Paweł Piskorz: We have the assets to be the dark horse of the tournament (interview)

Paweł Piskorz will be the manager of TEXOM STAL Rzeszów for the next three seasons. In an interview with ekstraliga.pl, he talks about his expectations for the new season and the cooperation between the coaching staff and the players.

Łukasz Rusiecki (ekstraliga.pl): The METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga schedule is known to everyone. Is it favorable for the Rzeszów team? Or would you prefer an away inauguration, which theoretically generates less pressure?

Paweł Piskorz (manager TEXOM STAL Rzeszów): Evaluations will come at the end of the season, of course, but I believe this year’s schedule is very favorable for our team. I hope it will also translate into sports results.

How do you assess the strength of the other teams? Who do you think could become the dark horse of the tournament?

I believe we have all the assets to become the dark horse of the METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga.

The team has been strengthened by Tai Woffinden and Paweł Przedpełski, as well as Keynan Rew and David Bellego. Is there a planned integration camp or gatherings closer to spring, for example, on foreign tracks, due to quite a significant reshuffling of the senior roster?

Yes, we have a fully detailed training camp scheduled. The initial plan was to conduct a winter camp in January, but we will likely forgo it in favor of training on foreign tracks if the weather doesn’t permit riding in Poland. Between February and March, we will aim to train on our own grounds, as we did last year when the conditions were favorable for unrestricted training. I hope this plan will allow us to properly prepare for the season in the METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga.

Can you reveal which teams will be sparring partners for the Rzeszów team?

Yes, of course. The sparring matches will be conducted on a home-and-away basis, and we plan to compete against CELLFAST WILKI Krosno, INNPRO ROW Rybnik, and ORLEN OIL MOTOR Lublin.

The team has an excess of seniors. Following the example of last season, will the least promising player get the green light to seek another club after a few rounds?

The vision is that David Bellego will be the reserve from the start, and he is aware of the terms of his contract. What the pre-season preparations and sparring matches will show is a separate matter, and decisions will be made based on that. We certainly do not intend to “ground” any player for the entire season just to sit on the bench. If, after the first three or four rounds, a player doesn’t make the lineup, they will be given the “green light” to be loaned to another club.

Adrian Gomólski has joined the coaching staff. Is he the missing piece of the puzzle that will elevate the juniors, particularly considering that expectations should be slightly higher for Wiktor Rafalski than in the first years of his career?

We have signed a contract with Adrian Gomólski for three seasons with the vision of coaching our juniors and enhancing their skills. So far, the juniors he worked with in previous years have achieved increasingly better results. Adrian Gomólski has a great approach to young athletes, so I really count on his support in our coaching staff. As I said, he will be responsible for our youth groups, and I hope he will help the young players climb to higher levels in their speedway careers.

What do the winter preparations look like for the juniors in particular? Who is responsible for them?

The preparation issues are being closely monitored. Adrian Gomólski is also obliged to check their progress in preparation and is in contact with our juniors. Regarding the seniors, they are well aware of the importance of winter preparations, and any laziness or deviation from training will be evident at the very beginning of the preparations. The athletes must be really well-prepared physically because this sport is very demanding, especially in terms of strength.

I assume that the primary goal for next year is to be at least in the top four of the METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga table. Does this also include advancing to the PGE Ekstraliga, which is the level you want to reach by the end of the upcoming competitions?

The main favorites to win the METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga are the teams of ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz and FOGO UNIA Leszno. Our basic goal is to advance to the top four, and what happens later is a matter for the future. I strongly count on advancing to the league’s top four, and like last season, where INNPRO ROW Rybnik was not considered the main favorite to win the league, we can also cause a surprise.

Łukasz Rusiecki