By Nick Said
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) – Success in elite sport can often be measured in centimetres and seconds and although Slovakia may be left to rue their misfortune with the latter, they leave the European Championship with heads held high and many new admirers.
A stunning 95th-minute overhead kick from England’s Jude Bellingham denied Slovakia a place in the quarter-finals and one of the most famous wins in their history, their fate later sealed by Harry Kane’s extra-time header.
There will be deep disappointment for Francesco Calzona’s side that they could not complete the job in 90 minutes, but overall this was a campaign of triumph as they escaped a tight Group E thanks to a 1-0 win over Belgium and 1-1 draw with Romania, and came within seconds of upsetting one of the pre-tournament favourites.
For many in the team, their stocks have risen considerably, with Slovakia under the radar coming into the tournament, but their gutsy, organised and skilful displays caught the eye.
Italian Calzona, 55, had never had a head coach role before taking Slovakia job in 2022, but should be given credit for his astute use of the talent at his disposal.
“I can only say that for me it is a great pride to coach such a team. Fantastic group, a unique commitment and attitude. I was lucky enough to meet these guys and they gave me enormous satisfaction,” Calzona said.
His team was built around their midfield three, led by the excellent Stanislav Lobotka, 29, who won man of the match awards in two of the group games.
Lobotka’s partnership with the 37-year-old Juraj Kucka and Ondrej Duda is vital for how Calzona’s side play and for most of the match against England’s vaunted midfield, they had the upper hand.
EFFICIENCY
Slovakia created 50 attempts at goal over their four games in Germany, currently have the fifth most balls recovered (158) across all teams and the fourth highest number of defensive clearances (81).
That suggests a team that is efficient on both attack and defence and no player in the competition has covered more grass than Lobotka, who recorded exactly 50 kilometres.
Ivan Schranz had not scored for Slovakia in almost three years coming into the tournament, so his three goals in four games were a big boost not only to his team, but also for the career of the 30-year-old from Slavia Prague.
Slovakia would have gleefully taken a round of 16 place ahead of the tournament, but for all their good work, those few seconds before the end against England will haunt them for some time.
(Reporting by Nick Said, Ed Osmond)
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