The new reality

The quarterfinals of the Totolotek Polish Cup are going to be the first logistical test for Lech. Although it won’t be the first time that the team from Poznań is going to travel to Mielec, this time the trip will look very different. Previously, Lech’s squad would fly to Rzeszów and take a bus from there which significantly shortened travel time, but since all planes are grounded, it’s no longer possible.

“We are going to travel to Mielec not one day before the match, but two days ahead - that is on Monday. After lunch, the squad will board the coach and we should get to Mielec by evening. No stops are planned, unless it’s a 5-minute break to stretch legs, however, petrol stations are out of question,” explained Mariusz Skrzypczak, Lech’s Team Manager.

Lech will have two full days in Mielec during which one training session is going to take place. In addition, the coaching staff decided that the whole team is going to watch Legnica Miedź’s clash with Legia Warsaw which is the match restarting the football season in Poland. More importantly, Legia is the team that Lech will be facing at home a few days later.

The key element of the logistical challenge of traveling is the hotel. The whole place will be reserved for players and staff only and no outside visitors will be allowed. In addition, the pre-match briefing is going to take place at the hotel and that’s where the players will change and shower after the game. “Following the final whistle, the squad is allowed to change shoes and then they’ll go straight to the coach. At the hotel, they will be able to take a shower, eat dinner, and then we’ll head off home,” explained the Team Manager.

The pre-match rituals also have to be adapted to the new reality. Until now, the team would arrive at the stadium an hour and 15 minutes prior to kick-off (1.5h in the case of league games). However, due to the pandemic, the squad won’t get to the stadium until less than an hour before the match. “The players are going to arrive all dressed up and after a quick change of shoes, they will head off for warm-up,” added Skrzypczak.

The new reality is a challenge for all the clubs that are forced to quickly restart their normal operations following such a long break. The old ways of doing things need to be forgotten for the time being as everyone adapts to the new rules and regulations.