Transfer Plans and the Arrival of Samuel Ntamack

Sobis: Where does the squad rebuild stand right now? The league is starting, but the transfer window remains open. Should we expect more players to arrive?

Piworowicz: We have already brought in several players during this window.

We had to address the goalkeeper position because of František Plach’s injury and Karol Szymański’s departure, so that was one area we needed to strengthen.

We also brought in Maciej Kucharski from Śląsk Wrocław, a player who has represented Poland at youth international level.

Jakub Łabojko, who came through our own system, has also returned following Patryk Dziczek’s departure and gives us another option in midfield.

As things stand, we would still like to make additional moves. But, as I mentioned earlier, everything is determined by the club’s financial situation and by ownership decisions regarding how much additional budget can be made available.

There could also be departures, and those could potentially create opportunities for further additions.

The transfer window is still open, so a lot can happen.

But we have to operate within the financial plan the club has established. We do not have unlimited resources waiting to be spent. Every move has to fit within the financial framework of the club.

Sobis: I’d like to ask you specifically about Samuel Ntamack. What convinced you to sign him, and do you believe his profile can translate successfully to the Ekstraklasa?

Piworowicz: Because of our position within the Ekstraklasa and our financial capabilities, we have to focus on a certain type of player.

First, we look for players who may be less well known and therefore attract less competition from other Ekstraklasa clubs.

Second, many of the players we have signed over the past two years have arrived after a more difficult period in their careers.

If a player is on the rise, scoring goals, having an outstanding season and attracting attention in his league, realistically that player is often beyond our financial reach.

Samuel fit the profile we were looking for very well.

He had never played in the top division in his home country, but he had experience with good clubs in the French second tier. More recently, he spent part of the season in Spain’s second division and part in France’s second division.

His season overall may not have been spectacular, and that created an opportunity for us to sign him.

His profile also fits what our coach is looking for.

He has technical quality, good football intelligence, a high level of mobility and a strong work ethic without the ball.

Throughout his career, he has also shown that he can score goals, combine with teammates and create opportunities for others. He is a versatile attacking player who can operate in several positions.

That versatility is especially important for us because we work with a relatively small squad. When injuries or other problems occur, we need players who can fill different roles.

How will Samuel adapt to the Ekstraklasa? Will he become a starter, a rotation player or perhaps even one of the league’s standout players?

It is too early to say.

But we are very happy he chose to join us. He is still at a very good age — born in 2001 — so there is clearly room for further development.

For us, that is extremely important. We want players to improve while they are at Piast.

We followed a similar approach last summer with players such as Hugo Vallejo, Juande Rivas and Leandro Sanca.

They arrived as relatively unknown players from the Spanish and Portuguese second divisions. Over the course of a year, they made significant progress and their market value increased considerably.

That is the model we have to follow.

Why the Iberian Market Matters

Sobis: Looking at those signings — Vallejo, Rivas, Sanca, and of course Jorge Félix, who has been in Poland for years — is the Spanish and Portuguese market particularly important for Piast? Is it because those players adapt well, or because their football profile fits what you are trying to build?

Piworowicz: There are several factors.

Piast’s transfer history with that part of Europe, particularly Spain, certainly helps. Players from that market have come here before, felt comfortable at the club and wanted to stay.

That is important for us.

The level of football education is another factor, as is the competitive environment those players experience in Spain and Portugal. The teams we recruit from often compete against very strong opposition, even outside the top divisions.

Player profile is also very important.

Within our financial limitations, it is difficult to find players in our immediate region who combine a high level of physical preparation, athleticism, football intelligence and good or very good technical ability.

We also value physical characteristics.

The players you mentioned are all around 1.85 meters or taller. Finding that combination of size, mobility and technical quality — particularly in wide attacking positions — can be difficult in our part of Europe at the price level we can afford.

So there are many reasons why the Iberian market has been productive for us.

But we are absolutely not limiting our scouting to Spain and Portugal.

Our first priority is Poland and the surrounding region. When we cannot find or recruit the profiles we need there, we expand our search into other markets.

At that point, we search very broadly.

The key for us is finding players who are still relatively unknown.

Because, realistically, that is when we have a chance to sign them.

Developing the Next Generation

Sobis: Let’s finish with the young players. Jakub Lewicki, for example, impressed last season at only 20 years old. Also players such as Oskar Leśniak and Maciej Kucharski. Are there particular young players you believe could make a significant step forward this season?

Piworowicz: I’m glad this part of our work is being noticed because it is very important to us.

I think there are fewer and fewer Ekstraklasa clubs where young Polish players can receive genuine opportunities.

We have already shown that we are willing to make decisions with development in mind, even when those decisions may initially appear risky.

A good example is Igor Drapiński.

We decided that his long-term position should be center back. After three central defenders left the club, we signed only one replacement because we deliberately wanted to create space for Igor in that position.

At the time, some people considered that decision a mistake or thought it was too risky.

Today, clubs from across Europe are asking about him, and he has established himself as a starting center back for Poland’s U-21 national team.

So that decision proved to be the right one.

You mentioned Jakub Lewicki. He had a very good period and quickly began attracting interest from abroad. He has a profile that is very attractive in the modern market.

There is also Oskar Leśniak.

He developed through our academy and second team and has spent the past two years gradually moving closer to the first team. He already has senior minutes, and I think this could be a very important season in his career.

Several experienced midfielders have left, and once again we have made a conscious decision not simply to replace every departing player one-for-one.

We want to leave space for younger players to earn those minutes.

I would also mention Filip Borowski.

He joined us after a season in which he had barely played in Poland’s second tier. He came in and filled an important role for us as a backup fullback. In several matches he performed extremely well and scored an important goal.

He is another example of a young Polish player receiving an opportunity and making the most of it.

Another positive development is that more players from Piast’s own academy are gradually entering the first-team environment.

We do not have one of the biggest or wealthiest academies in Poland, but the work continues every day.

We now have five academy graduates in the first-team squad, and three of them have a realistic opportunity to compete for meaningful minutes this season.

Several other academy players trained with the first team during preseason, including Polish U-15 internationals.

The door is very much open for young players at Piast.

The fact that Maciej Kucharski chose to join us is significant as well. He had interest from clubs across Poland and also from the Czech Republic, but he decided to come to Piast.

I think that shows young players — and the people around them — increasingly recognize that this is a club where they can get an opportunity to play at a good level in the Ekstraklasa and genuinely develop.

There are several other young players worth watching.

We have Levis Pitan, born in 2005, who spent six months on loan in Scotland and had a very good spell there.

We have Elton Fikaj, a regular for Albania’s U-21 national team.

And we have Ivan Lima, who has made more than 30 appearances across Portugal’s youth national teams.

All of these players are waiting for their opportunity, and I believe each of them can earn more minutes this season.

There is definitely talent to watch here.

Now it is about making sure these players continue working, developing and moving forward. If they do that, I believe both Piast and the players themselves will benefit.

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