He could not have experienced sweeter satisfaction. Coach Luboš Kozel led the footballers of Jablonec to a 5-0 league win in Liberec. That is, the team from which he had to leave after last season to make room for Radoslav Kováč, the favorite of Slovan’s new owner. However, the project with Kováč is not working at all for the club so far, this year they won only one of six duels at home and the biggest derby loss in history is another hard blow.
“This shouldn’t have happened, it’s a big blow. I can’t really explain it. Our performance was inexcusable, we failed in practically everything,” said a devastated Kováč.
“I’m sorry that we lost the people’s trust. It’s a slap in the face to the entire region. We can lose the derby, but not in this way. It’s up to me because I’m the head coach and I’m responsible for it,” the Liberec coach lamented.
He then continued with his lamentations. “We have to regain trust, but it will be very difficult. We are trying to build some game expression, principles, we threw everything in the trash with this. Some performances were embarrassing,” Kováč declared.
The embittered owner of Liberec Ondřej Kania reacted even during the derby. “It is the 73rd minute of one of the most humiliating defeats and performances in the history of the club and the fans are still cheering in the stands. Thanks to them. Today we have fallen to the bottom. I have only won in my life and these are new feelings for me, so I will refrain from any comments, which I might later regret,” he wrote on the social network X.
On the other hand, the man whose Kania didn’t want on the Liberec bench just shone. Although he tried to control his emotions. “Satisfaction is a strong word now, but I’m happy,” Kozel confided after the 100th league victory in his coaching career.
“I have about 38 missed messages on my phone, I still don’t know who wrote everything to me. I promised the players a good dinner. They were already telling me that they wanted to go to Ambiente,” he revealed what he will reward the players with.
The previous three duels in the top competition ended in a draw, and the beginning of today’s match was also relatively balanced.
The home team created the first chance. Tupta ran onto Icha’s precise pass behind the defense and had time to finish, but missed the goal.
Jablonec happily took the lead in the 17th minute. Polidar sent a cross from the left directly to goalkeeper Bačkovski. The goalkeeper dropped the ball in front of the catching Ševínský, from whom it bounced into the net. The stopper, who returned to the league pitches after a month-long break, scored an own goal in his eighth game in the top flight.
The guests got on their horses and became more active. In the 39th minute, Puškáč opened the net, but he could not rejoice at the first competitive goal in a Jablonec jersey, as the goal was preceded by an offside.
Slovan woke up before the break, goalkeeper Hanuš struggled to block Tupt’s shot from an angle. However, the visitors also had their chances, Bačkovský partially made up for his goal mistake with dangerous headers from Puskáč and Martinec.
The start of the second half belonged to Jablonec. Puškáč ran alone at Bačkovský, but at the last moment he pre-kicked the ball and gave the goalkeeper a chance to shoot.
Later, it was from Puskáč that the ball reached Kanakiman, who in the 49th minute increased the lead with a shot against the crossbar.
The guests then completely dominated the derby. Kanakimana exchanged the ball with Puskáč, then presented it to Nebyl, and the successful combination ended with the third goal in the 58th minute.
Three minutes later, Polidar played an ideal free kick and Martinec scored with a header. In the Podještěd derby, Jablonec scored four times for the first time in the separate league history.
Substitute Frýdek underlined Slovan’s defeat. In the middle of the field he drove sharply into Martinec and in the 74th minute he received a straight red card.
The debacle was then rounded off by substitute Alégué, who in the third minute of regulation beat Bačkovský with a successful technical shot to the post.
Jablonec scored the sixth of the last seven league duels in Liberec. The team from Střelnice scored the highest victory in the competition since January 2021, when they triumphed in Teplice by the same ratio.
On the contrary, Liberec recorded the most crushing defeat in the league since the 0:5 debacle with Sparta more than three years ago. Only twice in the separate history of the top competition did Slovan lose by a six-goal margin.
Round 11 of the First Football League:
Slovan Liberec – FK Jablonec 0:5 (0:1)
Goals: 17. own Ševínský, 49. Kanakimana, 58. Nebyla, 61. Martinec, 90.+3 Alégué. Referee: Všetečka – Kubr, Mokrusch – Rouček (video). ŽK: Tupta, Purzitidis – Hollý. ČK: 74. Frýdek (Liberec). Viewers: 4069.
Liberec: Bačkovský – Halinský, Ševínský, Purzitidis – Ghali (46. Zyba), Icha (59. Višinský), Hlavatý, Kayondo – Eneme (81. Varfolomejev), Tupta (59. Frýdek) – Letenay (46. Nyarko). Coach: Kovac.
Jablonec: Hanuš – Martinec, Tekijaški (85. Štěpánek), Cedidla – Čanturišvili, Beran, Nebyla (83. Nardini), Polidar – Kanakimana (69. Alégué), Hollý (83. Suchan) – Puskáč (69. Schánělec). Trainer: Kozel.
