Kamil Syprzak, what does Wisla Plock represent for you?
Kamil Syprzak: It’s my heart club, where everything started. I was trained there, I took my first steps in handball. I have very fond memories of it. But it’s been ten years since I left, a little more. Time flies!
Facing Wisla Plock with PSG, is it special for you?
K.S.: Yes… and no. I will approach this match like any other match. Me, the team, we will prepare and give everything like for any other match. But it is true that it feels good to come back to Plock. I like playing in this arena, it will be full. Some people sent me messages two months ago, saying ‘maybe we will play against you, I’m not sure yet but I hope we can see you in Plock’. So of course, it’s nice.
How would you describe this crowd? What kind of reception can PSG expect?
K.S.: Playing there is special! I remember when I played there, we were able to beat big teams like Vardar Skopje, Barcelona… There’s a little magic in that arena. The fans know how to make a lot of noise, and with that intensity, they can influence the referees’ decisions! So I hope it won’t be like that this time, but I have already warned the whole team that it won’t be an easy match. They can beat anyone.
The PSG outclasses Pelister Bitola and makes the good move of the day: the summary
What is the level of this Wisla Plock team?
K.S.: This season, they haven’t played at their best level yet. I hope it won’t be against us. I watched their last league match against Kielce, it didn’t go very well, they lost by a large margin. But I think it will give them extra motivation, because everyone was expecting more from that match. It’s the same everywhere when you lose to a rival. So they will show a different face against us.
You extended your contract with PSG until 2027 even though you were coveted. What does this club, where you have been since 2019, have that others don’t have to make you want to stay?
K.S.: The decision was super easy. I had many other options… But when I arrived here, from the first day, I felt something between PSG and me. From the beginning, this club has given me a lot of confidence and I have returned that confidence on the field, with the qualities I bring to the team. I feel like an important piece. I didn’t have to think much when PSG offered me an extension. It was the most serious proposal, the club knew what they wanted from me, and I knew what I wanted from the club. And here, no one talks about second or third place. Winning the league and the Champions League is always the first goal. And that motivates me, it gives me the right feeling to stay here.
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You are the 3rd top scorer in the Champions League with 86 goals and a shooting success rate of 78.9%… how does Raul Gonzalez’s system allow you to express yourself so well?
K.S.: It’s true that it’s not easy to play at this level and with this efficiency all season. But it’s not the first season where I have such high shooting percentages. I train for it every day, to be effective. The style of our team allows me to express myself well on the field, to show my qualities. I also know that with my style of play, there are sometimes two or three defenders on me, which creates space for my teammates. We need to keep going like this, it works well.
You are attached to PSG, but also to the city of Paris. What does it represent for you?
K.S.: I like the artistic side of Paris, I like to draw, express my thoughts in writing… When I have a free day and there is sun, which is not usual in Paris, I try to make the most of it. I take my bike, there is too much traffic in a car so I don’t want to waste time! I go towards the Seine, I sit down, I write… But it’s not just that, I like famous places but also going where there is nothing and discovering things. A bit like Sherlock Holmes!
You also do Pilates, your wife is a teacher and you take lessons…
K.S.: Yes that’s true, and it helps me a lot! Now, it’s a bit more complicated because she started a project in Poland. But she left her equipment in Paris so I can train. I use it often, it’s part of my daily routine. Of course, it’s a bit complicated with my height (I measure 2.07m and weigh 127 kilos). But for handball, Pilates helps me a lot, it gives me strength, flexibility. Sometimes, I use this kind of position to shoot and score goals, so you could say it’s partly thanks to that.
