Coach Vladyslav Lupashko ahead of #POLLGD

The press conference ahead of the Polonia vs Lechia match is behind us. Head coach Vladyslav Lupashko met with the media and spoke about the team’s preparations for the clash in the capital.

Lechia have strengthened the squad with Kacper Łopata and Hristo Ivanov. Will they be available for the match?

We hope so. They still need to catch up in terms of fitness. We will see what is best for the team because we are already thinking about the next three matches. Some of the players are not yet at 100 percent physically.

The White and Greens’ central defence will feature two tall defenders:

It is very good that we now have players like them because every set piece was a threat to us. For me, a player’s age or height is not important. Everyone needs to be well coordinated and able to play football. I am convinced that they will perform at a high level. We will not use them only for physical battles. We will also expect them to make progress and develop their game with the ball.

Can we expect changes to the line-up following the last league match?

I don’t like approaching a match based on what happened in the previous one. If we need to make changes, we make them. If a player does not show the required quality during the training process, then we make a change. We do not base our decisions on the result of the previous match.

The mood within the team is positive following the victory in the last match:

We must always demand better results. We have to put pressure on the players to achieve better results. A victory gives you a few days of calm to prepare for the next game. I don’t get overly emotional after a win. For me, it is simply something I have to do.

What makes me happy is seeing everyone satisfied – the players, the supporters, the staff and the board. Of course, winning gives the players confidence. Yesterday, we had a very good training session. The players understand our principles better and better. Victories are important, but the result of a match does not affect the way we prepare.

Polonia Warsaw will be a demanding opponent:

Our opponents are dangerous on quick counter-attacks and will probably be willing to give us possession. They are a month or a month and a half ahead of us because they were already bringing in new players during pre-season.

We are introducing new players before almost every match, which creates certain difficulties. We have to make up for lost time and do now what other teams were able to do during pre-season.

I can see that our players are very motivated. I think we are ready for this match.