Before the away PKO BP Ekstraklasa match against Pogoń Szczecin, Wisła Kraków coach Mariusz Jop discussed the squad situation, addressed changes and the adaptation of new players, and assessed the opponent’s potential.

Squad situation
Asked about the team’s health and the matchday squad for the game in Szczecin, the coach replied:
“We have a few fitness concerns. I wouldn’t like to mention names, so as not to make things easier for the opponent. As for those recovering from injuries, yes, Gigi is with us, while Mark is not yet.”

Changes and Jeremy’s situation
Addressing the discussion surrounding the substitutions in the previous match and asked about Jeremy’s form after a month of training, the coach explained in detail:
“Let’s remember that Jeremy joined us after two months without training with the team, so we can say that he has been working with us for four weeks. However, it is one thing when a player works with the team for four weeks after having had a three-week or one-month break. The question is what he did during that break. Referring to the current possibilities, the rule has changed and we can name a larger number of players. I included Jeremy in the last two matches precisely so that he could get a feel for the atmosphere, be with the team as an additional player, knowing that he is not yet ready to genuinely help the team, because I see him in training and I see what kind of shape he is in and what he still lacks. So I would ask for your trust here. Of course, looking at it in black-and-white terms, we have a player with a profile similar to Angel’s. Angel was not in his best form in that match, and one could say it was the ideal moment for Jeremy—if he were in the kind of condition that would give us a better chance of him helping the team. We should also remember that Angel is the kind of footballer who can sometimes be invisible during a match and may theoretically have a poorer spell, but in a situation where the team is in positional attack and is likely to remain in positional attack until the end of the match. That is how the game unfolded. We had a one-player advantage, and it was clear that Górnik were defending deep, relying only on quick attacks. Sometimes there is one moment, one shot, and we know that Rodado is an outstanding player when it comes to finishing in the penalty area. That is why we decided to keep him on the pitch longer, believing that he might get that one chance. He did, but the shot was too weak and the goalkeeper saved it.”

Asked further about judging the right moment and the specifics of making personnel changes, Mariusz Jop added:
“As for the substitutions, I understand that this may be the impression, but let’s remember that every footballer has a specific profile and there are players who are better in positional attacks and better in combination play. There are players who prefer space. Again, if there is a specific situation and we know that we are in a positional attack, then there are players who are potentially better in that situation and players who are potentially worse, and that is where these decisions come from. Why four substitutions and not five? Let’s remember that from the 15th minute, after Josema’s very aggressive challenge, Lelieveld was playing with a serious problem, and we must also acknowledge that he showed great character, determination and commitment by finishing the match. Taking Lelieveld off at a moment when he is a player who contributes a great deal in positional attacks would have been difficult, but we knew that at any moment he might raise his hand and say that he could not continue because of his knee problem. That is why we waited with the final substitution in case that situation arose. So, to shed some light on the questions and noise surrounding the number of substitutions, statistics and comparisons with other teams: there was a statistic online showing the average number of minutes played by substitutes. I think the specific nature of each team, along with the number of matches, means that averaging this parameter does not fully reflect what happens at each club.”

Guidance and improving the team’s play before the trip to Szczecin
Asked about the lack of away wins and what needed to improve in the team’s play before the match in Szczecin, the coach replied:
“I think that at this point it is probably too early to look at the table in general. Building a narrative that we do not win away from home—yes, that is a fact, because there have been two matches and those are the statistics, but I think we need to look at this issue over a slightly longer period. What needs to be done? We certainly need to be more patient with the ball. We need to be more sophisticated in the transition phases. Of course, if there is an opportunity for a quick attack, we should use it, but if there isn’t, we simply need to keep the ball for longer. We need to give the ball away less, and be more alert and focused in simple situations. I mean the two goals we conceded in the last match, because they came from set pieces. Of course, there are also a number of elements in our medium and low defensive blocks that we have been working on—things we can see could be improved, and we have devoted a lot of time to them. As for our attacking play, I think there is a lot of good there, because we create chances in every match. We definitely want to maintain that, so that our xG remains high and the number of chances we create remains large. However, we obviously need to be more attentive defensively, avoid simple fouls, lapses in concentration and careless mistakes. These are the things we need to improve.”

Centre-back selection
Asked why he chose the centre-back pairing of Alan Uryga and Maxence Maisonneuve and about the situation of the other defenders, Mariusz Jop explained:
“Dario had a very long injury and was recovering for practically five or six weeks. I think Kutwi had a poor pre-season, but he looks considerably better now. If we have three right-footed players, we have to put someone on the left side who will not feel completely comfortable there, as was the case with Max. I also know that he would probably feel better as the left-sided centre-back, but of the three, he definitely loses the fewest of his qualities when building attacks. I think Alan’s position is quite clear to everyone. I think he is a very solid defender who is also dangerous in attacking situations. He has two assists, is solid defensively, and I don’t think there are any major question marks regarding his position—at least I don’t have any, and I don’t think there should be.”

Profile of Pogoń Szczecin
Asked about drawing conclusions from the earlier friendly and analysing Pogoń Szczecin’s strengths and weaknesses, the coach replied:
“Certainly, when it comes to the atmosphere of the match, the venue and the fact that it will definitely be loud, with strong support—we know that the fans are also friendly with one another, so there will certainly be a very good atmosphere in the stands. I agree that we can take something from that friendly. But only that. The coach has changed, several players have changed, and it is a completely different team. I think they are solid defensively, having conceded only two goals in these matches and won two of three games. I think they are a team with very strong individual potential. You can also see a lot of solutions when it comes to building attacks. There is repeatability and a high level of quality, especially on the wings. They have players who really enjoy one-on-one duels and are dangerous in them. Their set pieces are also dangerous. In my view, they are definitely a team that will finish high in the table.”

Media noise
Asked to comment on President Jarosław Królewski’s remarks from Tuesday’s “Studio Reymonta” programme and whether they had managed to speak to each other, he replied:
“Certainly, one phrase is sometimes taken out of context and repeated as a headline. We know how modern media works. The president certainly knows that too. However, I think the principle I follow and will continue to follow is that if there are any issues with colleagues or with the club president, I will certainly not conduct such a dispute through the media. Matters discussed privately remain between the president and me, so I would like to close the subject there.”

Youth development and adaptation to the PKO BP Ekstraklasa
Asked about the progress and adaptation of young players such as Jakub Krzyżanowski, Kacper Duda, Maciej Kuziemka and Marcel Łubik, the coach emphasised:
“I’m very pleased that we have such ambitious, hard-working players with great potential. As for Kuba, I think that at the beginning you could see that he was quite nervous and under some stress related to playing in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa. However, with each match we can see him playing better and showing more of his abilities. Besides being very solid defensively, we know that he has great footballing potential when it comes to his forward play, although he has not fully shown it yet. However, I see progress in every match from Kuba. I’m very pleased that he is moving in the right direction. Kuzi also needs a little time to adapt. We know that he played very well in the first division, but the demands in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa are certainly greater. Opponents are better prepared for individual players and know them better, so offensive actions are more difficult for him. However, he is also a player who works extremely well and will certainly help the team many times. It is similar with Kacper. Marcel is still a young player, but already an experienced one who has shown that he can perform at a very good level in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa. I think he has confirmed that. Of course, he has better and worse moments, like every player, and he also makes mistakes, but he is certainly someone who helps us and has helped us in the matches we have played so far.”

Lessons from the defeat and analysis of mistakes
Asked to identify the elements the team needed to improve after the match in Zabrze, Mariusz Jop explained:
“We have to be very alert and focused. Sometimes small things decide whether you win or lose. There are different moments in a match. There are moments like those we had at the beginning of the game, when we started very well and practically the first attack could have ended with a goal. Later, after a good cross from Duarte, Jordi could have converted the chance into a goal. These are moments that you either take or don’t take. Then, as a result, you concede from a set piece, where there was also some carelessness and we could have defended better. The second came from an unnecessary free kick that was conceded too easily. Later, we also had some decent chances, including one for Alan Uryga, and moments when we could have made better use of the spaces we created. So there are many such elements. It is difficult to say that it is one single thing; it is always a combination of actions that need to be improved, or actions that were good and that we want to repeat.”

Assessment of the transfers
Asked whether it made sense to sign players returning from long training absences and about the profile of the centre-back they had been looking for—whether it would have been better to find someone more comfortable using his left foot—the coach replied:
“I would like to emphasise that I am very pleased with the work done by the entire sporting department. I know what a difficult market this is, and given the limitations and filters we have at the club, it is not easy to operate in this market. So I believe the work was done very well. I believe it makes sense to sign a player who has been out for a longer period if we believe in him and see his potential. Of course, you simply have to be patient and wait for the moment when he finds his form, because every week brings significant improvement. However, you have to be patient in every case when it comes to a new player, because I think we have already had quite a few such examples. Neither Bozić nor Duarte were players who immediately contributed a great deal at the beginning. We had to wait for them a little, and that only confirmed that the decisions made at the club were right. Sometimes you also have to give a player time to adapt and become part of the group. These things are not as simple as they may seem. Some players simply need a little more time, while others need less.”

Play in wide areas and crosses
Asked about the small number of crosses into the penalty area in the match against Górnik Zabrze, the coach admitted:
“I agree that in the final phase, especially when we were in the final third with a one-player advantage, there were too few crosses into the penalty area. At times we also had too few players in the box, and yes, that was something noticeable and something that needs to be improved in such situations. When the opponent is pinned back in their own penalty area, we need more crosses. That is something we were lacking.”

Analysis of set pieces
Referring to the goals conceded from set pieces and preparations in that area, Mariusz Jop explained:
“We always analyse set pieces very thoroughly. I speak about set pieces in general, but a free kick from 16 metres is different from defending a corner or a free kick, or a throw-in, because these are different things. A throw-in is another set piece, but everything gets put into one category. I think that, generally speaking, the team functions well when it comes to corners. We conceded a goal from a free kick on this occasion. Overall, I think the team functions quite well defensively on set pieces. Of course, we want to be more effective offensively, because I think we are capable of creating more danger in front of the opponent’s goal. Sometimes a set piece simply decides whether you turn the balance in your favour or not.”

Watching the derby
Asked whether anyone from the coaching staff would watch the derby live at the stadium, the coach briefly replied:
“That was the idea, but ultimately it fell through.”

The team’s adaptation to the PKO BP Ekstraklasa
In response to the final question—whether the debutant’s nerves had subsided after the first few rounds and whether it was easier to prepare for matches with more analytical material—Mariusz Jop concluded:
“There is certainly more material to analyse, because we have played four rounds, while some teams have played three, and that certainly makes preparing for a match easier. It is one thing to go back to the previous season, when there are different squads and different coaches, and another to base our preparation on the material currently available. Yes, this is something that makes our work easier when it comes to preparing for a match.”

The full recording of the press conference is available on Wisła Kraków’s official YouTube channel—we encourage you to watch it and subscribe to stay up to date with the club’s content.