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Photo: Ondřej Deml, CTK
Tomáš Souček during West Ham training.
Tomáš, you are back home. What would it mean to you to win a European trophy for West Ham right here?
When I realized a year ago that the final would be played in Prague, I immediately told the boys that we had to get to it. It was a big goal for me. Now here we are in Eden and I get to link two teams that I love. We have a chance to lift the trophy, we will do everything for it. The fact that the final is in Prague will make it even more special for me.
Thousands of supporters came to support you, who themselves cannot believe that West Ham has a chance to win one of the European competitions. Do you want to win the duel because of them?
Our fans are incredible, a lot of them came, although some didn’t even get a ticket for the match. West Ham has a wonderful history and we can add to it by winning something for the club after many years (West Ham’s last major title is the FA Cup win in 1980, editor’s note). It is an honor for all of us, we want to bring the final to a successful end both for us and for the sake of the fans.
Is the duel spicy for you also because Fiorentina asked about you during your time in Slavia?
I admit that Fiorentina were really interested in me. Specifically, it was half a year before my transfer to West Ham. I really appreciate the fact that she wanted to hire me, but at that time Slavia and I were promoted to the basic group of the Champions League, which I wanted to play. That’s why I stayed and then in the winter I got an offer from England.
How do you rate Declan Rice’s contribution? Can he become the next captain in the club’s history to lead the team to a trophy?
Declan is fantastic both on and off the pitch. If he also wins a trophy with us, he can show that he really deserves the armband.
West Ham players inspect the pitch at Eden. What did Tomáš Souček and Vladimír Coufal tell them about him?Video: Sport.cz
How are you preparing for such an important match?
The final awaits us, an absolutely key match. We have to be prepared both individually and as a team, which means we don’t underestimate any little thing.
You have been working at West Ham for some time now. How do you personally perceive it?
I’ve been here for three and a half years, which is quite a long time in a footballer’s career. I will always remember my engagement here and cherish it, mainly because the fans appreciate me as well. We have mutual respect for each other.
Even though you are guest writing in the listing, did you get a home cabin? And are you possibly sitting in the same place as when you worked in Slavia?
Yes, for which I am glad. Although we will have away jerseys, we will have a home dressing room. I was explaining to the custodian which place is mine, so he already knows. In addition, our fans will be at Tribuna Sever, which I also know from Slavia and the national team. It will remind me of my days in both the stitched jersey and the national team. I hope that it will give me comfort in the match and then I will perform as well as in my Slavist years.
Aren’t you afraid that you will get nervous in such a familiar environment during probably the most important match of your career? Or will it be an advantage?
I believe it will rather help me and make me feel at home. As soon as I arrive at the stadium, I will go to the dressing room that I know, I will warm up on the field that I know. I will see the West Ham fans, I know you very well too. I feel comfortable now, and the longer it goes on, the more I look forward to the match.
Did you get any memories when you got here?
As soon as we came to the tunnel. The Conference League posters are there now, but I remember the photos below that. From the Champions League, the title celebrations, the written names… Then I see the gym, the dressing room, just many things that make me feel at home.
Declan Rice will probably leave the Hammers after the season, the biggest teams in Europe are interested in him. How do you see it as his teammate?
We have the final tomorrow, so I’m just concentrating on football and I’m not dealing with this.
You fought for survival in the domestic competition for a long time, you have had a difficult season. Do you feel that a possible victory could turn it into one of the best in the club’s history?
Our performances were like on a swing. But if we win the trophy, we can turn this year into something incredible, which is exactly what we intend to do.
Is the fact that only a win would secure you the European Cup for next season a bigger motivation for you, or are you driven forward by the sight of gold medals around your neck?
We can’t choose just one of these things, we want both. We’ve played European Cups every time for the last two years and we’ve enjoyed it a lot, so our aim is to continue this streak. But a gold medal and writing in history is a completely different level.
