“Some fans may not have sat down yet. It would probably be a pretty cold shower for them. Just like homeboys. But it would help us a lot. It’s a shame, it could have fallen there,” smiled the 29-year-old midfielder, who played 73 first league games for Baník. Helped Liberec to a 2:2 draw in Ostrava.
You were in Baník just two months ago, what was the match like for you?
Kind of weird, but I’ve been focusing a lot lately on being healthy and on the field. That was the main thing. The fact that it came out on Baník was a bonus.
You started in Liberec for the first time in the starting eleven. Is that what you requested from coach Luboš Kozlo?
He probably didn’t ask for it, but perhaps the coach knew that the motivation could be a little more. I’m probably not quite physically ready to handle everything 100 percent yet, but I felt good. I’m glad to finally jump back into the basics. A nice stadium, great fans, great pitch… That puts every player in a good mood, you want to play those kinds of matches.
Photo: Vladimír Pryček, CTK
From the left, Matúš Rusnák from Ostrava and Ahmad Ghali from Liberec.
While you had a good start to the match, Baník started the second half excellently and increased his lead to 2:0 already in the 46th minute. It didn’t seem like a good outcome at that point, did it?
Everyone probably thinks they should have a good entrance. But we didn’t succeed at all in the second half. But then we reacted well and managed to equalize. It’s a shame that we didn’t take advantage of other chances.
Didn’t you jump on that Kpoza goal to make it 2-0 too soon?
I was a little worried that I might hang it in the wrong goal. I just wanted to extend it, but it didn’t work out. I was expecting maybe the goalkeeper to climb into the small goal, but I didn’t see him.
What was it that got you so fired up that you played for victory until the last moment?
From what I have observed, the Liberec manchaft has a greater power of combination. He tries to play. We are able to rely on some systems and create chances.
A draw doesn’t mean much to you, does it?
Nothing. We stayed in the same seventh place. But we can still play for cups, it’s in our hands.
There has been a lot of talk about which is better. If you want to go to the top six, or try to fight for the cups from seventh place. How did you perceive it?
If we won in Ostrava, it would be great for us. We would have the fourth place within striking distance, we would fight for it in about three. If a draw helped us reach the top six, it would probably be worse. But we just keep going and fighting.
Did you joke with the guys from Baník before the game?
Yes, when I was leaving for Liberec, I sent such heckling messages that it would be an interesting duel. But I took it more like meeting my recent mates. No extreme charge.
Photo: Vladimír Pryček, CTK
From the left, Ewerton and Jiří Boula are rejoicing at Baník’s goal.
Are you satisfied in Liberec?
With the training process, probably a little more than I was in Baník. We are more on the ball, there are elements in training that I think are more important. There are more of them there than here. From this point of view, definitely satisfaction. In addition, a new owner has joined there now, so from the new season great other things can happen and we can be better and better.
How will you remember Baník?
After the second year, when I started struggling with health problems, it broke a little. I was upset that I wasn’t healthy and I wasn’t thinking so much about football, but more about treatment and how to get out of it. I hope that now I have a break for a while and I will play again for a while.
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