Paweł Piskorz: I have fond memories of my relationship with Nicki. METALKAS 2. The Ekstraliga will be very strong next year

TEXOM STAL has completed a season as a newcomer in METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga. The team from Rzeszów ultimately finished in seventh place, ensuring they remain in the league, but not qualifying for the next stage of the competition. In our conversation, team manager Paweł Piskorz summarizes the entire year 2024 and talks about the numerous changes that have recently taken place in the club ahead of the 2025 season.

Marcin Rusewicz (ekstraliga.pl): After several years, TEXOM STAL has completed its first year in the PGE Ekstraliga’s second tier. The goal was achieved and you managed to stay up. Can this be considered a fully successful year?

Paweł Piskorz (manager of TEXOM STAL Rzeszów): Definitely not. It is well-known that our primary and minimal goal was to remain, but I am an ambitious person and each challenge is very important to me. We were aiming for at least the play-offs with the team, and beyond that, anything could have happened. To sum up, I am definitely not satisfied with the entire season.

There were several tough moments for TEXOM STAL this year, such as the defeat in Łódź or certain misunderstandings in Poznań. Which of them was the hardest for you, if any at all?

The hardest was definitely the meeting in Łódź. From the very beginning, nothing was going our way in that match. We interpreted the track completely differently. Even the experience of the players did not help. The biggest doubt came when young Bartosz Nowak overtook Nicki Pedersen on the straight, which was the nail in the coffin, showing we were unable to achieve anything in this match.

Was there a moment when you thought you could fight for something more?

Yes, I hoped that after that memorable weekend, with the victory over Rybnik and a win in the derby in Krosno, we were back on the right track and had a chance to fight for something, but life proved us wrong, showing that we did not deserve the play-offs this season.

Did working with Nicki Pedersen teach you anything new? It wasn’t always smooth sailing between him and the club.

Nicki is Nicki. He is a three-time individual world champion. He was indeed one of my idols in my youth, someone I watched speedway sports for, especially the Grand Prix, and I cheered for him strongly. Here, I had a chance to work with him, and I have very fond memories of our relationship, although I know Nicki is a difficult competitor and he also gained something positive from our relationship. It unfolded as it did. Sometimes it’s better to say tomato.

When did you conclude in the club that Nicki would leave the team after the season?

I think it was after the season, when we sat down with the president for a brainstorming session. Nicki was considered as part of the squad, but we listed out the key players who could help us achieve higher goals, and there wasn’t room for him. We decided that our option would be much better because it ensures we can compete on every surface. As we know, Nicki sometimes struggles on difficult tracks, as was the case in Gdańsk. We wanted to prevent that and I think together with the president, we built a squad that will allow us to fight for the highest goals next season.

And what about Mateusz Świdnicki, do you see a light at the end of the tunnel for him?

I strongly support Mateusz. Together with coach Kępowicz, I tried to spur something in him, but unfortunately, while it worked with Rafał Karczmarz in the previous season, it didn’t with Mateusz. Thus, we terminated the contract by mutual agreement as he was bound by a two-year deal with us. He returns to his home club, and I believe it’s his last call to rebuild himself. Mateusz has a lot of potential and skills, but I think there’s something in the back of his mind that if identified and corrected, he can still achieve a lot.

TEXOM STAL Rzeszów is the biggest winner of this year’s transfer market in METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga. True or false?

False. Look at ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz or FOGO UNIA Leszno, who also have very strong squads. CELLFAST WILKI Krosno also strengthened, so I think this league will be very strong next year, probably the strongest in its history. The next season will be very spectacular and every match will have immense emotions.

Which transfer are you most satisfied with?

Every transfer we made this season and the fact that we retained the players we wanted to keep, such as Marcin Nowak and Jacob Thorssell. I’m also very happy that Franek Majewski stayed with us, which is a significant reinforcement for our junior formation. Let’s be honest, we are joined by three players from the PGE Ekstraliga, which also proves that our strength should be much stronger in the next season.

Besides new players, another important person joined the club, namely Grzegorz Węglarz. Why did you decide to acquire him?

Adrian Gomólski also joined, which I consider one of the important moves in our club. Adrian will be assisting me with the first team and will be responsible for the youth formations, so I’m thrilled to work with him. We know each other well, we have a very good rapport, we are of similar age, and I hope this cooperation will be very fruitful. Returning to the transfer of Grzegorz, we had certain problems with the track and its quality, which was influenced by many factors. We would like to improve it, and there was an opportunity to acquire Grzegorz. Together we sealed the track for the 2025 season, so I hope it will be our advantage next year and be somewhat consistent.

Does the club already have any plans for the preparation period?

We have the entire preparation period planned out. We are going to a ten-day training camp in January, then we have a presentation for the fans. In February, we are likely heading to Spain for motocross, and in March, we have planned sparring sessions with two PGE Ekstraliga teams and one team from METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga.

This year the goal was to maintain the position, but what about next year?

Primarily the play-off stage. Anything can happen there, so after each playoff round, we will set new goals.

Marcin Rusewicz