Matjaž Kek believes in a positive future for the Slovenian national team: “Mature, positive, and optimistic. But they can also be much better!”
Photo: Luka Vovk / Sportida
It was nice while it lasted, but now everything is starting over again. But if the morning shows the day, then beautiful times are still ahead for Slovenia. Well, we thought the same back in 2010 when a generation of exceptional individuals returned home from the World Championship in South Africa, led by Samir Handanović. Matjaž Kek was also on the bench, and we know what followed. Those boys never saw a major competition again. We have no doubt that Matjaž Kek learned a lot back then and that his experiences will help him make this time different. That we will continue to see a generation of boys in action for whom Euro 2024 is just the beginning and not the end.
“Every beginning of a new cycle brings certain questions, and the best answers always come from the field. I am extremely pleased that in these few days of work, I have observed players who are mature, who think positively, and who are also aware of their qualities. At the same time, they respect the opponent, but they also understand that they have a lot of room for improvement and development. This group can be much better,” Matjaž Kek emphatically stated at the last press conference before the match against Austria in the first round of the Nations League.
The Slovenian coach continued before the match in Stožice, for which more than 14,000 tickets have already been sold: “As for Austria, we are facing an opponent we know well; we have already played against them. Their organization and football system bring them results, and Slovenians often look beyond the northern border in their thinking. Personally, I am more of a supporter of my own ideas and solutions, but in any case, we have a good, quality match ahead of us. Before the match, we were, of course, primarily thinking about ourselves, and we certainly have enough information and data about Austria.”
Matjaž Kek: “Why shouldn’t we seize this opportunity?”
In the continuation of the meeting with journalists, Matjaž Kek touched a bit more on Austria, which is currently ranked high at 22nd place on the FIFA ranking: “They are definitely a good practice example. Personally, I always like to learn and seek information from those who are good. Their football organization system, their approach, even the professional one, has brought them results. We do not only give them recognition; all of Europe is talking about them. They showed their qualities through the qualifiers and were also very good at the European Championship. This time they are missing a few players, which is more or less normal at the beginning of each season. However, they will be weakened in defense, while their greatest strength remains in the midfield and attack. There, their power is intact. It is thankless to talk about individuals; they are strongest as a team, as a group with their own idea. That makes it easier to replace someone who is missing. We are facing a quality, aggressive Austria.”
Of course, it is not only Austria that is on the rise, but also Slovenia. And if the latter is like it was in Germany, there should be no doubts about what times lie ahead for our national team. “I think we have been together long enough for the players to grasp everything; after all, our idea was confirmed at the European Championship. Slovenia cannot play in any other way than with a sufficiently high level of discipline, organization, and idea. When you have the ball, you must find solutions in a quality way. At the same time, you need to prepare for every opponent, but also think about yourself. At this moment, perhaps the biggest problem is the pitches, which are not ideal, but that applies to everyone. If I draw a line under the preparations, I am satisfied. The boys seem more mature to me. You cannot live on past glory; everything we have achieved will need to be confirmed in the future. The challenge is real right from the start. We certainly have the next big competition in mind, and one of the paths leading there is also the Nations League. And if it were possible, why shouldn’t we seize this opportunity?” Matjaž Kek optimistically approaches the new challenges that will begin on Friday evening in Ljubljana against Austria.
<img class=”size-full wp-image-98592″ src=”https://planetnogomet.si/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matjaz-kek-44.jpg” alt=”Matjaž Kek” width=”800″ height=”416″ /> Photo: Luka Vovk / Sportida
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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