Sparing matches are of little value

"I haven't seen such a rivalry within the team since the day I joined the squad," said Lukasz Tralka, Lech's captain. There are 7 footballers competing for a spot in the midfield, among them Majewski, Tetteh, Jevtic, Gajos, Dudka and Linetty.

Lech's captain, along with Abdul Aziz Tetteh, was the coach's preferable choice for the midfield last season. "It makes no difference to me who I play with. A lot depends on the tactics itself and if the job is to secure the midfield. Sometimes you need to play two defensive midfielders. It doesn't matter whether I prefer alongside a defensive partner, or a playmaker. I am always comfortable with what the coach chooses as the right formation," explained the captain.

Tralka is optimistic when looking at the upcoming season. Nevertheless, the good form presented in the sparing matches has no value to the midfielder. "I pay no attention to the sparing games. I have already been in a situation where the pre-season was great, but when the league came, losses followed. The league matches verify the form. The sparing matches are played without any pressure and although it is fun to win those friendly games, they haven't got a big value," emphasized Tralka.

The expectations for this season haven't changed. "Every year the expectations are the same - to win the league. We do not consider this season a chance to make up for what happened last year because that is impossible. I only focus on what we can achieve in the league that is about to kick off soon," said the captain. "I don't want to seem too hopeful, because that is not the time to make promises, and although the atmosphere within the team is great, only wins in the upcoming league matches can keep it this way."