Sparta Draw with Lyon at Letná: Priske Explains Why He Benched His Captain

AC Sparta Prague played out a draw with French side Lyon in their Conference League home fixture, despite clearly outplaying their opponents. Sparta boss Brian Priske admitted after the match that the evening ranked among the most memorable since his return to the club.

"It's probably one of the two or three best matches I've been involved in here. We had some great nights last season, but this was one to remember — and not just because of the players, but the fans too. They were, as always, fantastic," the coach said.

According to Priske, Sparta dominated the match from start to finish but squandered several clear chances and, shortly before halftime, conceded a bizarre goal when defender Martin Suchomel deflected the ball into his own net. "The first half was excellent, and we should have been ahead. We tried to stay calm, control the tempo and stick to our style. Patience was the key," the coach noted.

Priske also acknowledged that, for the first time in his 14 months at Sparta, the team was clearly cast in the role of underdog against a more decorated opponent. "That changes our mentality, but this time the roles were reversed. My job is to manage exactly that kind of situation. On Saturday, away at Mladá Boleslav, it'll be the other way round again," he added.

The coach also addressed his decision to throw new signing Roman Mácek straight into the starting lineup, despite the player having trained with the squad for only a few days. "He barely had time to settle in — everything happened very quickly. But it's exactly these kinds of situations that turn players into great footballers. I believed in him — he has the quality and the experience of playing abroad," Priske said, calling Mácek a top-class player in his position.

Another tough call was leaving captain Lukáš Haraslín on the bench until the closing stages of the match. "It wasn't an easy decision, and it's never nice benching your captain, especially in a match of this importance. But part of my job is making difficult decisions and sending the right message," the coach explained.

Priske also praised the impact of Jusimar Alcocer on the left flank, saying he showed exactly the kind of pace he was signed for European nights like this. As for defender Adam Ševčík, who was involved in the own goal against Zlín and made a few errors against Lyon, the coach urged patience: "Ševa is on the right track, even though he can play better. I like his character — he wants to learn and is never satisfied with his own performance."

Priske remained coy about the future of another defender, Danish international Asger Sørensen, who looked composed and assured alongside his partner. "Of course I hope he stays, but that doesn't depend on me alone. The transfer window is still open, so we'll see how it plays out," he said.

Assessing the opposition, the coach noted that Lyon surprised him with their passivity, though they showed real class and pace in the second half. "We're flying to France with a good result and a good feeling about our performance, but there we'll need to have more of the ball and create more chances. After tonight's game, we have a clear sense that we deserved the win," Priske concluded.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz