EURO 2024 Team Guide - Group E - Slovakia
Qualifying for their third successive EUROs, Eduardo Tansley talks us through their experienced squad, quality defence and coffee-selling manager
Country:
Slovakia
FIFA World Ranking:
48
Qualification Record:
2nd Place
W7, D2, L1
Goals For – 17
Goals Against – 8
Group:
Group E
Highest Ever Euros Finish:
Round of 16 (2016)
Previous Euros Appearances:
2
Top International Goal Scorer (in Squad):
Juraj Kucka and Ondrej Duda (13)
Squad:
Preliminary Squad:
Goalkeepers: Martin Dubravka (Newcastle), Marek Rodak, Henrich Ravas (New England Revolution), Dominik Takac (Spartak Trnava).
Defenders: Peter Pekarik (Hertha Berlin), Milan Skriniar (Paris Saint-Germain), Norbert Gyomber (Salernitana), David Hancko (Feyenoord), Denis Vavro (Copenhagen), Vernon De Marco (Hatta), Michal Tomic (Slavia Prague), Adam Obert (Cagliari), Matus Kmet (AS Trencin), Sebastian Kosa (Spartak Trnava).
Midfielders: Juraj Kucka (Slovan Bratislava), Ondrej Duda (Hellas Verona), Patrik Hrosovsky (Genk), Stanislav Lobotka (Napoli), Matus Bero (Bochum), Laszlo Benes (Hamburg), Jakub Kadak (Luzern), Dominik Holly (AS Trencin).
Forwards: Robert Bozenik (Boavista), Lukas Haraslin (Sparta Prague), Tomas Suslov (Hellas Verona), Ivan Schranz (Slavia Prague), David Strelec (Slovan Bratislava), David Duris (Ascoli), Robert Polievka (Dukla Banska Bystrica), Lubomir Tupta (Slovan Liberec), Leo Sauer (Feyenoord).
The Gaffer:
Francesco Calzona (Appointed: August 2022)
Gaffer Bio:
Calzona’s playing career peaked at Serie B outfit Arezzo, where he made three appearances in total.
After three seasons at Arezzo, the then 30-year-old midfielder moved to sixth-tier Italian club Tegoleto and notoriously started selling coffee.
The Tuscany-based side saw the makings of a coach in Calzona and offered him a player-coach role, however Calzona was locked in with the coffee business at the time so declined and instead recommended his good pal, one Maurizio Sarri.
Sarri, the later Serie A and Europa League champion, managed there briefly and would go on to recruit Calzona as his assistant manager. The partnership oversaw stints at Perugia, Alessandria, Sorrento, Empoli and three years at Napoli.
When Sarri left Napoli for Chelsea, his right-hand man Calzona stayed in Italy to assist Eusebio Di Francesco at Cagliari and then returned to Naples as an assistant to Luciano Spalletti.
The relationships Calzona built at Napoli proved consequential, as he was ultimately recommended for the Slovakia job by the Napoli and Slovakia record appearance holder, Marek Hamsik (and his unforgettable mohawk).
He became boss of the Slovakia team, his first head coach role and the first non-Czechoslovak to do so, in the summer of 2022, the summer before Napoli won their first Scudetto in 33 years.
However, just a season later, having sacked two managers since the departure of Spalletti, Napoli needed help and Calzona was the caretaker they called on to see out the 2023-24 season.
"The Slovak Football Association is aware this is a non-standard decision that may cause concern among the public," said the governing body at the time.
"However, it also understands the exceptional relationship of Calzona to the club where he worked for a long time and wants to help him in the current difficult situation.
"Calzona has repeatedly declared that the main priority of his activity remains the Slovak national football team and its preparation for Euro 2024."
His first game as Napoli boss was a hard fought draw against Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16, comparable to the tight contests his Slovakia side gave Portugal in qualifying.
In the end, the Falcons only lost to Portugal in qualifying and showed they pack an espresso-like punch en route to their third straight European championships.
Who Could Do with Him?
Off the back of his resignation as Lazio gaffer, maybe Sarri could do with his right-hand man back, although it looks like Calzona is way on the way to a managerial career of his own.
The likes of Norway and Sweden might not want to commit to a foreign manager like Slovakia chose to, but perhaps if they had the shrewd Calzona in their ranks they would have fared better in qualification to the Euros.
Formation / Style of Play:
4-3-3 / 4-1-4-1
Despite being a strong physical presence with good aerial ability, Calzona’s side are capable of taking control of games with patient build-up play, in which usually one of the midfielders drops deep to make a back three and the full-backs push on.
It is when they reach the midfield phase, with the support of the full-backs, the team increases their tempo having beaten the initial press.
Against high-quality opposition at the Euros, they won’t be afraid to adopt a mid-block and play more directly, but most of the time a noticeable style is an increase in tempo once they progress through the thirds.
Strengths:
The Falcons bring a vastly experienced squad to the Euros with their midfield trio of Lobotka, Duda and Kucka having over 200 international appearances between them.
League winner with Inter Milan and PSG, the skipper Milan Skriniar anchors a solid defence who only conceded eight goals across qualification. Elsewhere David Hancko, who is likely to start at left-back, is regularly linked with moves to the Premier League.
Their qualification campaign also saw various players get on the scoresheet, 11 in total compared to group favourites Belgium only having seven different goalscorers. Finishing with three goals across five games, Lukas Haraslin was their top scorer overall.
Weaknesses:
Despite having a mix of goalscorers and attacking contributions, they lack attacking prowess and a clear talisman. Striker Robert Bozenik bagged nine across 31 Portuguese top-flight appearances this season, which isn’t bad but not prolific.
Their experience could also be seen as an ageing squad, with anyone under the age of 24 unlikely to start ahead of the expected starting XI.
Let’s also hope that despite the Slovakia FA’s claim that Calzona’s priorities were still with the national team this season, the squad’s preparations weren’t negatively impacted by the Italian balancing the Napoli job over the past few months.
Player to Watch:
David Hancko –
A key part of Arne Slot’s league-winning Feyenoord side, David Hancko is a player with eyes on him from Premier League outfits – currently linked with Leicester City. With left-footed centre-backs being a rare commodity, Hancko takes it one step further, also having the ability to play at left-back as he does for country.
Full-backs are a key part of the Falcons attacking play, leading Hancko to register two goals and three assists, as well as four clean sheets, in qualification. Transfermarkt currently values him at 35 million Euros and a strong performance at the Euros could see a club pay that kind of money for his services.
One for the Future:
Leo Sauer –
At 18-years-old Leo Sauer became the youngest ever player to play for Slovakia’s national team, when he appeared as a substitute against Norway in March. It was brewing as Calzona, the former coffee salesman, gave him his first call-up at age 17.
The Feyenoord winger will now appear at his first of presumably many Euros after making two Champions League appearances this season and bagging twice in the Eredivisie.
Unlucky to Miss Out:
Robert Mak -
The top international scorer in the squad would have been Robert Mak, if the forward had been called up. Despite having 81 appearances and 16 goals under his belt for Slovakia, the 33-year-old was left out of Calzona’s plans.
He wouldn’t have been close to the oldest player in the squad either, with 37-year-old Peter Pekarik taking those honours, and would have joined the five 30+ year-old players selected.
So despite 10 goals across 27 appearances for Sydney FC this season and having played his part in the qualification campaign, there was no return of the Mak this time.
Likely Line Up:
Dubravka; Pekarik, Skriniar, Vavro, Hancko; Lobotka, Duda, Kukca; Schranz, Bozenik, Haraslin.
Fixtures:
Matchday 1 – Belgium vs Slovakia – 17th June
Matchday 2 – Slovakia vs Ukraine – 21st June
Matchday 3 – Slovakia vs Romania – 26th June
Verdict:
With Belgium likely to progress top of Group E, Slovakia will be in the fight for second place along with Ukraine and Romania. Of course, there is an avenue to qualify through third place if they pick up enough points, but progression either way will be a tough task.
Romania come into the group unbeaten in qualification but equally lack a goal threat, meaning this could be a tight game decided by fine margins. While Ukraine took points off Italy and England in qualifying and bring with them big names such as Mykhaylo Mudryk and Andriy Lunin. Due to this Slovakia are probably favoured to finish fourth in the group but there is a world where they can progress in third, by beating Romania and nicking points off either Ukraine or Belgium.
Eduardo Tansley (@tansleyeduardo)