After the winning match with Aberdeen (3:0) and Sparta’s direct progress to the round of 16 of the Conference League, Lukáš Sadílek (29) said goodbye to the fans solo twice at Letná. They called out his name and the experienced midfielder was moved.
“I told him he deserved it,” coach Brian Priske told Nova Sport after the game. “He was our soldier for years and played a huge role in two championships.”
Priske did not directly confirm that Sadílek will leave Sparta in the winter. Sports director Tomáš Rosický already did this before the match, who admitted that the exit was close, but not far-fetched. As he wrote inFotbalSadílek received an interesting offer from Poland’s Górnik and rejected three offers from the Czech league.
“We’ll have to wait and see what happens next, but he definitely deserves all the credit he’s gotten from our fans,” added Priske.
The Danish coach was excited about the direct promotion in the Conference League. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction. It was important to win today and finish in the top 8. It was important to win again at home at Letná, it’s been a while since we managed to do it. And now we know that we can fully concentrate on the preparation and on the matches in the Czech league, which will come mainly in January and February,” he noted, adding that he was looking forward to the draw of the March matches.
Letenští will face one of these opponents in the round of 16: Celje, Alkmaar / Noah, Drita. The draw will take place on February 27, with the first leg scheduled for March 12 and the second leg a week later.
Priske was also pleased that in some phases of Thursday’s duel his team showed how it should present itself regularly. He talked about greater dynamics and fluidity. In certain situations, it just imagines a more clinical ending.
“We could have scored more goals, but at the end of the autumn, in our 33rd game of the season, it was a good performance. It’s not easy to find the last remnants of energy, it’s been a difficult month for the lads. People think it’s their job because they’re paid to do it. But playing every three or four days is tough. We’re not complaining because we love the games and we love playing in the Conference League. And the lads did it. It was good to give the fans this win just before Christmas,” added Priske.
