MP: Mateusz, not so long ago commentators and journalists were delighted with your interventions in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa in the colours of FKS Stal Mielec. Today, they are impressed with your skills when you stop opponents in the Champions League in the colours of Qarabağ FK. Do you happen to think about how much has happened in your life in a year?

MK: I didn’t stop opponents in every match and I wouldn’t say that I am very satisfied with all those matches. Of course, the performances were more often on the plus side than on the minus side. The thought that nothing is impossible in life occurs to me more often. There were many players who came to Qarabağ FK who played in the Portuguese second division or in other countries and now, like me, they are playing in the Champions League. Every player wanted to hear the anthem one day; I also wanted it very much and it happened.

MP: You could say that you are an example for more footballers from Mielec that Stal can be a very good stepping stone to further your career. Michał Matys said in one interview that he would like to follow the path of Mateusz Kochalski and play in the Champions League in a couple of years.

MK: Or will he take an even better path? Maybe he will end up at a club from the TOP 5 leagues? I keep my fingers crossed for him and wish him the best.

MP: If you had to choose one memory from Stal Mielec so quickly – what would you point to?

MK: It seems like a simple question, but the answer is very difficult. I have a lot of fantastic memories from Stal. It’s hard for me to choose one, but certainly the win at Łazienkowska Street against Legia Warsaw was such a very cool moment. I have many moments from Mielec that will stay with me forever.

MP: I remember the situation when, after the last game of the season, Bartosz Mrozek was walking with me to the press conference and you jokingly told him to mention you, because surely none of the fans remember that there is a footballer like you in Stala. The truth is that the 2022/2023 season was very difficult for you because you spent it on the substitutes’ bench. Was that time and that bench your most difficult ‘waiting room’ of your career?

MK: It wasn’t the toughest – as you coolly called it – ‘waiting room’ of your career. The toughest one was in Radom when we were promoted to PKO BP Ekstraklasa, and I somehow contributed to that, and someone decisive at Legia Warsaw then took me away from playing in the Ekstraklasa. That was the hardest moment, because I felt that I deserved the Ekstraklasa, that place, and I could make my debut in the top division in Poland and go to an even higher level. As for my words to Bartek – like you said – they were humorous because we always had a good contact. When I joined the team from Mielec, Bartek was already in it and I didn’t think for a moment that I should play in the starting line-up and not him, because he played very well and evenly – without fluctuations in form. At Steel I didn’t have the feeling that something was unfair. I waited patiently until I got my chance in the new season or at the end of that one and wanted to prepare for it as well as possible.

MP: How did you have to motivate yourself to train all week when you knew that at the weekend it would be Bartek in the starting line-up anyway? How difficult is it to maintain and improve your level despite not playing regularly?

MK: Now I look forward to every game as the starting goalkeeper, and back then I looked forward to every training session. At that point I was keen to always show my best despite everything. I waited for all kinds of internal games so that the staff could see that I was ready all the time. Of course, I was a bit annoyed because it was the second season in a row that I was sitting on the substitutes’ bench, and that’s the worst thing that can happen to a goalkeeper. However, I always had to prepare as well as possible and wait patiently.

MP: That season there was an option for you to leave for Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biala.

MK: There was an option to go on loan until the end of the season, but the president convinced me to stay, and from what I remember, the coaching staff didn’t want me to leave Stal either. As you can see, in the end it ended very well for all of us.

MP: How was your cooperation with coach Beszczyński?

MK: Well I was just thinking and forgot to mention him at the previous question about the time when I was sitting on the bench (laughs). Even then, as a reserve goalkeeper, I felt that I had a coach with whom I was making progress all the time. There are places where you don’t feel that and you have to make up for it with matches or individual training. At Stal Mielec I felt all the time that I was being prepared at a very good level, so I have very good memories of these training units. Whichever club I would go to, I would gladly take coach Kamil with me.

MP: What did you improve the most in your game during your time at Stal Mielec?

MK: I think the forechecking game – I improved my skills the most in this element. On the line, I always coped with shots, whether from close or from further away. I also improved my footwork, although I must admit that when I left Mielec, this element was not yet at a super level.

MP: The 2023/2024 season has arrived – the first match with the number 1 in the starting eleven. What feelings accompanied you? A slight nervousness, or perhaps a surge of adrenaline and excitement that your time had finally come?

MK: There was adrenaline and excitement, although the stress was also a little bit higher at the time, even a big one, because I was after two years without playing. I had played a few sparring matches in the preparation period, but to go out in front of full stands was a completely different thing. I knew that this was the moment when – if my start didn’t go well – it was possible that the coach would have to look for another option and bet on one of the guys. With every match that stress went down, I got better and better at dealing with it and got better and better.

MP: You mentioned that the win against Legia is a moment you remember very well. And do you have a match you’d rather not revisit?

MK: Probably the away match against Warta Poznan, when I “took on” five goals and – as far as I remember – added something of my own to those goals. I also remember an away game against Piast Gliwice, because I think I let a so-called “footy” go there. I’m sure there were other worse moments, but – as I said earlier – there were many, many more pleasant ones.

MP: If I could go back in time to that first match and before it started I told you that in a moment you would be chosen by PKO BP Ekstraklasa for the eleven of the queue, Canal would choose you the best player of the queue, and a few times the editors of Weszło would put you in the best eleven – what would you answer?

MK: I would say that’s what I was aiming for and that’s the way it was meant to be. Before the start of the season I didn’t plan on being in Weszło’s ‘crap’ eleven or the worst player of the season lists, I just wanted to go in the direction you said. That was my plan and it’s nice that it all worked out that way.

MP: The season ended and you were awarded the title of best PKO BP Ekstraklasa goalkeeper. Did you have a feeling that you would be the one to be chosen?

MK: I didn’t really have it in my plans. I didn’t know it would turn out so well, but I’m rather pleased with it (laughs). I was shocked at the time, just being nominated as the best goalkeeper of the season surprised me. In my opinion, as a team we played well, everything worked – the chairman didn’t indebt the budget and didn’t bring in players for big money, and we quietly held our own, unlike clubs with much bigger budgets. I didn’t expect the nomination, because – although I had good interventions – Stal was not a TOP 5 team at the end of the season. It’s all the more nice that it ended this way.

MP: The season was coming to an end, the national team was preparing for the European Championships and you get a phone call: “Mr Matthew, you are packing up and coming to train with us”. What did you think then?

MK: That you have to postpone your holidays (laughs). I’m joking, of course. Again, I was in shock – a lot had happened in my career in a short period of time. I was very happy and grateful to have been given such an opportunity.

MP: And how did your family react when they found out that you had received a call-up to the first Polish national team?

MK: My dad gets very excited about everything related to my career (smile), and at the time you could say he was in heaven. The whole family was overjoyed and – I think – proud of me.

MP: You arrive at the national team training camp and there are football stars, such as Robert Lewandowski. Do you remember how you were received by the national team players? More collegiate or rather subdued?

MK: A lot of the players welcomed me very well, they talked to me so that I would “blend in” with the national team as easily as possible. Some were a little less so, but I can understand that – it’s normal when you’re called up for the first time, from a small club at that; I’m speaking from their perspective, not mine. Overall, I was received very well by the whole staff and cadre, and on the first evening I sang the Jam song ‘Whisky’ in front of everyone.

MP: But for the whisky song there was no whisky? (laughs)

MK: Of course not. I’m a professional and everyone in the national team is a professional, so there’s no room for such situations.

MP: Concluding on the subject of Stal Mielec – has Stal influenced your career and this undoubted success, and how much?

MK: I think that if I had ended up in Podbeskidz then, the transfer to Qarabağ FK would not have happened and I would not be playing in the Champions League today. And in all seriousness: steel helped me so much that now I’m drawing against Chelsea or winning against Benfica Lisbon in the Champions League. It’s a huge credit to this club, the atmosphere and the staff. It has prepared me in such a way that I am now performing at a higher level. Those two years at Steel had a huge impact on who and where I am.

MP: From Stal Mielec you moved to Qarabağ FK. There have been comments online that this is a rather strange destination. Why did you decide to go there?

MK: There was some interest from other clubs, but I didn’t receive any specific offer – that’s firstly. Secondly, since the opportunity arose, I wanted to try my hand higher up. I would love to play the rest of my life at Stala, but every footballer wants to take the next steps. Since I was a child – like probably every boy – I have dreamt of playing at the highest level. However, I knew that in order to reach the TOP level, I had to overcome the next rung from which I would ascend to an even higher one. I miss the atmosphere in Mielec, but in a way I had to take a risk with this departure. Looking back, I think everything worked out well.

MP: How do you recall your start at the club from Azerbaijan? What did you expect when you joined Qarabağ FK?

MK: I didn’t know anything – I had to read on the internet about the country because I didn’t expect to have the opportunity to play here. Everyone thinks more about the TOP 5 leagues or big European clubs. Once I landed, I quickly found out that people here are very friendly and helpful. I got a great welcome at the club, so I quickly found that everything was as OK as possible.

MP: Are the living conditions in Azerbaijan very different from those in Poland?

MK: There is certainly a big difference, but not one that would bother anyone. I know that people in Azerbaijan don’t like this comparison, but the easiest way to illustrate it is to say that in a way the country is similar to Turkey. It’s a Muslim country, but – as I mentioned – the people are very helpful, so there’s nothing to put anyone off coming here.

MP: How did your girlfriend react when you told her you were going to play in Azerbaijan?

MK: She expected that if we were going to move, it would be to a country that we knew more about and that was closer. But of course she understood that, as I mentioned, in order to get to a higher level, I have to go step by step. Sometimes a boy from Poland makes it to a big club, but this is not always the case. She is very supportive of me in all my activities and I am very grateful to her for that.

MP: Are you currently renting a flat or living in a hotel?

MK: I rent a flat. I changed it over the summer holidays – I used to live in the city centre, but I moved more to the outskirts because I prefer a quieter life outside of training.

MP: Is the training cycle and its methodology very different from those at Stal Mielec?

MK: They are very different from literally every club I have played for in Poland. At Qarabağ FK there is a lot more training. We spend 7-8 hours a day at the club. We have double rooms in the club; if we have a training session at 4 p.m., the gathering is at 2 p.m. This is also where we eat our meals and have time for a nap before training. We start every training session with the gym: the further we get into the match, the heavier the loads in the gym, and the lighter the loads as we get closer to match day.

MP: So in addition to the units on the pitch, you also have daily training sessions in the gym?

MK: Yes. Regardless of the length of the training cycle, the gym is on the schedule. Of course, the day before a match is just a light unit – the so-called activation: rubber bands, stretching, rolling, cycling, etc. On the opening days of a new cycle, we spend about an hour and a half on a strong weight training session, after which we immediately go out on the pitch for another hour and a half to two hours.

MP: We see that you are doing very well in the Champions League. If you had to define your level – in which league of the TOP 5 would Qarabağ do best?

MK: I think in the French league. It’s a league where a few teams dominate every year, but the rest are weaker and – in my opinion – at a similar level to our team.

MP: What is football like in Azerbaijan from the fans’ side? How many people go to the matches?

MK: The interest is certainly less than in Poland. Of course, when we play in the Champions League, the stadium is full, but in league matches there are far fewer fans – the most faithful ones come. There is a large group who always sing and cheer us on. I have great respect for these fans. Someone may say that there are not many people in the stadium, that the atmosphere could be better, that there are more people elsewhere – but in my opinion, however many there are, they deserve great respect for coming to every match. There used to be one fan who came when I was playing for Legionovia– a nice lad who always sang, and I had great admiration and respect for him. If someone laughed at him, I immediately gave him a strong reprimand – because it’s much easier to follow a crowd of several thousand and support the team than to cheer for your club in a small group.

MP: At your club there is rotation in goal. You don’t defend in every match.

MK: There is also a goalkeeper here from Azerbaijan who plays for the national team. He too has to be in match rhythm and form all the time to play for this national team. The coach has always rotated a lot and continues to rotate, but not just in the goalkeeper position – the whole eleven. Some people say, “You don’t play every game – why?”, and I’ve been saying for the last year and a half that there is rotation in all positions, not just mine, and there is nothing unusual about that.

MP: How do you compete with Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev? Is it a healthy rivalry or do you each only look at each other?

MK: We help each other at every training session. I can always count on all the guys to help me. Shahrudin is from here – from Azerbaijan – so he communicates more easily with the coach because they speak the same language. He’s been here for a couple of years and passes on a lot of information; he’s been helping me from the beginning of my stay because he has a lot of experience. Definitely everyone here supports each other and no one is trying to spite anyone.

MP: Privately – what do you miss about being in Azerbaijan?

MK: I would like my girlfriend to be here with me all the time – and my dog. Then I wouldn’t lack anything else to make me a fully happy person.

MP: Let’s go back to the national team for a moment. There was a situation when you went to a training camp for the Polish national team, to which Bartek Mrozek also received a call-up. Two former goalkeepers from Stal Mielec in the national team. Was there a smile when you saw each other?

MK: Of course there was. I have a very good contact with Bartek, we talk all the time. It’s such a friendly smile and joy, like when you meet a good buddy you haven’t seen for a long time. We laughed – in a positive sense – that just recently he was defending at Steel, I was sitting on the bench, then I was playing; we were at the same club, and now we’ve gone together to the national team training camp. In both cases, it shows that anything is possible in life.

MP: So you would agree with the statement that Stal Mielec is spreading its football wings?

MK: Absolutely. I and many other footballers are an example of that.

MP: Don’t you have some regrets about not receiving a call-up to the Polish national team now? (Interview conducted over the weekend before the additional call-up for Mateusz Kochalski was announced).

MK: I don’t. I know that if all goalkeepers are healthy, the selector has his certain three. Each of them plays, but I don’t follow exactly how they perform. Of course, Łukasz Skorupski is a very high level – such an experienced player that in his case it is certain that he won’t ‘fail’ any match. I also know that many goalkeepers play in very strong leagues and also do not get called up. I understand the decisions of the staff and the selector, I respect them and I think they are normal.

MP: What did you think when you first heard the Champions League anthem on the pitch?

MK: To be honest, I had to get used to it at first because I had always dreamed of it. Before the first game, I played myself the Champions League anthem on loop and listened to it for literally half a day (laughs). Going out on the pitch, it’s a completely different feeling. I always try not to stress before matches, but at the beginning that stress was there – it worked more motivating though. It was a dream come true, but dreams don’t end. I know that you have to set the bar higher and higher for yourself. It’s certainly not the top, there’s still a lot ahead of me and I certainly won’t stop.

MP: You fly to Lisbon for the match and win the Champions League with your team. You win three points in a match in which you were not a favourite. A year earlier you were struggling for points in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa and now you add a set in the Champions League. Were there any tears of emotion after the final whistle of the referee?

MK: To be honest, I laughed after the match was over because I couldn’t believe it was really happening. Some people say that films are unrealistic when someone succeeds at something quickly and fulfils so many dreams in a short time. I felt like I was in such a movie. There were no tears, but I was shocked and immensely happy. For me it doesn’t matter who we are playing against – whether it’s Chelsea or a club from the Azeri league – I always want to win and I believe in that. But I was shocked that we got it so quickly and in such a good style, because it was no coincidence that we added three points.

MP: In the broadcast of the match against Chelsea, I saw that you exchanged jerseys with Robert Sanchez.

MK: I have this outlook that goalkeepers are a bit of a different ‘profession’ and I’ve never wished anyone badly. I always high-five and wish them well before the game, and after the game I thank them and congratulate them – or someone congratulates me. I have a goal to collect a jersey from every goalkeeper. I’ve managed to swap with everyone so far, so I’m even more pleased with his jersey, although I could see he was very upset with the result.

MP: In the media space, clubs like AS Roma andBorussia Dortmund are being linked with you. Are you getting any information about interest from the TOP 5 leagues?

MK: I also see such news, but I have to get the information from an agent or directly from the club. On the internet anyone can write something, especially when you are having a good period, and the more people will believe it. Something comes up, but not from the options people write about online. These are, for now, interests, enquiries – without concrete offers. When I left Stala in the summer window, I could name 15 clubs that were interested, and with none of them there were concrete offers. Just because someone expresses an initial interest does not mean that something will come of it. However, such signals alone give me a strong dose of motivation to keep working, because I can see that someone has looked at me.

MP: So at this point you have no official information that Borussia Dortmund would like to acquire you?

MK: That’s right – I don’t have any such information.

MP: We are now in November 2025. What is Matthew Kochalski aiming for now?

MK: To play even better and to let in fewer goals in the Champions League. I would like to help the team as much as possible and have as many effective interventions as possible. I dream of playing at the highest possible level, so I am aiming for a transfer to a TOP 5 league or another strong European league. My ceiling? Probably only if I win the Golden Ball (laughs). I’m joking, of course, because it’s theoretically impossible – but when I was sitting on the bench at Stala, it also seemed unrealistic to many people that I would be playing in the Champions League in two years’ time. I am also certainly aiming to make my debut for the Polish national team, and then to make as many appearances as possible with the eagle on my chest.

MP: And do you sometimes watch the matches of Stal Mielec?

MK: Some broadcasts are blocked here and I have to combine to watch, that’s why I mostly watch abbreviations. In the Ekstraklasa I watched most of the full matches because they were more easily accessible. However, I keep up to date with what’s going on at Stali.

MP: At the end of the interview – what would you like to say to the fans of our club?

MK: I miss the atmosphere at Stala very, very much. Thank you for the support and for the fact that I am still in contact with many fans and how fondly they remember me. To all the blue and white supporters I say a big THANK YOU.

MP: And when you win the Champions League, will you come to Mielec with the Cup? (Laughter)

MK: Of course. I give my word.

Interviewed by:
Mateusz Prokopiak
Spokesperson of FKS Stal Mielec