“I drove from Ostrava to Brest to come and sign: 2,000 miles was a long time! »: former Brestois Mario Licka opens the memory box

The day you arrived in Brest?

I remember it very well (laughs). I traveled by car with Tomas Micola (Brest player from 2010 to 2012) to come and sign. It’s 2,000 terminals to reach Ostrava, here in the Czech Republic, in Brest. It was a long journey, to the end of the world, to the other end of Europe. We were expecting English weather with rain and wind when we arrived but we were pleasantly surprised, I think the weather was fine. On the journey, what struck us was the marvelous nature that surrounds Finistère.

Your best match with Brest?

Maybe not the best but in a career, you often remember the matches in which you scored. And I didn't score much in Brest! So, I would say the one against Lyon (May 2011) when I made this volley which gave my team the equalizer. What I remember most is the atmosphere of the stadium, the fervor of the people: it was magnificent, wonderful.

The craziest moment?

During the first season, the day we became leader of Ligue 1 after our victory against Saint-Étienne 2-0 (October 30, 2010)! I even scored with a header (laughs). Everyone appreciated us, the supporters loved our courage. We were trying to play football, we weren't afraid of our opponents. It was a great time, the communion was beautiful. This season, Brest is experiencing an unimaginable feat with the Champions League. At the time, in 2010, being first in Ligue 1 for four weeks was the same as what the club is going through now: crazy stuff.

Your worst memory?

The downside of my stay in Brest was the facilities, unfortunately. With Tomas, when we arrived the first time, we were a little surprised… The professional conditions for playing football at a high level in Brest, there really weren't any. We only had one training ground, which was immediately destroyed when it rained for a few days in a row. It was quite difficult. A little anecdote: during the first training session, we were given the equipment but there was no towel provided to dry off after the shower. Everyone had to come with their own. We looked at each other: “Seriously? How so ? » (Laughs)

The strongest player you played with in Brest?

Steve Elana, I quote him first. I really liked him. He was very strong, he left for Lille afterwards, that’s proof that he wasn’t bad at all (laughs). It's a shame that at the time they couldn't have retained him and offered him better conditions, he deserved it. I think he would have stayed in Brest. Well, there was also Nolan Roux, Jonathan Zébina, Bruno Grougi, Omar Daf, Larsen Touré, Kamel Chafni. I met quite a few in Brest.

The day you realized that you were appreciated by the Brest public?

Every time I met supporters or my neighbors in Gouesnou. We stayed talking, people asked me for autographs. I imagined that I was one of the players loved by the public. The supporters asked to be real on the pitch, to give their all and that's what I always tried to do. I spent three wonderful years with my family in Brest. I was very well received, I felt at home. If I could have finished my career in Brest, I would have done so.

The place where you went to recharge your batteries in Brest?

There were a lot of them. The advantage of Finistère is that you can go left or right, you will come across a magnificent place. We changed regularly but I would say Landéda. When people talk to me about Brest, boom, I say that I'm in love with it, it was a real crush for me.

The day you left Brest?

It was in 2013… There is sadness because we are already going down to Ligue 2. It remained like a small tragedy at the professional level, we wanted to give back to the supporters what they gave and we had not managed to stay in Ligue 1, we had failed. Then, individually, I was not extended and I had to leave Brest. The end was sad for my family, for me to leave the club that I loved. I stayed living in Brest initially, for a month and a half, two months. I even trained with the Gouesnou club to stay in shape. But I ended up returning to Prague to sign up for Slavia. I got in the car and went the other way. I had not been extended at Brest because there was a change of president, of sporting director also I believe, of coach. They wanted to redo the framework, it was logical from Brest's point of view.

The day Brest qualified for the Champions League?

The same day I played with my team Dynamo Moscow

and we win 4-1 at home against Sovetov. I am the assistant coach of my brother Marcel and we played for the title until the last minute. Unfortunately, it escaped us the following week: we had to draw to be champions but we lost 1-0. Like Brest who qualified for the Champions League, it would have been a real achievement for us. When I learned that Brest would play in this competition, I was really happy for the club. I was afraid for this season, to see how they were going to manage to win Ligue 1 and the European Cup at the same time. But for now, what they are doing is superb. Already seven points in the Champions League, it's fantastic!