AZ Alkmaar, the second team in the Dutch league last season, will be on track for the Victorians next Wednesday. A possible win would secure Viktoria Plzeň a position in the group stage of the European Cups. She plays the Champions League qualification, but if she lost in the next preliminary round after advancing through Alkmaar, she would move to the European League group.
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Preliminary rounds, in addition to the Champions League playoffs, are being played in a single match this fall due to a pandemic crisis. The organization of the 2nd preliminary round of the Champions League was determined by the Dutch.
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Pilsen announced an attack on the title before the new season. “As always, our goals are the highest. We want to attack the leading positions in the league again this year, I can’t say anything other than that we want to take back the title and drive Slavia and Sparta, “said club director Adolf Šádek at the beginning of the pre-season press conference.
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Šádek is aware of the significantly greater economic possibilities of Slavia and Sparta, but even so, according to him, Pilsen is in the same starting position as its competitors.
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“In our environment, money can be caught up with diligence and work. I feel great, I don’t know how guys. I feel in the same position as the competitors. I am convinced that we have strengthened. The boys are ready in blocks. The question is how we will overcome the obstacles and how we will overcome them. I believe that we will jump well, “Šádek continued.
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Viktoria Plzeň also has a clear plan in European cups. “As far as Europe is concerned, we will want to fight our way into the basic group of one of the competitions,” added the director.
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Revenues from the European Cups are significant for the top of the Czech league, but according to Adolf Šádek’s comment, Viktoria would survive another season without participating in Europe.
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“Moving to Europe is not crucial from an economic point of view, but rather from a sports or social point of view. It is a necessity for us more due to sports confrontation. The pandemic restrictions also affected the club economically, but it is not about the fact that we have to get to Europe because of the finances, “commented Viktorie Šádek on the financial situation.
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The importance of the cup duel with Alkmaar is also realized by the stopper Jakub Brabec, but according to him, the first league round against Opava also has the same weight. “We all have in our heads from the beginning of the preparation that we are playing the preliminary round of the Champions League, and it is our big dream. Friday’s match with Opava is important for us, we want to enter the league victoriously, “said the Victorian captain at a press conference.
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Coach Adrián Guľa will send the best he has to the opening match of the league year. It is said that the investigation of players before the preliminary round of the Champions League is out of the question. “Nothing like that. The team needs to win in the long run and repeatedly, “said the Slovak coach before the start of the league.
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In the fight for promotion to the European Cups, the Victoria should also be helped by reinforcements that arrived at Štruncovy sady either before the end of last year or at the beginning of training. In the west of Bohemia, they welcomed five newcomers.
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Adrián Guľa brought defender Filip Kaša and midfielder Miroslav Káčer from Slovakia. Ondřej Mihálik moved permanently to Victoria from AZ Alkmaar, who was in Pilsen last season just for hosting. The defender Matěj Hybš also moved from the team of the vice-champion of the Czech league from Liberec and the midfielder Adriel Ba Loua from Karviná.
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The ball does not want the newcomers to be under a lot of pressure before an important match. “We are in a club that has maximum ambitions. We didn’t buy these players to put pressure on one match. They did not sign contracts for one week, but for a longer period, because they have potential for the future. I believe that we can develop it, and I am convinced that it will be of benefit to us, “said the forty-five-year-old coach.
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