After Slovenia’s big win, Boštjan Cesar stepped on the brakes: “After Malta, we didn’t panic, but now we need to stay grounded”
Photo: Nik Moder / Sportida
Not even the coach of Slovenia, yet he signed one of its greatest and most resonant victories in its history. Boštjan Cesar replaced the mourning Matjaž Kek for the second time in a row and defeated Roberto Martinez, who prior to that had racked up 11 consecutive victories with Portugal. Despite his fantastic performance at Stožice Stadium, Boštjan Cesar did not want to fuel the passions.
“Phenomenal feelings after the victory. Many things were good. After the Malta match, we got our heads together and played as we know how. Congratulations to all the lads,” Boštjan Cesar initially said after the match, which Slovenia won 2-0 with goals from Adam Gnezda Čerin and Timi Max Elšnik, childhood friends, both from younger footballing years.
Cesar: “When you turn the audience to your side…”
The record holder for the number of appearances for Slovenia continued in a calm tone: “I didn’t panic after Malta. Some things were still good. Exceptional reaction, we spoke our minds, analyzed Portugal, and played a phenomenal game. First and foremost, we must stay grounded. Just as we didn’t panic after Malta, we won’t make a big drama out of such a victory either. There is certainly satisfaction and joy, but we remain on solid ground as the European Championship is coming up quickly.”
Boštjan Cesar also touched on the subject of fans. He wasn’t bothered by the fact that they greeted Cristiano Ronaldo with applause before the match, but he liked that some of them also booed him after the game. “Slovenian fans are amazing. It’s right to applaud Cristiano Ronaldo at the beginning. But when you turn the audience to your side… They were with us for the entire 90 minutes, and at the end, we also heard quite a few boos for Ronaldo. When it’s like that, then you know they’re breathing with you,” concluded the Ljubljana native.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet