Mariusz Jop before #POLWIS: We have new goals set for ourselves

Round 33 of Betclic 1 Liga sees Wisła Kraków play away in the Polish capital. On Friday, May 15, Biała Gwiazda will face Polonia. Ahead of the trip to Warsaw, Wisła Kraków coach Mariusz Jop answered questions from journalists.

Mariusz Jop przed #POLWIS: Mamy postawione przed sobą kolejne cele - Wisła Kraków® Official Platform

Promotion secured, two matches ahead. Will the motivation be maintained?

"The main goals have been achieved, but we also have new ones set for ourselves. We are playing against a team we lost to at home, and they are the only team that took all three points from us in Krakow. We definitely want to get revenge. Of course, we know that Polonia is fighting hard for the playoffs, and it will be a challenging match. There might be some subtle changes, but the general plan is simply to go there to win another match," replied coach Mariusz Jop.

Is there more room for "looseness" in the game after achieving the goal?

"This is primarily visible in actions with the ball, because for defensive, tactical actions, discipline and concentration are very much needed. However, this footballing looseness is evident when there is less pressure, and then it is much easier to show the full extent of one's abilities. We know where we are. In a place where there are always very high demands and continuous pressure. This is part of the job, part of this place. There is also a certain trap, so that this looseness does not turn into, I am talking about offensive actions, nonchalance or excessive self-confidence, because that in turn is tipping the scales in the wrong direction, in the wrong way. I see that the players are relaxed, in the sense that there is a lot of happiness and satisfaction on their faces, they like to sing in the locker room, and this is something very positive. Really, a lot of people worked hard to achieve these main goals. I think they can play football and we will show it in the next match," he said.

What kind of team is Polonia Warszawa?

"I think Polonia, above all, is a good example of the difficulty of maintaining high form, because they had a very poor start, then a great streak initiated by the match against us, or they won a match the round before. Later they had a long series of very good play, many victories, and again their form is weaker. A team that is good in duels, dangerous throughout whole fragments of the game, fast wingers who often determine the appearance and results. They are also effective in duels. I mean these wingers plus Zjawiński. An interesting team, a repeatable structure, which also shows the work done by the coach. Definitely an unpleasant team, aggressive in contact," said the Wisła coach.

Zjawiński vs Rodado in the race for the top scorer's crown.

"This is one of the goals for this match, to make it as difficult as possible for Zjawiński to score goals. Of course, we aim to keep a clean sheet, just like in the last match, to maintain this started streak. We know that this year it was the first match without conceding a goal. We would like to achieve this again on Friday and, by extension, help Angel in this way to be the league's top scorer," he said.

Have discussions about transfers and your new contract already started at this point?

"Regarding transfers, I think a lot of things are constantly happening in the background, many conversations. I think the team gained a certain advantage already during the winter break, allowing us to think about what will happen in the future. Already then, certain movements related to preparing for the Ekstraklasa began, of course, on two tracks. As for me, nothing has changed compared to what was said after the last matches," concluded coach Mariusz Jop.