Lara Prašnikar in an interview for Football Planet with an invitation forzdruženi navijači: “We are fighting for the EP, support would mean a lot to us!”
Photo: Eintracht Frankfurt Frauen (Lara Prašnikar - left)
When lovers of women’s football think of Slovenes abroad, one of the first players that comes to mind is undoubtedly Lara Prašnikar. Today, the 26-year-old Prašnikar left for Germany at just 18 years old, where she still scores goals today. Although she is only 26, she can already boast of having won the title of top scorer twice. This is no small feat in the exceptionally strong Bundesliga and shows that Slovenia has a truly exceptional striker.
Slovenia will begin its battle for qualification for the European Championship, with none other than the Eintracht Frankfurt forward as the main weapon in attack. As thoughts increasingly turn to the upcoming national team action, experienced Lara Prašnikar spoke with Matjaž Škrjanec.
You started your professional career abroad quite young. Is there a moment in your career that has marked you the most to date?
I would choose the moment I scored my first goal in the German Bundesliga. The match was played against Werder Bremen away, which was quite a distance, so we traveled a day earlier. I remember I was sick, but I didn’t dare to tell anyone. I knew I would be in the starting lineup. If I had mentioned my illness, I probably would have stayed at the hotel or not gone to the away match at all. I played that match on aspirin. We celebrated a victory in that match, and I contributed two goals and an assist. Later, I was quite sick for two weeks… But I learned that sometimes you just have to speak up about such things. I took a significant risk, and I think that moment marked me a lot.
You have previously played for Turbine Potsdam in Germany, and you are currently with Eintracht Frankfurt. In your opinion, what are the biggest differences between playing in Germany and Slovenia?
There are of course huge differences. We’re talking about stadium infrastructure, training facilities, media coverage, match spectators, and of course, the game itself. First and foremost, the game is much faster here, and there is a greater emphasis on physicality. Because of that, technique also comes to the forefront. To summarize, everything is simply at a higher level. One must be quite calm mentally to manage it all. Since everything happens so quickly, you have to be ready to react really fast.
With Eintracht, you also participated in the elite Champions League last season. Would you say that the move to Eintracht was a step forward in your career? Have you noticed progress as a player?
The move to Eintracht was planned by me, my family, and my agent. We knew that something was developing at Eintracht that would be excellent for me in the long run. The beginning, like any, was of course not easy. However, we strive to progress every year. We have now secured third place for several seasons in a row. Last year, we qualified for the Champions League. So I can say that progress is noticeable. I am growing as an individual, and we are also growing together as a team.
How important do you think the role of women’s football is in Germany compared to Slovenia? What changes would you like to see in the development of women’s football in our country?
It is normal that there are also differences here between men’s and women’s football. We play in smaller stadiums, and fewer spectators come to our matches than to men’s. We know that most men’s matches are sold out. Almost every club already has a women’s team; a lot is being invested in women’s football, and efforts are made to follow global trends. However, we cannot say the same for Slovenia. Many larger clubs do not have a women’s team, which I find very embarrassing for a country like Slovenia.
Although you are still young, you already have a long and successful career behind you. What are your long-term goals?
First and foremost, of course, I want to stay healthy. We spend a lot of time on preventing injuries, which ultimately means that my career can last as long as possible. I certainly want to be successful and in shape. To get into shape and then maintain it for as long as possible. I also want to be the best in statistics; for instance, I have already been the top scorer in the German Bundesliga twice, which is a very big thing. Now I want to get back on a path I have already been on. I believe I am doing well at the moment and that I will be able to play for a long time.
Bojan Prašnikar was a football player and coach; you have that in the family. When the time comes to end your playing career, do you see yourself in a coaching role? If not as a coach, perhaps in some other role in football?
I think I see myself in a coaching role. It seems to me that my personality is oriented towards coaching. Not exclusively because we have that in the family. I see myself as smart; football is in my blood, and I would say that I see things in football that others might not. I have had quite a few coaches from whom I have learned a lot, and I can say that I see myself in coaching after my career.
Of course, we cannot overlook national team football. The first match against Austria is approaching; how are you preparing for such an important moment?
I think that preparation before such matches is extremely important. In such cases, you must trust your coaches and the people preparing you. In the national team, you do not prepare alone; we have joint analyses and training sessions, which unfortunately are not numerous. We know that the national team spends very little time together. Therefore, you must maximize these training sessions. However, it is also necessary to trust the coaches, teammates, and ultimately yourself. We go into every match aiming to win, so why shouldn’t we achieve that against Austria?
Austria is considered an exceptionally strong national team. What do you think are Slovenia’s advantages that you need to capitalize on for a positive result?
It is true that the Austrian national team is very strong. All the players play, if not in Germany, then in other top leagues worldwide. I can say that they have a very experienced national team. However, I would like to emphasize that we have also been playing together for a few years. While we are considered a young national team, all the girls in the national team have practically been here since they were 17 or 18.
This will probably be one of the most important matches for the Slovenian women’s national team in recent years. How do you view this match?
For me, this will be one of the most important matches of my career. I am very much looking forward to the match, and I think we can all believe in this fairy tale that we have been writing for a good year now. We can only ask ourselves why we couldn’t be successful against the Austrian national team.
Prašnikar was the top scorer in the Euro qualifiers. Photo: Eva Hochstätter[/caption>The Slovenian women’s national team has been on an incredible rise in recent years. Since you are one of the more experienced players in the national team, we are curious where you see the biggest progress in the team?
We have always been, let’s say, a good ”group”. I think the quality has grown tremendously. I see it in training sessions; every player is pushing the limit. Not to mention that everyone is maturing. Many girls were still inexperienced when we first met, but now we are all at a much higher level. With these girls, I truly believe we can do something significant.
What do you wish for the national team in the upcoming qualifiers?
I wish for the national team to remain healthy, as it is the most important thing in sports. I wish for every girl to have the opportunity to express herself, and I believe that everyone has something to contribute to the national team. Also, I hope that our group remains strong and that we can continue to develop and grow together as a national team.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet