The football players of Slovácko, who were in fourth place after the three elite domestic teams after the autumn, are now obviously not in the usual game or mental well-being. Already after the initial spring failure, coach Svědík asked Slavia a rhetorical question as to whether the team had already hit its performance ceiling. And the subsequent duel and the 0: 1 defeat in Zlín after a dull performance seemed to prove him right. His team has been clearly playing Zlíňany in the derby lately, but this time they have created far fewer chances than the home team, and deservedly left empty-handed.
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Where to look for the causes of Slovak stagnation? The club management did not react for a long time to the departures of Navrátil and Mareček. Only at the last moment did the Russian midfielder Levin bring in, who at least slightly expanded the rather narrow staff of the Hradiště team. The team was probably not helped by the media-watched case regarding the (non) extension of the contract of the best autumn gunner Jurečka. The struggles around his new contract seem to have harmed him as well. There is not much to see on the field now than it was before.
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From left: Ondřej Šašinka from Slovácko, Cheick Oumar Conde from Zlín and Václav Jurečka from Slovácko.Photo: Dalibor luck, CTK
Until recently, Baník has already jumped the fourth Slovácko in the league table, so only in the coming weeks will they show how real the effort of Hradiště football players is to fight their way back to the qualification of the European Conference League. At the moment, they are closer to it from the home cup. If he eliminates Hradec Králové in his Boleslav asylum in the semifinals, they would hold the final duel at their stadium.
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The current spring performances of neighboring Zlín are in sharp contrast with Slovácko. The team, which was passed by a number of experts on a direct descent or participation in a retention barrage, responded to the initial failure at Bohemians with two domestic triumphs. At the same time, Fastav did not strengthen during the winter break, and only now did he bring in the former representative Hloušek, who, however, must first catch up with the neglected condition.
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But the sophistication of the ambitious coach Jelínek is probably beginning to show a beneficial effect on the shoemakers. It seems that the bet on a young coach after the departure of an experienced owner is starting to pay off for the club. While Slovácko is lowering from the upper floors of the table of the highest competition, the people of Zlín, on the other hand, are thinking of improving the autumn eleventh position. Their goal is to move to the middle group before the superstructure, which would give them peace for the end of the season. Only the next period will show whether the trend of approaching both teams will be permanent or it will be only a temporary matter.
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