Kevin Kampl regrets not playing with Slovenia in a major tournament, but the midfielder also emphasizes that the decision was the right one
Photo: Vid Ponikvar / Sportida
To Kevin Kampl would have been quite useful for Matjaž Kek is beyond doubt. There’s always room for good players. And Kevin Kampl is a good player… So good that he could have played at Euro 2024? Without a doubt. The RB Leipzig member regrets not being able to play for Slovenia at the major tournament, yet insists that the decision to retire from international duty was still the right one.
“There were periods of sadness due to my decision. Moments when I wondered if it was right. But in the end, I still think it was right for me. Everyone at the club and around me knows the issues I had with my left foot, especially the ankle. Every time there was national team duty, I had to have an injection in my foot. It was far from pleasant for me. But yes, I wouldn’t change that decision now to play for the national team alongside the club,” said 33-year-old Kevin Kampl to Sportal.
Kevin Kampl: “Rade called me often”
The footballer, born in Solingen to Slovenian parents, continued regarding playing for Slovenia: “Of course, on one hand, I’m sad because I really would have liked to play for Slovenia and be part of the moments when they qualified for the Euros. It’s evident that they’ve done something good in recent years. The coach has done an excellent job with this young team. You can see they’ve changed something, progressed together. They’ve achieved what was sometimes lacking in my time. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way in my days to make it to a major tournament. I’m very happy they are going to the Euros in Germany. I’ll watch every game,”
Regardless, the chances of the former Borussia Dortmund player returning to the national team are nil. “Rade (NZS president Radenko Mijatović, ed. note) often called me. He also wrote to me frequently, asking if I would come back. I told him that I would like to do so and that I’ve thought about it multiple times. But it’s also clear that it wouldn’t be great for my left foot. It wouldn’t work. I’d never do something where I’d join a team that played in the qualifiers and then join them in the tournament. The team qualified for the Euros, so that team has to play in that tournament. I’ll be their big supporter. I sincerely wish them to have a good tournament. Slovenia, I wish you all the best,” firmly emphasized Kevin Kampl, who played 28 games and scored 2 goals for Slovenia.
Photo Source: RB Leipzig
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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