Lupashko: We Showed the Young Players That They Have Our Trust

Ahead of Lechia Gdańsk’s opening Betclic 1 Liga fixture, head coach Vladyslav Lupashko met with the media. The match against Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki is scheduled for Saturday, 25 July, with kick-off at 3:30 PM.

On the challenges of football:

We know that football always brings challenges. The most experienced coaches are those who can solve problems as they arise. You can plan many things for the future, but in the end, reality often turns out differently.

On Lechia’s squad:

We are looking for players in every position. Our focus is on quality signings. We need them as soon as possible, but I am prepared to wait another week or two if necessary.

On Bartosz Szczepankiewicz’s fitness:

It is not his natural position, but he has looked very good in sprint sessions and in training. At the moment, he is still being monitored by the medical staff, so I cannot yet say whether he will be available for Saturday.

On the young players:

They are young, talented players who still have plenty of work ahead of them. Together with the entire coaching staff, we have shown them that they have our trust. They recently played against a very demanding opponent. The supporters also need to back them because making your debut at a stadium like this and for a club like Lechia comes with a lot of pressure. We will continue to have individual conversations with them, which is extremely important in helping young players deal with that pressure.

On the team’s captain:

I wanted to make a decision regarding the captain’s armband once we had our squad fully assembled.

On the goalkeeper for the opening match:

The situation is similar to the outfield players. Szymon has more experience, while Kacper is adapting very quickly and has an interesting goalkeeper profile. They are completely different goalkeepers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I still have to make that decision. I am very pleased with how they have embraced the demands of our new goalkeeping coach and are performing at the highest level.