MAREK: CSKA CAN REPEAT CZECH TEAM’S SUCCESS

Ahead of the new KHL season’s kick-off sport press keeps on making interviews with the league’s stars. One of the best foreigners in history of the league, the World champions-2010, Jan Marek, who swapped Metallurg Magnitogorsk for CSKA this summer, shares his expectations from the new season with the readers today.


"I had other offers besides CSKA in summer, but I needed new experience and my move to CSKA is a perfect challenge for me", Marek said. "Having talked to the head coach Sergey Nemchinov I understood that his team is interested in my services, and I liked it so much that I though only about their offer".

"CSKA can boast glorious history of the clubs and their rich victorious traditions. And what is more important is that my family approved my choice, that is why my agent and I decided to accept the Army men’s offer and sign a contract with this club".

"When I was a boy I was aware that CSKA is a great club which gathered the best players in the world. I liked this team, which sealed so many victories, but I couldn’t even imagine that I would wear a sweater with CSKA emblem some day. I am very happy that I play in the club with rich history".

"I cannot judge whether I am leader or not, but I like that CSKA management considers me to become one of the team’s leaders. I get much playing practice, that I used to get in Magnitogorsk and Czech national team, and I am hopeful that my career in Moscow club will be successful".

"I got injured during pre-season preparations, but I think that I have fully recovered. In any case it didn’t bother me during the Mayor Cup games. In general I think that this injury didn’t harm my pre-season trainings, because I began preparations when I was on holidays, but I haven’t reached my peak form yet".

"I used to be Metallurg’s leader in my first years in the team, but several specialists believe that the previous season was not the best one for me, however I don’t agree with this statement. To my mind I played all three seasons in Magnitogorsk on very high level and I always earned points".

"I don’t know why somebody didn’t like my display last year. Metallurg really didn’t fulfill the main task and people blamed the team’s leaders, including me. It offended me, but I don’t share this point of view".

"There is nothing impossible and HC MVD and Czech team proved it last season. Russia had perfect team at the World Championship in Germany, while we had only three NHLers in the squad and we won the champions’ title, not Russia".

"CSKA is also able to fight for Gagarin Cup this season. I like my current friendly team, and it’s important that all players should believe in success. If it happens, CSKA could perform well".

"I don’t know which teams will become the season’s favourites, because I saw several teams just several times or didn’t see at all. Let’s wait until the start of the championship, watch the first games and return to this issue after that. And I think we shouldn’t pay much attention to our opponents, as we need to work hard during our trainings and achieve positive result".

"I didn’t expect that I would be appointed as the team’s vice-captain and I won’t hide that it made me happy. I will try to prove by my performance that I will cope with responsibility".