Since the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia (1979 winners) on January 1st 1993, Slovakia are set to make their first appearance at the European championships as an independent nation.
Qualifying Form
They do so after an impressive qualifying campaign in which they finished second in Group C to secure automatic qualification, five points off of eventual winners Spain.
Repre will arrive in France on the back of six straight wins, and will be determined to take that momentum into their opening game of Euro 2016 against Wales on the 11th of June. Coach Jan Kosak has made it clear that his side will not be overawed in their first Euro tournament, or by their more seasoned Group B opponents (England, Wales and Russia).
“Underdogs? No, I don’t think so,” Kozak said.
“Because we will fight. We will be very hard to beat.”
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Euro 2016 – Slovakia coach spotlight – Ján Kozák
Euro 2016 – Slovakia star player – Marek Hamsik
Strengths
Much will be expected of Martin Skrtel, Marek Hamsik and Juraj Kucka – with each player regularly turning out for big European clubs. Skrtel has not played as often for Liverpool as late, but the centre-half will be a crucial figure for his country as they look to negotiate through the group stages. Napoli playmaker and star midfielder Hamsik will also be under to pressure to perform, and he tied as the top scorer in qualifying after netting five times in 10 games. Milan defensive-midfielder Kucka is also a senior member of the Slovakia squad and like the other two aforementioned key men, he played three games in the 2010 FIFA World Cup (despite not playing a single qualifying match). Kucka is the grit and graft to Hamsik’s flair and style, and should prove to be an effective foil and shield for Slovakia’s star man come tournament time. The 29-year-old is so solid, his club manager Sinsia Mihaljovic has gone as far as to say “Kucka…is great because he is like a tank, he’s very hard to challenge and goes into every tackle,” in an interview with Sky Sport Italia.
A recent Slovakian specialty is containing superstars, something that was clearly demonstrated when they handed a Spanish side packed full of them a 2-1 defeat in qualifying. All this was on their way to six straight wins, and an unprecedented qualification to the tournament.
Weaknesses
However, there are question marks over the strikers and squad age. The Slovakian provisional roster has an average age of 28 – arguably making them the most experienced footballing squad, with the least experience at major international competitions. With the English and Welsh outfits packed with stars such as Gareth Bale, Wayne Rooney, Aaron Ramsey, Harry Kane, Joe Hart and the like, Russia and Slovakia are the Group B outsiders to progress. Although, the team’s compact style and defensive endeavor should prove useful in this tournament, especially considering the attacking football favoured by opponents Wales and England, and their ability to hit teams with devastating counters, orchestrated by the irrepressible Hamsik, should also serve them well.
Prediction – Group Stage exit
It will be fascinating to see then, how this unfancied side (FIFA’s number 32), fare against 24th ranked Wales, 27th place Russia and the highest ranked of the group, England, who currently sit in 10th position. If Slovakia can defeat the Welsh in their first encounter, they will then have to negotiate the Russian threat before facing off against the Three Lions in a potential decider to ascertain if they will be able to escape the group. With Russia going down to Euro 2016 hosts 4-0 in a recent group game, Slovakia will surely target that encounter as the one they must win.
Time will tell whether or not they can produce another noteworthy performance in just their second major tournament appearance.
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