Rohrbach (from our reporter) – He went around one by one and each time he heard: “Good luck, friend.” David Jurásek took off his Slavist kit for the last time on Saturday morning and went to Portugal for a medical check-up.
“At the hotel, David came straight to everyone’s room. He stayed with me and Mick van Buren for five minutes, and it still gives me goosebumps,” said midfielder Lukáš Provod. “He came, he saw, he won. He proved all year that he is a player for big football. He deserved what he got. Honestly, there aren’t many better jobs.”
Slavia is now starting a new era without Jurásek, who has become one of the important faces in Eden in a year and a half. After the national team meeting in June, he had an individual program in Austria and the team actually started learning to play without him, the Slovakian patriot from Dolní Němčí did not participate in even one of the four matches.
“I wish it to David, I’m happy for him. Hopefully he stays healthy and makes the most of his chance at Benfica. He has what it takes to hold his own among world players. I trust him,” said Slavist striker Václav Jurečka.
How to continue without Jurassic? In Austria, coach Jindřich Trpišovský tested the formation with three stoppers three times, and against Raków (2:1) teenager Mikuláš Konečný played at left back. If the Slavists stayed with the back four, there are several options: Lukáš Provod, Oscar, Jan Bořil or Srdjan Plavšič, who did not finish Friday’s duel with Podbrezová (4:1) due to a laceration on his face and had to be taken from the field by an ambulance. The injury is healing hopefully, the Serbian winger already watched the match with Queens Park directly at the stadium in Rohrbach. In black glasses and with scabs on his face.
“It is important that we have more options. I think we’d try the three hitter line-up either way. If David had stayed, he would have played left halfback. It’s good to have more options so that we can react to individual situations,” explained Provod after Saturday’s easy 3-0 win over second-division Queens Park. By the way, fans could comfortably watch the match in the hot Rohrbach from the neighboring swimming pool, all they had to do was bring a blanket for the mound behind stadium fence.
“You don’t play English teams every day, it was a new and interesting experience. It was the first friendly for Queens Park, it is in a different stage of preparation than us. We didn’t let him into almost anything and we deservedly won,” described Provod. “All the friendlies in Austria were of a great level and tested us a lot, we have a good basis for the season.”
The Slavic mission in Austria will end on Wednesday with a model match, and next Sunday, the general match with Dynamo Dresden will take place in Eden.