Facing camels and 28-degree heat before Christmas
24.12.2024
Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané, Karim Benzema, and the league's top scorer and his former teammate Aleksandar Mitrović. These are just a few of the star names Marek Rodák faced in the opening half of the season in the Arab world. How does he assess this major decision in his career?
After over eleven years on the British Isles, Rodák experienced a lot. He performed well in Fulham's academy and youth teams, and his senior career was supported by loan moves.
He played a significant role in helping Fulham achieve promotion to the Premier League twice. However, his departure left a bitter taste, as despite his long-standing connection to the club, he never got a real chance to play regularly in the world’s top league.
Slovak goalkeeper Marek Rodák now finds himself at a new chapter. In the summer, he transferred to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq, where he can continue to challenge himself against some of the best footballers in the world, as the country's football league is experiencing a tremendous boom in recent years.
Compared to his time in England, the 28-year-old from Košice is enjoying one notable change these days: he can spend Christmas at home with his loved ones, although, as always, his time there is brief.
An interesting fact: Slovakia's first- and second-choice goalkeepers may soon both be playing in the same country and league again. There’s certainly a lot to talk about with Rodák, as he fulfills one of his main goals.
What are your thoughts on returning to Slovakia from Saudi Arabia?
“It’s great. I didn’t know what to expect, but it has confirmed that the league there is of good quality and is progressing. We started the season successfully, then had a rough patch, but we ended on a high by winning the derby. I hope we can build on that and climb the table.”
You left Fulham because you wanted to play regularly. You’ve now played every minute in the league. A nice change, right?
“Definitely. Playing regularly was one of my main goals. There are a lot of matches, as we also compete in two cup competitions, so it’s been quite demanding.”
You celebrated your 28th birthday on December 13. Would you say your best goalkeeper years are yet to come?
“I hope so. For goalkeepers, it often happens that they mature after their thirties. I believe my performance will continue to improve.”
Saudi Arabia's top league is also called the Premier League, just like in England. Can you compare them?
“It’s hard to compare directly, but when you look at the quality of players, especially foreign ones – and the strikers I face – they’re world-class footballers. In this respect, it’s comparable. Overall, from a tactical perspective, not yet.”
“I think in a few years, it could be different. The level will definitely be very high, as evidenced by the fact that Saudi Arabia has been awarded the 2034 World Cup. Football is thriving there, and they aim to make their league one of the best in the world.”
The league consists of 18 teams. Are there big differences between them?
“Yes. Four teams are government-owned with unlimited budgets, and they can afford to sign top players. After that, you have teams like ours, Al Shabab, and perhaps one or two others that can match them in terms of player quality.”
“Despite this, it’s still a relatively balanced league. Each team can have a maximum of eight foreign players, and even the smaller teams utilize this quota to the fullest. While some names might not be as well-known, a lot of them are Brazilians or other skilled players.”
“If lower-tier teams defend well, it’s tough to play against them. For example, Al-Hilal with Neymar, Mitrović, and several other star players lost to Al Khaleej, a team we beat at the end of the autumn. Every team in this league knows how to play football.”
Ronaldo’s goal started a crisis
After three wins at the start of the season, you faced Al Nassr with Cristiano Ronaldo in the fourth round. You managed to stop him on several occasions, but he did score against you – from the penalty spot.
“That moment was unfortunate. We started well and had a few chances. After the penalty, it became harder in the second half. We tried to respond with a goal, but we conceded a second and then a third.”
“Playing against Ronaldo definitely counts. It was a tough match, and Al Nassr has other great players too, like Sadio Mané, Aymeric Laporte, and others. We had the opportunity to get something from the game, but individual quality made the difference. They scored, and we didn’t.”
After the loss to Al Nassr, you went on a nine-match winless streak in the league. You broke that with a victory at Al Khaleej. You’re currently 11th in the standings. Is Steven Gerrard’s job under threat?
“I don’t know. I don’t really follow the media that discuss it, although I’ve heard a bit. Coach Gerrard is a big personality in the local world. It’s safe to say that it wasn’t his fault.”
“We, the players, didn’t perform as we should, and especially, we weren’t scoring goals (after 13 rounds, Al-Ettifaq had only 11 goals). Our cup performances helped a bit, as we won during those breaks between league games. I hope that after the break, we can start performing better in the league.”
Gerrard was an iconic player for Liverpool. How would you describe him as a coach?
“He’s a big professional who commands respect. He maintains a distance from the players and doesn’t try to be friends with them. I believe he has the potential to become a great coach.”
Just before the end of the year, you faced league leaders Al-Ittihad, who also have stars like Karim Benzema. Was it harder to play against him or Ronaldo?
“Hmm... Probably Benzema, who was more mobile and involved in the game. In our match, he was more dangerous than Ronaldo.”
Which teammates do you get along best with? For example, Moussa Dembélé, whom you know from Fulham?
“Yes, we grew up together at a young age. I get along very well with Jack Hendry, the Scottish player. He’s a leader in our defense, but he’s been out due to injury. He’ll be back in January, so it’ll be a big help for us. All the guys are cool. Even the local players, who are improving in quality, are quite friendly.”
How do you assess the fan support?
“If I’m talking about our club, it’s not exactly how I imagined. My teammates told me that everything depends on results, and when they’re favorable, the stadium fills up. It’s a different situation with the bigger clubs. Al-Ittihad fills their stadium with 50,000-60,000 fans, and the atmosphere is said to be even better than in Europe. I haven’t played there yet, so I’ll tell you if that’s true next time (laughs).”
What off-pitch experiences have you had in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in the almost five months you’ve been there?
“There hasn’t been much. We’ve played almost every third or fourth day. I went to see the camels with my daughter Elisse and went fishing once. I’ve been to Bahrain twice just to relax. I can say that I’m quite happy with how things have been going.”
After a long break, you’re spending Christmas in Slovakia. That’s a significant change, isn’t it?
“Indeed. When I left Saudi Arabia, it was about 28 degrees, and when I arrived here, it was just below zero. They don’t celebrate Christmas there, so I’m very happy to be here with my family.”
“In England, we still played during this period. On December 24th, we were at home, but the next day we often spent in a hotel if we played away on Boxing Day. There were many matches, so the time passed quickly.”
What does your Christmas Eve table look like?
“Just like in most Slovak homes. There’s potato salad, fish, and everything else that comes with it. The amount of food I eat depends on when the next match is.”
What’s next for you after Christmas?
“I’ll be home until December 26th. After that, we’re heading to Abu Dhabi for a few days of training camp. Afterward, we’ll prepare at home.”
Your national team colleague Martin Dúbravka is reportedly heading to Saudi Arabia too. He recently played for Newcastle in the league and cup, but there are reports that he’s agreed to terms with Al Shabab. Do you know anything about that?
“We haven’t spoken recently, so I don’t know much. He mentioned some interest back in the summer, and I think it was from the same club. I’m not sure how it will play out with Newcastle’s first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope injured and ‘Heco’ (Dúbravka’s nickname) starting to play again. It will depend on the club whether they let him go and whether he wants to leave.”
Would you be happy if another Slovak, whom you know well, joined the Saudi league?
“Definitely. If we talk, I can give him some advice or share my perspective. But it’s up to him to decide if he’ll follow the same path or not.”
As the year 2024 comes to a close, what was your strongest football moment?
“Probably my transfer. I played in a few good matches, both for the national team and in Fulham’s cup games. I also had some solid performances in Saudi Arabia. I could have played more, but I’m overall satisfied.”
The biggest event of the year was EURO 2024. The team, which you were part of, came very close to a huge success, almost beating England in the round of 16. What reactions did you get?
“A lot of people wrote to me, saying it was great. They didn’t expect us to challenge such a strong football nation so much. Even after some time, I must say it’s a big shame. We were so close, and we could have knocked out one of the tournament’s favorites.”
Slovakia’s 2026 World Cup qualification group includes Germany or Italy, Northern Ireland, and Luxembourg. What do you think about these opponents?
“I think we can be satisfied. We definitely have a chance. We saw how well we played at EURO 2024, where we gave tough teams a run for their money. Everything is open. We need to aim for first place or at least second and make it to the playoff.”
Source: www.sport.sk, Daniel Dedina • December 23, 2024
