Sparta Coach Priske: "There's always pressure, but a bright future awaits us"

Prague's Sparta lost to Lyon in the second leg of their European qualifier and failed to progress, suffering their third defeat in five official matches this season. After the game, head coach Brian Priske fielded questions about pressure, responsibility and the club's plans going forward.

A red card decided the outcome

According to Priske, it was Adam Ševčík's red card — not the goal conceded — that turned the tie against Lyon. "We lost the ball while transitioning into attack, which led to the goal against Jakub Surovčík. And when you're down 0-1 and a man short, that's incredibly difficult," the coach said.

Priske insisted he has no doubts about the young defender's mental strength: "I like that these lads are resilient. They understand they need to step up. Sometimes you need a kick, sometimes a hand on the shoulder, but when it comes to Ševa, I really have no concerns."

Three points from nine — an unacceptable result

Priske admitted Lyon were the favourites in the tie even after their home defeat to Sparta, but noted that his side caused the French club more problems than expected. At the same time, he was blunt about the domestic season: "Three points from nine in the league is unacceptable."

He stressed that he takes personal responsibility for the results: the team came close to overtaking the reigning Czech champions, played well at home against Lyon, but then lost in Mladá Boleslav and away in France.

Club preparing for squad changes

The coach confirmed that squad reinforcements are a constant topic of discussion with sporting director Tomáš Rosický. He revealed that over the past week the club has parted ways with its captain, goalkeeper and a forward, suggesting further squad changes are likely — though he declined to reveal details of the transfer plans.

Sparta's next task is beating Teplice in Saturday's league match. Priske noted that before the Europa League group stage begins, the team will have just one game a week, and it's the results and quality of performance during this period that need to build confidence — both in the dressing room and across the whole club.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz