Švancara Zbrojovka Exit: Dad’s Warning & Club Decline

In Zbrojovce, the development of Švancara junior got stuck, from the matches with the A team he fell into the youth selection. The legacy of the famous name in Brno will continue even further, only on the other side of the barricade – in Artis, with whom the young player has played in all the preparatory matches so far after the transfer.

Instead of suffering in Zbrojovka, Daniel Švancara is currently struggling in Portugal, where Artis will challenge Sweden’s Gothenburg in the prestigious Atlantic Cup on Friday. “I was terribly afraid of how the boys would accept me, I knew that because of the name I have on the jersey, it would probably be a bit spicy. But everyone is absolutely great,” says the player, who after the transfer he took the jersey with the number 99.

How do you rate your initial weeks after moving from Zbrojovka to Artis?

The beginning was difficult. I flew to the team for training in Turkey and the match was on right away, so I didn’t even have time to realize how fast it was. I have to say that thanks to the manager and the guys who accepted me very well, I feel great in the team, so far everything is going as it should. I am very grateful for all of this.

Was it difficult for you to make the final decision and leave Zbrojovka, whose jersey you have worn since childhood?

Certainly yes, because I was in Zbrojovka from the age of five. It wasn’t easy for me to leave her at all, but unfortunately that’s how it is in football sometimes, things like that happen. I don’t want to sound stupid, but I don’t really care that I just moved to a city rival – I’m a young footballer and I need to develop. I need to show myself if I have what it takes, if I can play professional competitions, and if someone is going to make it possible for me, I’m going to do it. So I thank Zbrojovce for everything and who knows what will be needed in a few years. (smiles)

Several clubs were interested in you, why did you finally choose Artis?

It’s just that there really were more options. But Artis came already in the summer, when we talked about the possibilities, I heard the vision he would have for me. When the opportunity presented itself, I went for it because it makes the most sense for my development. I can fight for it here and show what’s in me, unfortunately I wouldn’t get that space in Zbrojovka. It wasn’t quite the same there anymore, I don’t want to go back to it any more, but I thank everyone in the club for the long years.

You must have dealt with the transfer within Brno at home with your father, what did he advise you?

We solved it together all the time, but as I said before – we didn’t look at whether it was Zbrojovka’s city rival or another club. Dad told me that of course I will have to listen to different things, but I expect and understand it. But I’m doing the best I can for my personal development, I know I need to play.

So did your dad approve of the transfer to Artis?

My development was also important for him, for example towards the national team, where I was told that it was important for me to start in adult football. For some reason I stopped playing it in Zbrojovka, which I respect, but in Artis it will be possible for me, which I need.

Artis or Barcelona? It doesn’t really matter

How long did it take you personally to decide whether to move from Zbrojovka to Artis?

I spoke with Mr. Chytrý and Mr. Zboril (by Artis sports director Vlastimil Chytrý and sports manager Zbyňek Zbořil – editor’s note)who presented me with a clear vision, so I didn’t hesitate to go for it. It doesn’t really matter if it’s Artis or Barcelona, it didn’t matter to me.

The sports director of Artisu Chytrý confirmed a few days ago that for the spring the coaches are counting on you primarily for the B team, are you satisfied with this role?

I’m counting on that, at the same time it’s a big motivation for me to win at least some minutes in the first team. It’s not written anywhere that it can’t be like that, so I’ll do my best to fight for it and show everyone that I might even get a chance at it. Only through hard work and hard work can I earn some minutes in the main team matches.

You are training with the A team, what is it like to start matches alongside Vukadin Vukadinović or Martin Pospíšil?

It’s an honor for me because there are great players here with great careers. I can learn a lot from them just in training and playing with them in matches is a great experience. I feel like it’s pushing me up a lot, it’s great.

Were you worried about how the cabin would receive you?

That’s right, I was terribly afraid of it. I knew that because of the name I have on the jersey, it would probably be a bit spicy, so I was anticipating how the guys would react. But I have to say that everyone here is absolutely wonderful, I really thank them for the way they accepted me. As much as I was surprised, I’m incredibly happy about it.

You earned praise from coach Jiří Chytré and his brother Vlastimil Chytré in the opening weeks, are you yourself satisfied with how you performed in your new role?

I’m happy for the praise, but I don’t think I’ve shown everything yet. We are all doing very well, it is also due to our teammates, the boys are really great. Even the “older” ones took me in very well, so praise also goes to the coaches and boys. I feel great here, everything is going as it should, but for now we are still at the beginning.

In the fall, you started against youth selections, now you have matches against the leading Swedish club Gothenburg and also against the historically most successful team of Norway, Rosenborg. What do you think of such a change?

I’m really looking forward to it, it will be an incredible test. Regardless of whether there will be extremely high-quality teams against us in terms of football quality and physical preparation, it will be great for me as a young lad to be able to compare myself to such a level of European football.

In the spring, both A and B Artisa has procedure ambitions, so are you imagining a scenario when you will be celebrating two procedures in a few months?

It would be lovely. But we are at the beginning, the spring part of the competition hasn’t even started yet, the main thing is to go one game at a time. But if the season ends with a double promotion, it will be a great ending.