“We needed to prove something”

On Sunday Lech Poznan beat Termalica 3:0. It was one of few away games played in the region where Tralka was born. “For a long time there was no team from that region of Poland in Ekstraklasa, therefore, whenever we face Termalica, my family watches the game from the stands. It’s a great feeling to be able to see them and say hello, especially when we meet after a won match,” explained the midfielder who came close to scoring in the Sunday clash. “I didn’t touch the ball, therefore I reassured my teammates that it was an own goal. But don’t worry, I will score this season,” added Tralka.

Nonetheless, the win in Nieciecza did not come easy, most of all because of what happened last week. On Tuesday Lech’s players lost the third Polish Cup final in a row. “It isn’t something you forget easily. Only we know what we went through after the loss. It’s a tough time for us. However, we try to leave it behind. We still have a lot to play for, especially the Championship itself. The first match following the lost final was the most important one to us; we needed to win it to strengthen our mentality,” emphasized Lech’s captain.

Tralka believes that improving the morals was the essential step after the lost final, especially with the 5 league matches still to go. “We needed to prove something to the fans and to ourselves. We’ve been playing well all season, we won a lot of points, scored a lot of goals whilst conceding the least in the whole league. We cannot weep after the lost final, not now. It does hurt and it will stay in the back of our minds for some time, but we are still fighting for the Championship. There is a lot at stake. A time will come when we’ll have a chance to go through that Tuesday loss properly,” explained Tralka. “But for now, all hands on deck and we keep on fighting.”