“I feel such a small satisfaction, you are upset when you don’t play from the beginning, you want to be in the starting eleven. I went to the pitch with such proper anger, to show the coach that I simply belong there,” the only scorer of the first spring round in Ďolíček himself described his reaction to the coach’s words.

“They don’t play for any names, the best always start. Pušky (David Puskáč) knows that I didn’t like the preparation, he wasn’t dangerous, he didn’t have numbers, unlike the guys who started. The players who don’t start then have to react exactly like David did today. Now he should show that it wasn’t just one swallow and that he will continue to present himself like this,” the 45-year-old Bohemians coach explained his decision, which turned out to be a great move in the end.

At the same time, he did not have an easy job at all when choosing the lineups. The injury to the summer returnee Jan Morávek, who had been gathering match fitness all autumn mainly for the Kangaroos’ reserve, caused a major crack in his plans and was supposed to play again for Bohemka’s A-team in a league match after more than thirteen years. Due to an injury from the warm-up, he ended up watching the entire game in his civilian clothes, despite the fact that he was originally supposed to jump in from the opening whistle. “Ten minutes before the start of the match, I received information that Morávek was injured in the muscle after the last shot. He himself didn’t want to take that risk, so we had to make one change,” explained Veselý, why Martin Hála eventually ran onto the field instead of the former Augsburg or Schalke player.

But the cold weather caused Veselý’s group other problems, as key stopper Antonín Křapka limped off the field at the end of the first half. Their January start to the competition also took away. Two of Teplice’s biggest supports, Tomáš Vondrášek and Tomáš Kučera, also did not finish the match due to injuries. “I attribute it to the winter, the terrain and the first round. It’s a shame, the condition of the field complicates things considerably, even if the lawn workers are doing their best,” Vesely was sad.

But in the end, mainly thanks to Puskáč’s contribution, his team successfully entered the spring season of the Fortuna League. So it looks like, after the last fight, they can think about knowing the higher ranks until the last moment this year. “The fourth spot is very tempting,” Puskáč admitted potentially. “I hope we can do even more than now,” noted Veselý diplomatically.