On 10 March, the goalkeeper went through the pain of making a couple of mistakes and being substituted early in our UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg at Atletico Madrid.
Fast-forward to last weekend, and he was very much the hero with a full-length save to secure three vital points at Wolves. Leading 1-0 as we counted down the final few second of added time, Antonin launched to his left to keep out Joao Gomes’ free-kick, destined for the top corner. It could just be one of the biggest moments of the season.
Antonin sat down with presenter Ben Haines at Hotspur Way on Friday to talk Molineux, the road back from Madrid, routine, the goalkeeper’s union and life under Roberto De Zerbi…
Ben: How did it feel after the win at Wolves last week?
Antonin: “For us, it was exactly what we went for, not just in this game, but throughout the whole games. Eventually, last week, we finally made it. So, of course, it's a nice feeling. It's a game that now we just have to carry on.”
I know you're someone that always thinks team first, but for you personally, to make a save that helps the team at such a key moment, what was that like?
Antonin: “Yeah, very nice moment, especially with the spell of games before which I didn't play at all. Now, I finally got back to goal in three consecutive games. Of course, the feeling now for me is completely different. I'm just happy I could show it and prove that I feel well and that I'm prepared.”
Just in terms of the full-time feeling, once the whistle goes, I'm trying to remember, I think you see a massive hug with a load of the guys and then over to the fans. Did you feel that connection with the fans there?
Antonin: “Yeah, I think everyone is aware how important this moment is. Not just for us, it's for the club, it's for everyone. Of course, we got ourselves into this position. We definitely don't want to be in this (position). Now we are here and we need to get ourselves out of it. I think you understand what I mean by this. Don't look at it, just put in the effort and take the three points.”
You've had a good run of games now, but you had a really tough night in Madrid. Can you just talk to us about the process that you followed after that to get yourself in the right headspace again?
Antonin: “The process was the same after every mistake you make, of course. This was a bit different. It was a big stage. It was an important part of the season where it was a knock-off stage. It's very important because when it happens in a group stage, you still have seven games to play and to do again in the league as well, but here it's just two games. Of course, it had a big influence, which I'm aware of. That's the thing. If you always prepare the best you can and you do your best, then there is never any regret. This is what I did. After, I just kept going like I always do. It doesn't matter if it goes well or it goes bad like this. It's always just some period which will eventually end, and some better things will come back after. The important thing is just to be ready for what comes. Since I came, it wasn't going the way I wanted. This wasn't the first time, I don't mean in a game, but generally in life or in these things behind that would be not nice, but I think every person that has some difficulty, it's about not hiding but going through, take the lesson and carry on the same way.”
Fans won't get the chance to see this, but the grind that you put in week to week - is that the process you're talking about? Just going back to the things that you do every single day to make sure that you're in the right headspace to go out and give your best?
Antonin: “Yeah, it's one of those things. I think for me to then come back to the goal, even if something like this happens, and to have the confidence, for me it comes from the work that I put in. If I know that every day I do the maximum I can, which means if there is a game that I don't play, okay, after the game, which I didn't play, so in the morning I do some warm-up, after the game I have a lot of energy and it's another day to use wisely and get the most out of it. So, this kicking and then some kind of gym is part of it. For me, exactly these moments are the important pieces that when I come back again on the pitch in the game, then inside it's not like words of that I'm confident, that I feel well, that I'm calm, inside I'm calm and then the actions, everything, it's related to the inner feeling. As I say again, that comes from these moments.”
What is your group like in terms of the goalkeeping group, but also Fabian and Dean? It feels like you have a quite close group there…
Antonin: “I would say really, really close. I have to say that I've been through some clubs, had some coaches and to have this connection, not every coach is open to go after a game, that for example you lose or you draw, so they are on their feet the whole day, they make the warm-up, they do everything and then after a game they still go with me and they do these 30-40 minute sessions just kicking. I don't say that they are old or something, that they wouldn't have the energy to do it, but of course it takes a bit of this extra work, which I really, really appreciate. I'm grateful to have this kind of support behind because it's part of it.”
I know for you this is the job, right? The way that you see it is that you go out and you do this amount of work because you think it's the right thing and lots of players put in this amount of work and they want to go the extra mile, but what does it do to know that you've put that much preparation into what you do?
Antonin: “For me, I think there are two things behind. One is that, as I said before, I do my best every day. For every day there is a certain energy and a certain time that you can spend by training and all these things behind. Now I speak about the physical load, like on the pitch, in the gym and these things. I think one thing is the more repetitions you do, the more quality you're going to get. At the moment, you need it. It's not about hitting 95 out of 100. No, it's about trying to hit 100 out of 100. I think at these moments, that's the difference. For example, I have the ball on my feet and I can put it behind. For example, I put an assist or start a good attack. What if this is the one that I put properly because of the hours of training? These details are exactly the decisive thing at this level. This is, for me, the reason behind it. That's one. The second is, as I said, when you go out on the pitch in front of the fans, an important phase of the season, like for example we have now. I wasn't playing the whole season, but I just simply know that I did everything I could, and I feel so well.”
How have the fans been with you?
Antonin: “I'm not the type of guy who would read so much, but generally the energy that you feel is around me. I speak to my friends or to my parents or someone and they tell me that the fans support you. It looks very nice. Of course, I appreciate it, but if we speak about fans, what I really feel is that when you step on the pitch, like in the last game, 60,000, I didn't experience for a while to be out on the pitch, but when I was there, I felt we are not alone. It's like a big army going for the one goal that we have.”
Another thing that I noticed, matchday routine, you have a little bit of time before games where you'll just go and sit and be on your own. What are you doing to get ready then and what are you listening to ahead of games?
Antonin: “This is what I really like, not just before the games, but also during all the sessions in the gym and during the long drives in the car sometimes. A lot of music. For me especially, it's Czech music. It doesn't matter if it's Czech rap or old Czech songs which give me a good feeling. For example, I spoke to someone in the gym, he said this song sounds very old. I said, ‘yeah, this is the one that I listen to when I come to my grandparents’. This is what they have on the radio. When I hear it now in the gym, it really takes me back to where I come from and it gives me a good feeling. Before games, it's more like intentional music, like some rap to feel well.”
How have thing been under Roberto De Zerbi? We go into a massive game this weekend. How does the group feel at the moment? How much did last week help?
Antonin: “Yeah, I think very well. That's probably all I will say because I think there is no big point to say how much we work, how good we feel, how much we do and how much we care. It's about then eventually stepping on the pitch and those 90 minutes, doing the best we can and to show everyone. I think if we show them, then people are going to see and they're going to appreciate. After, if they ask, we're going to say, yeah, this is because of that work. That's the same like me. If you wouldn't ask me, I wouldn't tell you how much I work or how important it is or something. No, still it's some reason just to then when you get on the pitch to have the quality to show. This is what matters for everyone, not just how much you train or something. Yeah, for me it's important, but no one cares. It's about showing the quality on the pitch. The same is in this situation. We do good stuff. I really believe it because I think we have the team that suits this style a lot and we just need to show.”