Branko Oblak is glad that Matjaž Kek doesn’t have the same worries he had: The legend claims that others were putting together the national team for him

Published on 11. June 2024 11. June 2024

Photo: Vid Ponikvar / Sportida

Every time Branko Oblak appears in public, it’s clear he’ll say something juicy, interesting, or comical. This time, he spoke to the newspaper Delo, and the central topic of conversation was, of course, Slovenia’s performance at Euro 2024. “I believe that the draw gave Slovenia a really tough group. If we qualify for the knockout stage, it will be a truly commendable success. I expect us to have the most defensive setup against England, which is understandable. Against Serbia and Denmark, however, we’ll need to be creative and show excellence in attack,” said the legendary Ljubljana native regarding Slovenia’s chances.

Branko Oblak also expressed his belief that preparatory matches against weaker opponents should not be a reason for any dissatisfaction, even if the result is not right. According to him, the only thing that matters is matches against stronger opponents. “For a footballer’s personality, it’s always good to win. But you learn the most when you play against strong teams. When I was the coach 20 years ago, we played a preparatory match against Germany, in the qualifiers, for example, against Italy; those were very demanding tests. That’s where you see if you’re strong enough or if you’re simply not at a serious football level,” subtly emphasized Branko Oblak, implying that Slovenia’s value is better reflected in victories against Portugal than, say, a draw with Bulgaria.

Among other things, Branko Oblak emphasized that coach Matjaž Kek is lucky because nobody “jumps into his cabbage.” When he himself sat on the Slovenia bench, it was different, emphasized one of the greatest Slovenian footballers of all time, who also left a significant mark in Germany, the host country of Euro 2024.

Branko Oblak: “They told me whom I could and couldn’t invite”

“My position was special at that time because I came at a special moment when others had already partially composed the national team for me. They told me whom I could invite and whom I couldn’t. That was an instruction from the top, after some players fell out with coach Srečko Katanec, so we’re talking about Zlatko Zahović and some others,” explained today’s 77-year-old Branko Oblak to Delo.

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Born in 1947, the former Yugoslavian international added: “The then federation president Rudi Zavrl advised me to invite younger players with a clear conscience. They were really starting to establish themselves in the national team at that time, playing the first two matches at a very decent level. However, these guys were still too inexperienced to achieve significant results. The most important thing is that the team is built and grows from game to game. This is achievable only when the same players are constantly together. Constant changes in the national team do not bring success.”

Branko Oblak led the Slovenian national team from May 2004 to November 2008, during which time he recorded only 6 wins and suffered 10 defeats in 23 matches.