Michal Kaluza, goalkeeper for Polish club Rekord Bielsko-Biala, discusses his return to futsal in his home country and assesses his sporting goals for this season
1. After six seasons in Burela, you decided to return to Poland this past summer. What will you take away from your time in Spain?
My time in Spain gave me a lot, not only in sporting terms, but it also changed me as a person. At just 20 years old, I went alone to another country where I had to learn the language and culture. It changed me a lot. I also met many wonderful people over the last six years with whom I am still in contact today. These are moments in the life of an athlete that go unnoticed but help a lot. However, I decided to return to Poland for personal reasons. Living six years away from my family is very difficult.
2. What do you think playing in the Spanish league has given you, in terms of sports?
I think I’m a completely different goalkeeper now. For six years, I had the opportunity to compete with the best players in the world. Of course, I made mistakes, but the opportunity to play and gain experience in Spain is very valuable. In addition to improving my technical skills, I became a more experienced goalkeeper.
3. Returning to your country and your club, how has it been coming back to Rekord Bielsko-Biala?
Rekord is like my second home. It’s a place where I grew up, so coming back was very nice. We’ve been back in our new arena for two months now and we have high expectations. I also want to help the club win back the national championship.
4. Fifth place after 21 games, how do you see the team?
We had a difficult start to the season due to several personal problems, especially injuries. We lost the Super Cup at the beginning of the season, which didn’t help us get off to a good start as a team. However, since December, we have almost a full squad with two new players. We are also lucky that everything in Poland is decided in the playoffs. We need to be in good shape in May. We still have a chance to win the Polish Cup.
5. With 42 goals conceded, you are the fourth least scored-on team. How are you feeling?
For a goalkeeper, how the defense plays is always important. We conceded 42 goals, the result could be better, but I can’t complain about our defensive play. It’s not our biggest problem this season. However, the most important thing is to concede as few goals as possible in the playoffs.
6. Looking ahead, what goals have you set for yourself?
Before we started this season, my goal was to perform at my best in Euro 2026 and win as many trophies as possible with Rekord. Some of my goals have already been achieved, and others are still ahead of me. As always in the life of an athlete, a new goal appears on the horizon. For now, they are the Polish Cup and the Polish Championship. There will be other goals for next season. I don’t want to think or plan any further ahead.
