Coach Lukasz Tomczyk and goalkeeper Oliwier Zych delivered a pre-match press conference on the eve of their side’s clash with Fiorentina in the Conference League. Here’s some of what they had to say:

Zych:

“We’ve come here with a clear objective: to give our all and try to win the match. Of course, we know it won’t be straightforward. In football anything can happen, so we’ve got to keep our focus and stay confident. Our recent experiences have given us belief, and we want to show that on the pitch by doing everything we can to perform well.

“There’s not a lot I can say about David de Gea – he’s an amazing goalkeeper. I remember him doing so well at Manchester United. He’s a great example to follow and someone I look up to.

“Set pieces are very important in modern football, and many goals are scored from them in the Polish league as well. We’ve studied Fiorentina’s set-piece moves to analyse their approach. Even though Fiorentina haven’t scored many set-piece goals in the league recently, we know these situations can still be very dangerous. That’s we need to stay focused and organised when defending them.”

Tomczyk:

“I think my team are fired up and very focused ahead of the match. We know what we want to do in the game tomorrow, and we also know that our opponent deserves a lot of respect. We’ve worked our socks off to reach this stage, and we want to give 100% so that we can keep our chances alive going into the second leg of the tie.

“Two years ago I would never have imagined coaching a team in a European competition like the Conference League. However, I believe that in life you should never limit your ambitions. It’s important to aim high and always seek out new goals to achieve. European matches always give teams belief, motivation and opportunities to learn.

“As for Fiorentina, I don’t want to focus on just one player. I reckon they’re a great team and dangerous in attack. They’re also capable of defending well in one-on-one situations. That’s why we must respect them and prepare diligently.

“I think Serie A is one of the best leagues in the world, especially when it comes to defensive organisation. You can learn a lot from the way Italian teams defend one-on-one situations and protect their penalty areas.”