9/12/2025, Editorial Board
After the 0:3 loss against Tottenham, Jindřich Trpišovský spoke at a press conference about Sanyang’s performance, tactics with four stoppers in the base and solutions in both penalty areas.
Everything you said before the game about speedsters came true. Do you regret conceding goals?
“It’s a shame. The whole team worked as hard as they could. Jindra grabbed a clear goal in the first minute, then held us up a few more times. It’s about productivity. It’s a huge experience for the players. When you see it with your own eyes and then maybe on TV, it’s a huge difference. Big credit to us that we managed to keep up in some situations. But the unnecessary goals conceded brought us down. One own goal and two penalties – we helped them a lot. On the other hand, in some phases they had us respekt. Ta rychlost, jakou hráli, je neuvěřitelná. Některé individuální výkony z naší strany byly dobré. Je to fotbal – někdy podáte skvělý výkon a prohrajete, jindy je to naopak. Je to skvělá zkušenost a někteří kluci si dokázali, že dokážou držet krok. Měli jsme nebezpečné situace, ale chyběl kousek. Mrzí to. Tým si sáhl na maximum. Velká spousta lidí nás sem přijela podpořit a zasloužili si oslavit gól. Odnáším si z toho, že se někteří hráči they are improving, but the phase in the final third of the pitch is still very different.”
Four hitters in the base, what was your intention?
“We’re starting from the situation the team is in at the moment. We’ve got them in good form, they’re healthy, they’re all playing hard games. We wanted to switch, Chaly playing a hybrid in his position, picking up a centre-back, then securing Ogbu on Richarlison. It paid off for us up front, we could release Sany and Doudis up front. But like I said, it was a mix of things, health and form being the main thing. And we also wanted to address their strength in that way standard, the attacking corners are the most dangerous together with Arsenal. We defended them well, but paradoxically we scored an own goal… But to put it simply, it was a solution because of the rest of the defense.”
Sanyang is getting a lot of space in Europe. He was great in the first half, but then he wound up conceding two goals. How satisfied are you with its development?
“It was a match at absolute speed, Tottenham went 1-on-1 and we had to run it without mistakes. He has a great physical fund, his condition is hard to find. Similar matches are good for him, but he lacks experience. It is his second year among adults and suddenly he is playing in the Champions League with Tottenham, who won the Europa League last season. He absorbs everything like a sponge, I know he will never make a similar mistake again, just like Malick after Milan. He had push the players out, like Moses at the end. Mistakes are also part of people, over time the winter training will definitely help. It’s a shame that he didn’t solve the signs going forward, despite the penalty.”
You arrived late for the match due to traffic problems, did that affect you?
“Not at all. We arrived later, there was a problem along the way, but we still had plenty of time. It was a bit accelerated, but there was certainly no problem. Such a big drop that you have to catch up on the routine things you do faster. I experienced as a teenager that we left for Ostrava at four in the morning and arrived in the waiting room and immediately went to play on the bus. So the time to prepare for the match was sufficient compared to that.”
Fifth without scoring a goal in the Champions League. Mbodji is the only scorer – what about that? The chances are there, but the solutions are not good enough…
“You’re right. I always say that scoring a goal is the most difficult thing in football. The most important thing for us is to keep repeating that we have to get into those positions. Get into those spaces and into those chances. People were blown away by our fans and I’m terribly sorry that we didn’t give them that goal. We had chances – Sáďa, Zafi and then there was someone else at the back. You have to change those situations to be successful. The boys wanted it, they can’t do it to blame, you could see it. We have to go on and improve it. Credit to Doudis, who was giving away great crosses there – it created a great chance. Tottenham have players with big price tags, and we have to get to that stage as well.”
Martin Říha said that Slavia’s budget assumes that you will win five points. Is it realistic?
“I hope so, we’re playing for six more points. But as I always say, the goals were set at the Peace Race, this is football. I like dreams and dreams, I don’t need goals so much. But I understand the question, I underestimate it. The fact that the Czech team sets such goals is great. We have to change it on the pitch. We talked about it, we have to be precise. Bodo influenced us a lot, we could have won from the first match. Every point, every victory is a success for the Czech team in the Champions League. If it comes together, we still have two games left.”
How do you get used to such a level? League doesn’t prepare you for it.
“We have to raise the net time in the league. Speed is one thing, but you develop intensity precisely in these European-led matches. It has to be played smoothly. Seven years ago, we built the team on speed, but now all the teams take it for granted and continue. It is unique that we are able to play it here, if I take the circle of players from which we can choose on the market. Even so, things have shifted in the Czech Republic, as have the terrains. Of course, we strive for intensity simulate in training, but practice is practice. For example, Moses played in Karvina, today he has tremendous confidence and can get us up forty meters. The matches in the Champions League will either confirm that you have it, or they will point out the mistakes.”
Did you talk to Tonda Kinsky? Did he have his own thank you card after the match?
“I registered it, it’s beautiful. It’s chilling, it’s beautiful that the fans stand behind former players like this. We spoke with Tonda, he hasn’t given me what I need yet, but we have feedback on how they prepared for us. I wish him to make the most of that experience. Even training with such players is a great experience.”
