Jakub Jankto

There was no one around. After practice with Ascoli Calcio in Series B, I went to the gym, and when I wanted to go back to the locker room after two hours. I was completely alone. Teammates, coaches, custodians, all gone. They didn't expect anyone to stay that long, and they didn't notice me as they left. The gym and dressing room are two separate rooms and I found the room locked.

It happened in December, when it was cold in Italy, and it was freezing that day. I was only wearing a sweaty T-shirt, walking home would have taken a little over an hour and I still wouldn't have gotten into my apartment because I didn’t have my keys. They were in the dressing room, of course.

I couldn't think of anything else to do other than breaking the window. I climbed inside, took my things and left. The next morning I came across a custodian in the parking lot, getting his traditional smoke break. "Jakub, the cops were here yesterday,” he said. “Thieves broke into the room. But don’t worry, they didn't steal anything. Just letting you know."

I turned to him and said: "If you’re talking about the window, I broke it, not thieves."

The cigarette from his mouth fell to the ground as he leaned towards me. "Shut up, just shut up, don’t let anyone know."

I'm telling you this story for one reason only, because I think it shows I can handle myself. I'm not speculating, if I see an option, I'm going for it. Someone else in my place might have waited a few hours in front of the room, hoping someone would eventually show up or they might have actually gone for a walk across the town and tried to call some people at home. I did not. I saw a chance to sit comfortably in my car in just three minutes, so I chose an unconventional solution.

That’s exactly how I played football from the time I was young. I took the ball and did whatever I thought of. Against teams where the boys weren’t that good I could try, with a bit of exaggeration, whatever I wanted.

Nowadays, it's a little bit different, mostly because of responsibility. Especially in Italy. However, I always try to bring my very own mark to the game, at least offensively; something that always comes to my mind in that specific situation. That second when you have to make a decision, and you see right afterward whether it was right or wrong, is what I enjoy about football.

I never thought that I could be anything other than a football player. My same-age friends are now experiencing difficult times, struggling financially, not knowing what they want from life. I wouldn't want that. I have never had any doubts. And I didn't leave for Italy until I was 18.

In retrospect, I see how good it was that I had a clear goal. It would have done no good if I had pondered what would happen to me, or if I ended up on a construction site or cleaning somewhere if football didn't work out. Throughout my teenage years, my fuel was the knowledge that I was a good player. I decided games. Not one or two and then nothing. Out of 40 matches in a season, my performance decided 35. That's why I truly believed that one day I would be a football player. I had this one clear goal and I was aiming for it.

Problems appeared when I was going through puberty. I did what most children do at the age of 15. I caused some trouble. Every boy probably caused some trouble, but me and my friends got caught by the police while tagging. On the one hand, I had an unforgettable experience. On the other hand, I'm glad they caught us back then. I realized that there is no point in doing this anymore, because it only spells more trouble and perhaps leads to bigger ones. At that time, I'd even spent six months at Žižkov, where I got sent from Slavia. I still played well, but I was stupid.

Once I returned, I worked that much harder. Until my departure, two times a day. I dedicated everything to my dream. 

The results came. The season before leaving for Italy, I won three titles in three different age categories. My weekends sometimes looked like this: a match on Saturday and two on Sunday. It was too much, unhealthy, but it taught me to work at a rapid pace, to concentrate on every match even in such conditions. The following summer, I trained with our A-team, but the transfer to Udinese happened. Unexpectedly for me, I must say. Out of nowhere, my managers told me that there was this option and that the clubs had a deal.

Are you in or are you out? There was no reason to hesitate. Udinese knows how to work with young players. I saw a chance to get into big football through this club. My guess was right.