Viktoria Plzeň enters new season by the European League match this Thursday in Tbilisi. The third best team of the Czech 1st League (last year) want to fight for the top of the table and successfully represent not only Plzeň, the region, but also the Czech Republic in the Europa League.

Viktoria Plzeň enters new season by the European League match this Thursday in Tbilisi. The third best team of the Czech 1st League (last year) want to fight for the top of the table and successfully represent not only Plzeň, the region, but also the Czech Republic in the Europa League.

In the beginning of the new season the Chief Executive Adolf Šádek announced hoped-for news about prolonging the contract of Pavel Vrba, the head coach. „We are delighted to make the season start pleasant with this news for all Viktoria fans. Keeping Pavel Vrba here belonged among our priorities. We want to go on being successful, have our stadium full and I´m convinced that this signing was the basic step to fulfil our goal.“

„I got a very correct offer and considering the management´s attitude to me, my decision was very easy,“ said Pavel Vrba. Adolf Šádek also specified the situation about new ins and outs players. „We don´t want other outs, only some players´ agents can´t get it. It wasn´t easy to keep the team together. There is no-one else planned coming.“

„We would like to go as far as possible in the Europa League. We´re entering the new season in a completely different position than 3 years ago,“ adds coach Vrba. „We´re concentrating mostly on us. We need to do this qualifying round and advance. Not to go through would be great disappointment,“ mentioned Vrba. „We were searching the players of similar  type like Pilař and Petržela so everyone new to come is fast and technical footballer.“

Prolonging the coach´s contract led Pavel Horváth to comment: „We have to find out his salary to set the amount of membership fee,“ he smiled. „But he is rational, he´ll give us some chicken to the cabin.“ He also commented the team changes, with laugh of course: „It´s not any vigorous, only the best player every half-a-year leaves. In my opinion, we´re not gonna be weaker than before.“ The team was enriched by armenian midfielder Edgar Malakyan. „There were no problems with his adaptation. The coach helps him because he can speak Russian. He is a clever player starting to do things like Václav Pilař.“

Summer changes
Ins: Petr Bolek (Senica), Martin Zeman (on loan Sparta), Lukáš Hejda (Sparta), Edgar Malakyan (Pjunik Jerevan), Matúš Kozáčik (Famagusta), Martin Fillo (coming back from loan in Mladé Boleslavi), Marek Hanousek (coming back from loan in Dukla Praha), Radek Šírl (Mladá Boleslav)

Outs: Václav Pilař (Wolfsburg), Marek Čech (Sparta), Tomáš Berger (coming from loan back to Dukla Praha), Milan Petržela (Augsburg), Radek Šírl (on loan Ml. Boleslav)