This article is part of the Guardian’s Euro 2024 Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 24 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 14 June.
Prospects
This is only the second time the national team will participate at the Euros, following 2000 when, led by Zlatko Zahovic and under the guidance of coach Srecko Katanec, they took a 3-0 lead against Yugoslavia but surrendered it to draw 3-3. Overall it will be Slovenia’s fourth appearance at a major finals after the 2002 and 2010 World Cup, but they have never got out of their group.
Qualifying for Euro 2024 was a significant achievement for Slovenia, and the team has the capacity to cause a surprise. They are in a group with England, Denmark, and Serbia and are expected to finish last but should not be underestimated.
Matjaz Kek is a pragmatic coach who leads the team with a firm hand, putting an emphasis on unity and hard work. “Being competitive is what interests us,” he says. “We are not among the favourites, which suits me just fine. There were a lot of people who seemed to smile when they got Slovenia in the group. They may come to regret that.”
Having got to the finals, there is no way Slovenia will change their game approach or tactics now. This team is based on collective effort and staying humble as they look for any way to hurt their opponents. Slovenia play in a 4-4-2 system, relying on a solid defence with the goalkeeper Jan Oblak a standout player. Their other key member of the squad is young Benjamin Sesko up front. The team have shown that they can beat the best, as demonstrated by their remarkable victory against Portugal earlier this year.
Back in Slovenia the game against Serbia will generate the most interest. Serbia are the successor to Yugoslavia, the country they both belonged to before the break up. And then there is that unfinished business from 2000 too.
The coach
Matjaz Kek took over Slovenia for a second time in 2018, with the aim of replicating the success of 2010 when he guided Slovenia to a major tournament (the World Cup in South Africa). He succeeded at the first attempt. The 62-year-old is one of the most respected coaches in Slovenia, having won domestic league titles with Maribor as a player and a coach. His greatest achievement in club management, however, came with Croatian side Rijeka when he led them to the league title in 2017, dethroning serial winners Dinamo Zagreb.
The Icon
Slovenia has a proud goalkeeping history and that continues with Jan Oblak. He replaced the longtime No 1 Samir Handanovic, who was one of the best keepers in Serie A, for the national team and has now more than 60 caps and is not looking to stop anytime soon. Oblak is a key figure for this national team and is ultra-competitive. He has been at Atlético Madrid for 10 years now and is coming off a good season in Spain, ready to fill a gap on his CV: some kind of success on the international scene. “I think I was born to be a goalkeeper. I don’t know how to explain it but I’m sure it is something inside me,” he told BBC in 2021.
One to watch
Well, this is one of the easier questions to answer when it comes to the Slovenian team: it can only be Benjamin Sesko. It feels like he is already an established international star, possibly on the verge of a big move to the Premier League, but he is in fact still only 21 and has just had his first season in the Bundesliga. Admittedly it took him half a season to settle at RB Leipzig but once he had started scoring, he didn’t stop. He ended the 2023-24 season by scoring in each of the team’s final seven league games. He is a threat to any team, including group favourites England.
The maverick
Scoring the decisive goal against Kazakhstan in the crucial Euro 2024 qualifying match was a moment of redemption for Benjamin Verbic, who has had a topsy-turvy career to date. After leaving Slovenia in 2015 he has played in Denmark, Ukraine, Poland and, now, Greece, but stability has been elusive so far. Went through a divorce with his Ukrainian wife, the fashion model Alvina Tsarenko, with the latter suggesting on social media that Verbic was not taking his responsibilities as a father seriously, an accusation which is now with his lawyers. Verbic is now back to his best focusing on his son and his football.
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The spine
The spine of this Slovenian side is strong and runs through Oblak in goal via the Udinese defender Jaka Bijol, whose great season has seen him linked with a move to Internazionale, the tireless Panathinaikos midfielder Adam Gnezda Cerin and up all the way to Sesko. Oblak and Bijol in particular have a very good working relationship at the back with constant communication key.
Probable starting XI
Celebrity fan
Despite his busy schedule in the NBA, the international basketball star Luka Doncic rarely misses a match of the Slovenian national football team. “Bravo!” Doncic wrote on X immediately after Slovenia had qualified for Euro 2024, which prompted a wave of enthusiasm among Slovenian sports fans. Doncic is a great patriot and can often be heard listening to Slovenian songs. He is a big supporter of all Slovenian athletes and has said he will try to watch a game live at the Euros.
Culinary delight
Slovenian cuisine is rich and is becoming increasingly prominent on the culinary map of Europe and the rest of the world. At football matches, however, Slovenians generally prefer traditional fan food with hamburgers and the Balkan favourite cevapcici (a grilled dish of minced meat) reign supreme at the stadiums. The first choice drink, of course, is Slovenian beer but wine spritzers are also popular.
The Slovenia team guide was written by Miran Zore for Nogomania
Source: theguardian.com
