Football
Tipsport league: We are sorry that we couldn’t participate in the tournament last year, says Bohemians Prague director
Bohemians Prague is a traditional participant of the Tipsport League winter tournament. Apart from last year’s edition, when not a single first league club could accept the invitation due to a shortened winter break, they have participated in all the others. And they will be at the start this year as well. “It’s a matter of the heart for us,” admits club director Darek Jakubowicz.
When the invitation for this year’s event came from the organiser, did the management immediately decide to accept it?
Moreover, in Prague, without travelling. If the coaching department was fundamentally against it, I would step in and try to keep our participation in this quality tournament. Last year we didn’t succeed, the winter break was very short, unsuitable for first league teams.
Personally I was sorry, but there was nothing we could do. This year we have interesting opponents (Jablonec, Dukla, Sparta B), it is easy to join organizationally.
It’s tempting. For the club and for the players. We deal directly with them about their potential bonuses for results, and it is usual that fifty percent of the bonuses go to the cabinet.
You will also face Jablonec, which is your almost close neighbour in the first league table. Do you welcome this match, or would you rather have another opponent?
For us, it is a priority to have a first league opponent in the group. If we only had a second league one, we would consider whether to participate in the tournament at all. We have been communicating with the organisers since August and we are pushing to make sure that we are not the only first league club in the group. This year Jablonec came out, so our intention was fulfilled.
The winner has a great chance to participate in the international tournament in Malta next year. Would that be good for you?
It’s definitely interesting for us, such a tournament in the warmth, on natural grass and against quality opponents definitely belongs to our winter preparation. When we were invited to the first edition four years ago, we wanted three games. However, we would have only two and not against first league teams, the third against a local team that doesn’t have that level. We would have missed that game.
Otherwise, such a tournament, where the stay is paid by a betting company, is very attractive for the club, also because of accommodation, training areas and other facilities. Now we know what we’d be getting into.
The patron of the tournament used to be great personalities of the past, often connected with Bohemians: Karol Dobias, Jiri Rosicky haunts, most recently Jaromir Blazek. He had to give up this position due to his duties in Ústí nad Labem. Can you add a personality to the organizer?
