now his coaching dream is to get Petržalka among the elite.
That would be speculation
Did coach Reiter also say anything to you before leaving? Did he leave because of the circumstances that happened in the derby with Inter?
“Not before leaving, but later he wished me all the best and good luck. I don’t want to evaluate why he decided to do that. Nor would I comment on coach Reiter’s behalf, it would be just speculation on my part.”
Finished in sixth place, satisfaction?
“Sixth place fairly reflects our activity and results in the autumn part. We wanted to move in the first half of the second league table, which we succeeded in, but I wouldn’t call it satisfaction. Rather, I would use the term inconstancy for our performances, it was like on a swing.”
Which meetings worked for you and which did not?
“We had success in the home games with Púchov, Zlatý Moravci and, despite the loss, also the cup duel with Dunajská Streda, which we really struggled with in the second half. On the contrary, disappointments came in the games with newcomers Slávia TU Košice, Lehota pod Vtáčnik and Inter Bratislava, with whom we did not get a single point.”
You know what it’s like to win the second league and get promoted to the Niké League. Will you be able to do it with Petržalka as well? Although not this season…
“It’s only a memory of 2019, but it’s nice to remember it from time to time. It was the most beautiful period of football in Žiar nad Hronom. A football boom, full stands, the highest competition…
And experience something similar in Petržalka? I will answer a little differently. I think that all football fans and supporters would very much like and deserve it. Personally, I would prefer it to happen as soon as possible, but everything takes time, a sequence of steps, patience and the right decisions.”
A playoff game
Currently, there is probably only a playoff position in the game, because Dukla Banská Bystrica, where you spent successful years as a player, by the way, is playing its own competition.
“Dukla is running its own competition, it walks through it fearlessly and it deserves to be where it is at the moment. It is close to returning to the top competition. With a very charged and balanced table, five or six teams will play for the second place in the play-off in the shortened spring part.”
The derby in Petržalka at 10:30 a.m., fans still remember it today. What must happen for them to become a reality again?
“The Parsley would be a diversion for the Nike League, but there are still a lot of things that need to be gradually put in place for that to happen. The management and the people who support football at this club are working on this dream and returning to the elite every day.
They create and improve conditions for the youth academy, senior men’s and women’s teams, and work on infrastructure or building a decent football stand for Petržalka. These gradual steps are a bold path that should bring a great future and vision for this club again.”
Does the club sometimes mention the group stage of the Champions League, which was written down in the history of football in Petržal?
“It’s the most successful period in the club’s history, so it’s only natural that this topic will occasionally come up in various debates.”
The match against Besiktas Istanbul, which you unexpectedly defeated 2:1 in preparation for this season, also went down in history. How did it feel?
“It was a big match for the whole club with an even better result. It’s not every day that a Slovak club from the second league beats such a big club. We were happy that we managed to do it, even though when analyzing the autumn part, we found out that it hurt us more than it helped.”
A good and organized match
The Turks with the legendary coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were apparently in shock.
“It must be said honestly that Besiktas played in a changed lineup, but that doesn’t change the fact that we played a very good and organized match. We were consistent mainly from a defensive point of view, while we used the windows that the opponent offered us to score two nice goals. We were disciplined and, above all, we caught the Turks by surprise.”
Did you talk to Solskjaer? He probably wouldn’t say that the Turkish big club will fall with the Slovak second division team.
“No, they weren’t having fun. We just said hello before the match, after that he came to congratulate us on our good performance, the result and left. It was an experience in itself to meet such a great personality of world football. It was a pleasure to watch him work with the players before and during the match with the implementation team. It might not have been seen on the TV footage, but it was played in an excellent atmosphere created by both fan camps.”
How did you manage to arrange this meeting?
“The offer came from Besiktas themselves, who were at a game camp in Austria at the time. Of course, such an offer is not rejected.”
The win against the multiple Turkish champion must have boosted the players’ psyche.
“Definitely. It was a great encouragement for the training process and, right before the start of the competition, a great experience for the implementation team or the club as a whole.”
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For the fans to be patient
What do you expect from the spring part of the second league? What will your goals be?
“I expect a great balance, difficult games for the rescue for several teams and a tough fight for the play-off. We want to place ourselves as high as possible, that is, to move in the upper half of the table. The goal is to collect as many points as possible so that we have a quiet spring, since only 13 games are played. Our ambition is to improve and stabilize the performance of the game and attract a larger number of spectators with the game.”
What changes can be expected in Petržalka?
“There will be changes in the squad. There is interest in some of our players, we will see who stays and who leaves. We are also looking for new names that could help us and the quality of play to contribute to the starting line-up.”
Would you like to say something at the end?
“Let Petržalka fans be patient. Because we have many young and inexperienced players who need time to mature and gain experience in the difficult and competitive second league. I wish the fans would support and encourage us even if we do less well. Because we in the club will do everything to be better in the spring and move to a higher level in terms of playing and results.”
