Kolar: "Stoke is just a step aside"

THURSDAY, 4 AUGUST 2005, 19:20 - Bacardiboy
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Junior and Martin Kolar recently made a move to the English team Stoke City for one year. Junior is already used to it, after half a season in Mons. For Martin Kolar, it's the first time.


Last season wasn't very succesful for the Czech. First he had a knee injury, later he didn't play. Anderlecht bought three new players for his position: Fabrice Ehret, Christophe Grégoire and Bart Goor. So things were very clear for Martin Kolar...

"Franky Vercauteren criticized everything I did", tells Kolar. "Bart Goor just couldn't do anything wrong. I wasn't selected for any important game at the end. So I got the message. I went to England to talk to Johan Boskamp. But he told me that Anderlecht and Stoke City already had an agreement about me. So I could only say "yes", otherwise it would have been a very difficult situation."

"I saw everything in Brussels. If you play well, people are friendly and shake hands. If you are injured or you don't play well, people just ignore you. One time, I couldn't stand it anymore. When the last person left the room, I just threw my shoes against the door."

Now, he has the chance to show himself in England. Stoke is not a step backward. It's just a step aside. I hope I will play well here. Anything is better than playing with the second team or with the youth in Brussels. One time, I was very angry at a youth player because he couldn't handle a ball. They told me then: "Have mercy, Martin." But I don't think I'm here to train youth players? I have to become a better football player myself!"

Kolar doesn't speak English very well at the moment. "That won't be a big problem I guess", he says. "People advised me to search for an English girl friend. Well, that's the way I learned French in Brussels", he laughs.



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