Heidenreich: I will remember Teplice fondly. We were clear from the beginning that we wanted to go to Serie B

David Heidenreich is one of the most talented Czech footballers, not for nothing did he pass through the youth of Atalanta. Now he is going on loan to the second league Spal. He talked about his new engagement and his time in Teplice in an interview with Ruik.cz.

You are going on loan to Spal, which finished ninth last season just below the play-offs. What are your goals for this season?

The goals are to play the demanding style of football that the coach wants us to play and of course to win. Playoffs is definitely one of the main goals. Serie B will be really busy this year, so there will be a big glut of clubs looking to advance. We have a very young team, so we’ll see how we deal with that.

Have you had any other offers? And why did you choose Spal?

There were some offers, but we were clear from the beginning that we wanted Serie B.

You spent last season at home in Teplice, but you didn’t play much due to injury. How will you remember this engagement?

The season in Teplice could have been better, of course, because of the injury I didn’t play much. But in retrospect I want to evaluate it positively. In the home environment I adapted from youth football to adult football and played tough matches. I will always remember Teplice in a good way.

Was there a possibility of another guest appearance in the Czech Republic or was Italy the primary target?

Italy was the primary target, but as time went on we started looking at the Czech league as well. Eventually we settled on Spalu.

How do you think Czech and Italian football is different?

I haven’t played adult football at a professional level in Italy yet, this will be my first stint, so I’m curious myself.

You’ve been preparing with the Atalanta A-team, which finished second in Serie A and will play in the Champions League again. How is the atmosphere at the club?

A lot of new players have joined Atalanta, of course the expectations are to confirm a place in the Champions League again, although it will be very difficult in the league this year. The atmosphere has been great.

Do you know any of your new teammates from Spal or are you coming to a completely new environment?

I came to Spal with my teammate Da Riva, who I’ve played with since U17. So that’s a big plus, our former U19 teammate Latte Lath is also on the team.