The women’s national team coach Saša Kolman told Football Planet: “If anyone intends to underestimate us, we can quickly punish them!”

Published on 15. June 2024 15. June 2024

Photo: Urban Lesjak

While the men’s national team is on the verge of their baptism of fire at Euro 2024, the women have already fulfilled their international duties after the season’s end. And they did so with distinction. The women’s national team convincingly defeated Latvia twice and remains on track for a historic breakthrough – qualifying for a major tournament. We discussed the achievable dreams and how to attain them with the coach of the women’s national team, Saša Kolman, who took over the team last September and turned the results curve upwards. This discussion took place with Matjaž Škrjanec before he embarks on a well-deserved break after a challenging season.

The Slovenian women’s national team has shown really good results recently. How do you view the team’s growth and the development of women’s football in Slovenia in general?

It’s true, the team is growing from game to game, but we’re not completely satisfied yet. Now we have two more matches in League C where we aim to get all the points. As I said at the beginning, we are proving ourselves not only with results but also with our gameplay. The team executes their tasks well on the field, adheres to set goals, and I think this all ultimately reflects in the results we achieve. Regarding the development of women’s football in our country, many things are already good. I think we should perhaps do more in promoting the sport so that younger girls decide to play football. In the long run, this could lead to a larger pool of players.

Slovenia has several female players in the younger selections, some of whom are also proving themselves abroad. Are any of them on your mind for upcoming national team actions?

Definitely, we are in contact with them regularly. But in some cases, it’s not good to rush things. Unless, of course, it’s an exceptional talent, then there’s no need to think twice about calling her up. We have several talented female players in the youth selections, but as I mentioned earlier, we don’t want to rush things. Things need to happen naturally, as with the transition through the selections.

saša kolman lara prašnikar — Photo: Urban Lesjak

You have Mateja Zver in the team. She is considered a true legend of women’s football in Slovenia, there’s no shortage of accolades for her. Is it an honor to have such a player in the national team?

We know what Mateja Zver means to Slovenia. It’s definitely an honor to work with a player of her caliber and professionalism. I am no exception. She recently marked her 100th appearance for Slovenia in the last national team action. That alone speaks volumes. And I believe she will have many more appearances in the national team jersey. Her experience on the field is invaluable, she knows how to calm down many situations. Younger players have already learned a lot from her, and they will continue to learn a lot in the future.

Slovenia has been promoted to League B. We know that this will be followed by a play-off for qualification to Euro 2025 in Switzerland. Can Slovenia qualify for its first major tournament?

Yes, in football, you have to dream. We are now in a position to dream, but we are far from having achieved anything yet. We still have those two remaining matches in League C ahead of us. Theoretically, we haven’t secured first place yet, so it’s important to fulfill that goal first. I believe we can do it, but this is football after all. It’s important to know that when it comes to the play-off, we will face a team from League A. This automatically puts us in a position where we will need to surprise. We have proven in the past against stronger teams that we can stand our ground and even create some dangerous opportunities. Again, if anyone intends to underestimate us, I can say that we are capable of surprising anyone.

You took over the team in September last year. The squad is exceptionally young in terms of average age. Was this an additional challenge at the beginning?

I would say you always encounter challenges. This time it’s a young team, but we see that they play very maturely. These players have a desire for progress and learning. It’s great to work with them. We also have two or three more experienced players in the national team who are role models for these younger ones and, as mentioned earlier, excellent teachers.

Speaking of major tournaments. The men’s Euro 2024 has started. Any predictions on how far Slovenia can go?

As we discussed earlier, you have to dream. The team has reached the point of qualifying for the European Championship, which is already a great achievement in itself, but you always have to think about something bigger. The coaching staff is high-quality, we also have an exceptionally talented generation that is at the beginning of its ascent. I think you always have to think big, you should never just be satisfied with everything. Let’s be surprised, and I believe Slovenia can reach quite high.