“They slipped, I locked it wrong,” smiled Karvina coach Marek Jarolím. “Of course, it was to be expected, because players keep coming to Karviná with the motivation to move on. The cards in the league are spread out like this, and it must generate more hungry players who will come to our team,” he continued.
The loss of key players will not be easy to erase. “These are big losses, but we take it as part of our work, and as proof that things are being done well here and that Karviná should be an attractive address,” described the 41-year-old coach who replaced Martin Hyský in Karviná during the fall.
Photo: Jaroslav Ožana, CTK
Karvina coach Marek Jarolím
While the departure of Slovakian stopper Krčík was not a surprise for Jarolím, the transfer of Nigerian striker Gning to Ostrava took him by surprise. “Although we knew he had an exit clause in his contract, we didn’t expect it. Thanks to the fact that Baník got into the situation he is in, he overpaid us and pulled Abu over. It’s a shame, he was here for half a year and we could imagine that he would stay here for some time,” explained Jarolím.
Uncertainty also reigns with Ebrima Singhateh, who is intensely interested in Jablonec. The Gambian footballer’s contract in Karviná expires at the end of the season and he refused to sign a new one. But he was at the first training session of 2026. “Now he is still here and the contract extension is still being discussed. In a few days, before the flight to Turkey, we will know what and how,” indicated Jarolím.
This was reported by four newcomers at the first training session of the winter training. Defenders Adam Coné from the Ivory Coast, 22-year-old Norwegian winger Josias King Furaha and 20-year-old forward Kahuan Vinicius, who returned from a loan spell in Portuguese Torreense, are above all a bet for the future.
The same applies to the 18-year-old central defender Šimon Slončík, who should be visiting Karviná from Slavia. The native of Zlín and former youth player of Baník belongs to Slavia from 2022, for which he played 10 matches in the second league last season.
“Even at his young age, he shows quality. He played in the second league for two years, where he was an above-standard footballer. He has the parameters for our game and will definitely get space. I believe he can apply himself and bring us the necessary quality,” he said to his brother Tom Slončík from Pilsen.
Photo: Jaroslav Ožana, CTK
On the left, Karviné’s reinforcements from Slavia Šimon Slončík and Lucky Ezeh.
They are looking for additional reinforcements in Karviná. “We have at least four players selected for the defense, midfield, but also forward, where we lost Abu Gning,” hinted coach Karviné, who believes that if Camara and Bužek do not make it to the first team in Slavia, they will return to Karviné.
“They were happy here, but it’s not always the player who decides in the end. We are in contact, it will depend on how they will do and how the parent club will see it. We will see, but I believe that if they had the opportunity to move somewhere where they could play, they would choose Karvina,” Jarolím said.
Jakub Křišťan, Sebastian Boháč, Kristián Vallo and the sick captain Jiří Fleišman missed the first training due to health problems. Emmanuel Ayaosi is dealing with administrative matters at home in Nigeria, who should report to Karviná on Wednesday morning. On Thursday, the team will go to a week-long training camp in Turkey, where three preparatory duels with teams from Hungary, Poland and Serbia are on the program
Karviná will enter the spring season on February 1 with a spicy home match against Pilsen, led by Martin Hyský. “Our ambition is to improve on the previous year. We are well on our way to it and we will not change anything about it. Nor the philosophy of why we play football, that we try to instill in the boys the courage to play and try to win matches with football. We will see where it takes us,” emphasized Jarolím.
