Barcelona, Sidibe and Narcis Pelach’s brilliant Stoke City ‘dream’ for 2025
Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach spoke at length on a range of different subjects during his pre-QPR press conference
Narcis Pelach managed to enjoy a change in surroundings and switch off from football for a period during this international break – but Stoke City is firmly at the forefront of his mind again.
“I went to Girona and Barcelona of course, to spend time with the family,” he explains. “It was good to switch off, from football, which is not easy. I ended up working, but I did have two or three days without football and being close to the family.”
Stoke are preparing for the resumption of domestic football and the small matter of a three-game week with which it coincides. First up, it’s a trip to the Championship’s bottom club Queens Park Rangers, who have won once in 15 league games and that came back in August. Pelach has been able to welcome all of his internationals back into training this week as the Potters look to keep their own promising form going.
One international, who is currently on the fringes of Stoke’s first-team squad, is Sol Sidibe, who captained England under 18s against Poland out in Spain during this most recent break, the final one of 2024. The son of Stoke favourite Mamady Sidibe has been in and around the first-team squad this season and teed up Million Manhoef’s winner at Plymouth earlier in the season.
