Will Slavia start again in a formation with three stoppers, or due to the absence of some players, will they switch to a formation with four players at the back?
We have prepared variants so that we can switch from one to the other during the match. Sparta certainly played the last game against each other, we made mistakes that we will want to avoid, Sparta the same. There are absences, everything is still open.
We don’t have many more options. The squad is in some shape, Aiham was criticized after the last derby, but when we played the video, he played great against Haraslín, he defended him. It is still valid for us. And own goal? This happened to bigger players as well.
For current Slavia, this is the fourth final of the cup in a short period of time, having won the trophy in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Do the triumphs have a common denominator?
We always gave a comprehensive and concentrated performance, plus there was a great individual performance, most recently in Pilsen Ondra Kolář, when the first half left us in the game. Every time you need to push something beyond your limits. We appreciate every final, it’s a long journey, a lot of work and effort. The last time we won the cup, we went through the worst possible route to the semi-finals in Sparta and the final in Pilsen, now we are back at Letná. And the derby is still one step away.
Isn’t Sparta in a slight psychological advantage when, unlike you, they won the last round of the regular season of the league with three points?
Maybe, but we have such an experienced team that it shouldn’t throw us off. The derby is a specific game and it doesn’t matter if you play at home or away, when the stadium will be divided in half by fans. We have a huge motivation to win. We are really looking forward to the white wave that is coming here, we will want to make everyone happy.
And will a possible triumph be a big boost to the superstructure?
It’s only important for the next derby in less than two weeks, because it’s another material to build on. Certainly the cup final will not decide the end of the season, even if it is a huge game. Both teams are so experienced that a potential loss does not faze them.
Did Slavia train specifically for penalties?
I admit we kicked them yesterday (smile). But only part of the staff that went outside to train.
