Sparta Prague’s coach, Brian Priske, made a humorous comment before their upcoming match against the defending Croatian champions, Dinamo Zagreb. During a press conference, Priske joked that he might have trouble sleeping after being reminded by journalists that Sparta has yet to win any cups under his leadership.
Sparta Prague started their Champions League campaign with a goalless draw against Danish side FC Copenhagen in the third qualifying round. In the home leg, they drew 1-1 after 90 minutes and 3-3 after extra time, but ultimately lost in a penalty shootout. Furthermore, they also dropped their first points in the league season with a 1-1 draw against Teplice.
Priske expressed hope that his players arrived with confidence for the match against Dinamo Zagreb. He acknowledged that the results against Copenhagen and Teplice were not what they had hoped for but emphasized that the performances were not bad. He believes that the second leg against Copenhagen gave the team a good feeling that they can stick to their style of play and be confident against strong opponents.
Under Priske’s leadership, Sparta Prague has not won any of their four cup matches. When asked about this statistic, Priske jokingly replied that he hadn’t thought about it until now and thanked the journalists for reminding him. He added that he might have trouble sleeping because of it.
Priske stated that while the lack of cup victories is not a good statistic, they are focused on their playing style. He praised his players‘ performances against Copenhagen and mentioned that they deserved to win, even though it didn’t work out as they had wished. He expressed his determination to chase cup victories together with the team and said it would be great to experience it.
Dinamo Zagreb began their season by winning the domestic Super Cup and progressing to the third qualifying round of the Champions League by defeating Astana. However, they were eliminated by AEK Athens after losing 1-2 at home and drawing 2-2 away, despite leading by two goals in extra time. The club’s management decided to replace coach Igor Biscan with Sergej Jakirovic. Dinamo will also be without defender Josip Sutalo, who transferred to Ajax Amsterdam, and captain and goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who is reportedly moving to Fenerbahce Istanbul.
Priske commented that Dinamo’s situation is separate from their focus and that they are aware of the changes in the opponent’s team. He mentioned that they have gathered information about Jakirovic’s work at Rijeka and have a good idea of his capabilities.
Sparta Prague had a friendly match against Dinamo Zagreb in July, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Priske noted that it was their first preparation match while it was Dinamo’s last. He believes that Sparta has improved since then and expects a completely different match compared to their encounter in Slovenia. He expressed great respect for Dinamo, regardless of the players they field, as they are a strong team.
Priske considers Dinamo’s offense to be their strongest aspect. He praised their two wingers and striker Bruno Petkovic, stating that they are excellent attackers. He also mentioned the dynamism brought by their midfielders and the rotation of their wingers and midfielders. Priske emphasized that Dinamo is a highly quality team.
Overall, Sparta Prague’s coach, Brian Priske, is optimistic about the upcoming match against Dinamo Zagreb. He believes in his team’s ability to compete against strong opponents and hopes to achieve cup success in the future.
