Before departing for Germany, Erik Janža was already thinking about Denmark: No one wants Slovenia to be ‘cemented’ after the first match
Photo: Žan Pak
Slovenian national team under the guidance of coach Matjaž Kek conducted their final training session on home soil before heading to Germany for the Euro 2024. The selected team will depart for Wuppertal in the afternoon, and of course, Erik Janža will also be on the journey, summarizing his thoughts after the final practice at the National Football Centre in Brdo pri Kranju.
“Of course, there are various expectations… But above all, we are all curious about what awaits us in Germany. What will our base be like, where will we stay, what will the pitches be like… Regardless, I think we have an experienced team, so I don’t expect nervousness. Just positive anticipation,” emphasized Erik Janža, admitting that thoughts have been focused on Denmark for some time, Slovenia’s opponent in the opening match of the Euro 2024 on Sunday in Stuttgart.
“Almost from day one, the primary goal has been to prepare for the match against Denmark, so we’ve been following that rhythm. During the preparations, we played two friendly matches, which provided us with information on what we still need to improve. We expect to be fully prepared by Sunday,” said the captain of the Polish Górnik, who is aware of the importance of the opening test in Stuttgart: “Although I haven’t played in such a tournament before, history teaches us that the opening match is of great importance for every team. On one hand, it can open the door wide to advancement to the knockout stages, but on the other hand, you can ‘cement’ yourself after the first match. We certainly don’t want that.”
Prekmurje native also realizes that success at the tournament is often determined by making the fewest mistakes. “That’s true. This is a tournament format where only three matches determine advancement. There is very little room for errors. Almost none. The matches ahead of us will be played on neutral ground, while we have experienced firsthand how dangerous the Danes can be on their home soil. But anyway, we need to focus primarily on ourselves, on our game. We must build on what we showed against Denmark in the home match, which ended in a 1:1 draw. If we can be even better than we were then, we will certainly have chances.”
With their departure to Germany, Slovenians will finally experience the real atmosphere of the tournament, which was not so prominently present during their stay under the Julian Alps. “We will probably get into it on Friday when everything starts for real. I have no doubt that watching the opening match will give us all a special feeling. It’s all very close now… But I don’t think we’ll have any problems with that. We have a professional staff with experience from major tournaments. I have no doubt they will address us properly, prepare us excellently, and fill us with positive energy,” concluded 31-year-old Erik Janža before the highlight of his career.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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