Kek’s assistant Boštjan Cesar encourages the national team and tells them: “The English aren’t aliens, and Slovenia’s victory isn’t a mission impossible”

Published on 22. June 2024 22. June 2024

Photo: Žan Pak

In Wuppertal, where the Euro 2024 team of Slovenia resides, the national team coach Matjaž Kek had an unusual task today. He met with representatives of the media, who were disappointed and somewhat angered because the day after the match against Serbia, they were unable to speak with Benjamin Šeško. Most were still in Munich then, and since Benjamin Šeško isn’t just anyone, the discontent is understandable. Nevertheless, Matjaž Kek decided to chat with the journalists and allowed his assistant to join them. Boštjan Cesar, a living legend of Slovenian football, played a crucial match against England for advancement 14 years ago. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the Slovenian national team failed. Boštjan Cesar believes that this time could be different.

“England is certainly not a walkover, but it’s true they haven’t shown what they’re capable of yet. They have a wide selection of players. I expect they may make some changes, but their overall strategy won’t deviate much. The English have a good team, they’re the favorites in the group, but we need to focus on ourselves and prepare well for their game. I’m confident the boys will play a good match,” said Boštjan Cesar ahead of the decisive moment on Tuesday in Cologne.

Boštjan Cesar confirmed that Jan Oblak, Timi Max Elšnik, and Adam Gnezda Čerin have certain issues, as they didn’t start training on Saturday, but fears that they might not play against the English are unnecessary. Overall, the legendary Ljubljana resident is pleased with how the Slovenian footballers are performing at Euro 2024.

Bostjan Cesar: “I truly believe!”

“The players were devastated after the match with Serbia. That’s how it is when you concede a goal in the last second. Yet the very next day, the guys reacted phenomenally. I think we’ve put that behind us and can prepare well for England,” said the long-standing member of Italy’s Chievo, who also told the players, “They shouldn’t be sad. It’s true we conceded a goal in the last minute, but we played a phenomenal game, so everyone here, including those in the stands or watching screens, can be proud of Slovenia.”

But how can we actually secure a victory against England, who many consider among the favorites for the ultimate victory? “Against England, we need to be physically well-prepared. I can praise our conditioning coaches; they did a good job at Brdo pri Kranju, so we were dominant in that segment of the game. We also need to keep possession and capitalize on attacking transitions. We have two fast forwards, and we can exploit that,” said Boštjan Cesar confidently, adding decisively, “I truly believe we’ll advance!”