Mateusz, first of all a big white and blue congratulations. How would you comment on this success in the ‘heat’?

It’s really something great to be in the nominated top five PKO BP Ekstraklasa goalkeepers, and to receive the title of best goalkeeper is something amazing. When I heard my name during the PKO BP Ekstraklasa Gala, in one second my body received a huge boost of dopamine, endorphin and adrenaline (laughs). Joy and pride, with these two words I would describe what I feel now.

I know you are a very modest man and don’t like to praise yourself, but did you feel that you were the one to receive this title?

There are many excellent lackeys in our league. Every one of them has recorded fantastic interventions during the 2023/2024 season that has just ended. I, for one, always say that I am not a person who feels superior to others, so I felt that each of the nominees had a chance to win the final.

Last season you were the number 2 goalkeeper in PGE FKS Stala Mielec, today you are not only the number one in our blue-and-white team, but also the number one in PKO BP Ekstraklasa. Is patience one of the qualities that helped you cope with the situation as it was last season?

There were many factors at work here. Patience too, of course, because I knew that if I trained hard, my time to start playing would come. Confidence is another issue. President Jacek Klimek and coach Kamil Kiereś gave me their word after the end of the 2023/2024 season that I would be given a chance to be No. 1 in the PGE FKS Stali Mielec goal and it would be up to me to use it. As you can see, it worked out quite well (smile). I thank them very much for that, for this chance and for the trust. The family atmosphere that prevails not only in the locker room but literally throughout the club means that, even when you have had a bad day, you come to training with a smile. At the club we all know each other and we know that each of us can always count on the support of the others. Since I have been in Mielec, there has never been a situation where someone has quarrelled with me or I with someone. We form a harmonious footballing white and blue family. I would like to thank all the players in our team, because if it wasn’t for the play of the whole team and their support I wouldn’t be able to receive this award today.

What element in your game did you improve in the 2023/2024 PKO BP Ekstraklasa season?

I’ve improved my forechecking game, my judgement and my behaviour at fixed parts of the game. The leg play has also improved, but I know that there is still a lot of work ahead of me so that I can say that it is at a very good level. At this point I would like to thank the entire staff, including our goalkeeper coach Kamil Baszczyński. Thanks to working with him, all our goalkeepers are constantly improving their level. The coach successively gives us new exercises and pays detailed attention to the aspects that need improvement. We have a great relationship with him not only during training, but also off the pitch.

I had the pleasure of talking to you on the programme “Kawa na Solskiego”, in which you mentioned that for a moment it was not certain that you would become a goalkeeper.

Yes it’s true, there was a moment when I was training, but in the field and not in goal. However, in the end I became a goalkeeper and, as you can see, it was a very good decision. I don’t know if my career would have gone so well if I hadn’t become a goalkeeper. (laughs)

You’ve already mentioned our football family, but your family is just as important to you.

It’s true. I would like to thank my parents very, very much for believing in me for so many years, believing that I would succeed and always supporting me. Thank you for driving me to training when I was still a young boy and I could always and still can count on them. My dad is also constantly up to date with what the media writes about me on the internet and shares everything. Sometimes maybe he even shares too much. (smile)

Which match from the 2023/2024 season that ended on Saturday will be most memorable for you?

I will remember many matches for a very long time. Certainly the match within the 1st round of PKO BP Ekstraklasa against Cracovia, as it was my first league match as number 1 in the PGE FKS Stala Mielec goal. Certainly, the matches we won against Legia Warszawa, Jagiellonia Białystok, Śląsk Wrocław or Pogoń Szczecin showed that we are capable of winning against anyone. I am glad that, among other things, in this home match against Pogoń, I managed to help the team.

At Solski 1 you have played in front of full stands on many occasions. This was certainly a great support for you.

Of course, when you play with a full house of fans in the stands it makes you feel this atmosphere of a football festival in Mielec even more. I am glad that very often thousands of fans from the first to the last minute cheered us on in our fight for a league victory. Of course, we knew that we couldn’t let them down, that coming out of the tunnel for the game, we would see a full stadium of fans who believe in us and expect us to win the 3 points. Every supporter is a support and motivation for us to fight for victory.

Speaking of the fans, I have to mention the situation after the last home game of the season. The fans even didn’t want to let you out in the changing room, and you were giving out autographs for exactly 51 minutes after the game.

It was very nice that so many fans of our Mielec Steel wanted to have their photo taken with me. I wanted each and every fan who waited patiently for it to be possible to get an autograph and a commemorative photo. It is a fact that it took almost an hour, but after all, we are here for them – for the fans. They are the ones who are with us in better and worse moments, so I didn’t want any of them to be left out by me.

Then I took you to the press conference, and afterwards… you went to the fans who were in front of the stadium.

I thank the media representatives who waited patiently for me in the conference room. Since you signed me up for the press conference, I couldn’t refuse. (smile) Actually, I could have negotiated it with you (laughs), but I respect journalists and photojournalists very much for the work they do, so I tried my best to answer every question they asked. It’s a fact that on my way back from the conference I heard the fans in front of the entrance to the club, so I also wanted to thank them for their cheering and support throughout the 2023/2024 PKO BP Ekstraklasa season.

Mateusz Kochalski- the best goalkeeper of PKO BP Ekstraklasa in the 2023/2024 season. You can say that one of your dreams has been fulfilled, so what do you wish for the future?

The most important thing is to be healthy and avoid injuries, then I know I will be able to develop further.

Interviewed by: Mateusz Prokopiak