Do you have a life form?
It’s very difficult for me to rate it, but I feel good since the Euro. On and off the pitch. I have peace in my family, everything is as I would imagine. Well-being is also reflected in sports. I’m happy for the praise, but things happen quickly in football, the situation can turn around. I’m trying to make it last as long as possible.
Was the Euro a turning point for you?
I believe I have been playing well for a long time. It is the result of constant work. The injury that I was recovering from physically and mentally slowed me down a lot. Now it all came together. I managed the Euro, which gives the player confidence. We had a daughter, everything fell into place.
Editing of the match Slavia – SpartaVideo: LFA
Logically, you mentioned a serious knee injury. More than three years ago, you had a torn cruciate ligament and a damaged meniscus, and you were on hiatus for ten months. What was involved in getting back to the top level?
It was a very long and difficult journey. But I’m the type that doesn’t pack anything. I knew if I worked I would get back. However, I must admit that I did not expect everything to take so long. It’s not that difficult to get to a certain level, but it takes time to get to where I am now. The whole period was difficult mentally, it strengthened me mentally, I organized my priorities. After returning, the body got used to the demanding program, to the physical matches in Slavia, I had several other minor injuries. I had to persevere.
At the same time, everyone expected that you would immediately become a pushover again.
It was a false form for a while. When I came back I was scoring goals, I was doing well, but then I had torn muscles all over my body, which doesn’t happen to me and never has. I was not used to it, the body was equal to it. Every two months I jumped out of the training process. In short, it was a difficult time. Now it comes back to me that I persevered.
Do you feel physically better than before the injury?
Certainly not now. If you asked me in January after my vacation, I might say something different. (smile) I don’t want to complain that there are too many matches. Now he complained to Rodri and it didn’t pay off. But the match is an extreme amount and you need to manage that portion. I remember when we played one game a week at the end of last season, it was a completely different sport.
Did you have more strength?
I felt really great, I went into every match healthy, I didn’t have any pain. When playing once every three or four days, it’s a lot about recovery, not so much about training. We try to do our best to be at least ninety-five percent ready for the matches.
You think a lot about everything, don’t you?
That’s right. Coach Trpišovský tells me that I think too much. Football is my job and my passion. Now I won’t say that he is everything to me, but I try to give him one hundred percent. You have to prepare well, regenerate, eat well. Football in general has moved terribly. Details and little things matter. In an extremely busy schedule, how a person can sleep, regenerate, and train is key. He must know when to add and when to take away. All this forms the whole.
Can you tell us something about your preparation?
I don’t want to say everything, but I’ve been trying to eat a lot more lately. It seems to me that this is an important aspect in regeneration. I didn’t deal with it that much before, until Tomáš Holeš came up with it. He started to deal with calories and calorie tables. We are of a similar nature, so we fell into it a little and started counting. (smile) I found that I really didn’t eat much. Both before and after the match. At the same time, it is important to fuel the body. Things evolve, trends change, aspects of regeneration are different. It’s not just about quality, it’s also a lot about quantity.
But you probably can’t have a candle with six dumplings, right?
Not that. (smile) That’s enough about rice.
Do you study specialist literature in this direction, or do you rather gather knowledge from experts in practice?
You can gain something from self-study, but you will get the most if you talk to experts in individual fields. For example, I met a physiotherapist and the owner of a clinic in Munich. These are the people who will move you a lot. I follow the biggest players, what they do, I look for documentaries about them. Then I try it on myself. In addition, the culture at Slavia is so well set that I can look at Tomáš Holeš, for example, we complement each other and share the latest tips on what works.
I assume you also follow Cristiano Ronaldo, who is a role model for many in taking care of himself?
Yeah, but there aren’t that many materials about him. I would like to spend maybe a month with him to see everything. But I understand that he won’t let you see under the hood. Maybe one day he will do more. After all, he’s already doing a bit of it on his youtube channel.
You are twenty seven. Are you thinking about moving abroad?
After the European Championship I had an offer from Empoli. But I knew Slavia’s setup. We had a crucial season ahead of us with the possibility of reaching the Champions League twice. We want to make a title, in the winter Mr. Tykač (owner of Slavia – author’s note) came, who does not need to sell. He wants success. Everything in the club is set up for success. We sat down with Mr. Tvrdík (Chairman of the Board of Directors – author’s note) and agreed to extend the contract in Slavia with the understanding that we will see what happens in the future.
How can Jaroslav Tvrdík be persuasive in personal negotiations?
He is convincing. But I’m not surprised by him, I can relate to his role. If it was a big club like AS Rome, I would probably speak differently. In any case, the negotiations with Mr. Tvrdík were completely correct. He informed me that he was not interested in any offer and that he wanted me to continue at Slavia. I had to accept it because I had a two-year contract. It was only the good will of Slavia and Mr. Tvrdík that they extended my contract.
Plus, Empoli doesn’t have that sound, does it?
Maybe it would be a good move, maybe not. I won’t find out. But there was no chance. In addition, it was a loan with an option, which Slavia would never agree to. No other specific offer reached me.
Do you take it as if a transfer were to come, then to a top club?
In Slavia, I am playing for the title, under a coach who perceives me well. I have a role here. On the other hand, football life is short and one would like to try foreign engagements, learn a new language. I believe that it would bring me a lot of benefits around. I know that the clock is ticking, I will be twenty-eight and then it will not be easy to make the transfer. Again, I appreciate how Slavia values me.
Editing of the match Slavia – PlzeňVideo: LFA
You are among the key players.
A possible departure will not be easy, no matter when it comes or no matter what we win. I did something for Slavia. If an offer comes, it will be about an agreement with the club. To make sense to everyone.
Does the family want to go abroad?
Yeah. The family is set up well, it would be easy to go immediately. But here again we are missing nothing. We are in Prague, it is a short distance to Pilsen to visit our family. The grandmothers are happy that we are here. They probably kick the most for the fact that we never go anywhere. But football is beautiful that you can experience something somewhere else. I would be tempted, but I miss absolutely nothing in Slavia. I love the style of football we present ourselves with. I am not pressured by the shoe that I need a foreign engagement.
You say you love Slavia’s style of football. His hallmark is intensity. Can you describe how this manifests itself?
The league has moved, and most of all in intensity. I remember the moments when I came from Budějovice and Slavia overwhelmed everyone with intensity. It’s about running, about running kilometers at high speeds. In this direction, the Czech competition has developed enormously. There are new young coaches in the league, they are trying to prepare the teams well. The trend was set by coach Trpišovský, now it’s coming back to him in quotes, because everyone is super pumped up physically.
Do you see this trend on the field?
I discussed with the data analyst that our league is one of the best in Europe in terms of kilometers run or tackles. It’s unbelievable and few people realize how complex the Chance League is. There came a time when intensity alone was not enough. We had to add more synergy and a lot of other things. We were greatly helped by the arrival of Tomáš Choré, who fit into the Slavic puzzle as the last piece in the puzzle. He confirms in every game that it was a good move. We can rub our hands together.
Are you surprised by how Chorý handles the pressure and aversion of some fans?
He had to count on that. At the same time, he knew he had to show it was valid. Which shows. The relationship with the fans is a matter of time. It’s already heaven and bagpipes compared to the beginning. And it will only get better. I think everyone will love it. On the field, you can see that he is a team player, he works for everyone, he is willing to devote everything to success. It’s just a matter of when he’ll get one hundred percent of his fans, not ninety-five percent.
Photo: Vlastimil Vacek, Sport.cz
Lukáš Provod from Slavia celebrates a goal against Sparta with Tomáš Chorý.
But it takes a lot of resilience to withstand insults from one’s own fans, doesn’t it?
Definitely. But Tomáš is a big and strong personality enough to handle it. I think the locker room helped him. When he came, everyone immediately stood behind him. When we heard anything bad, we tried to go to the fans and explain to them that we don’t like it. We told them that he was one of us now, that he had to get used to it and that he would help us. It will be good.
While Slavia is walking and hearing praise, the fans perceive the national team in a completely different way. How do you take this contrast?
We perceive him. Our task is to transfer the form from Slavia, sell it here and help the native. There is nothing else we can do about it. The question is how the fans’ anger is deserved. The match in Georgia did not go very well for us. Then we put everything into the match against Ukraine, which we managed at least in terms of results. You know, representation is specific. We have three training sessions, everyone will arrive in a different mood. It’s very difficult for coaches. You have to hit the line-up, the style of football you want to present yourself with. But it’s the same for everyone.
Photo: Vlastimil Vacek, Sport.cz
Lukáš Provod is looking for a way to the Ukrainian goal.
When you go to the national team, don’t you think that there won’t be any trouble?
No, not at all. I don’t feel much pressure from the surroundings. I focus on what is now. We have to help each other. I believe we are set up differently now. We can win two games and everyone will love us again. It was difficult after Georgia, none of us were proud of how we presented ourselves there and how the match went. But it was one match, in three days it was played again and I think we erased it in some way. Now we need to build on that.
Aren’t the expectations on the national team too high?
I don’t mind the expectation. Rather, I think that in the Czech Republic we are not very aware of the quality of our opponents. The Chance League has gone up, but if I look at the teams of Albania or Ukraine, they have players from the Premier League or Serie A playing for them and they are playing regularly for the clubs. Football is a lot of balancing. It is not easy to beat Georgia, Ukraine or Albania today. Their players have great quality. I would like everyone to have high expectations, at the same time you need to respect your opponents. Gone are the days when the Czech Republic beat similar countries by five goals.
Do you regret the atmosphere around the national team?
Of course. We regret that we are playing Ukraine at home in Eden, but it is practically an away game. At the same time, in this stadium, I am used to a top atmosphere and full stands that drive us. And with the national team, I experienced two away matches in Eden, with Albania and Ukraine. I remember how in the qualifier with Albania Asllani was heckling the main stand, everyone was getting up there. It was similar with Ukraine now. We would be happy if the stadium was sold out by Czech fans. I know, we have it in our hands. If we present ourselves with good football, we will win and have fun, so I believe that people will start to come and perceive the club differently.
