Icon Hamsik, age factor and new tactics - Slovakia uncovered

The past clip Slovakia reached nan knockout stages of a European Championship they were swept speech 3-0 by Germany - but aft beating Group F favourites Belgium astatine Euro 2024, nan team's self-confidence is astatine an all-time high.

They judge they tin astonishment England successful nan past 16 successful Gelsenkirchen connected Sunday.

Slovakia are nary footballing minnow. After all, Czechoslovakia won nan European Championship successful 1976 pinch a line-up formed mostly by Slovak players.

However, reaching a European Championship quarter-final would beryllium nan biggest accomplishment for a state of 5.5m group since becoming independent successful 1993.

The team, nether Italian coach Francesco Calzona, group their sights connected reaching nan knockout stages and this tourney has galore players astatine nan highest of nan profession arsenic they look to yet fulfil nan expectations of Slovakia's fans.

There has arguably ne'er been a amended subordinate successful Slovakia’s history than Marek Hamsik.

The 36-year-old holds nan grounds for nan country's astir appearances (138) and goals (26) and is besides a fable astatine Serie A broadside Napoli.

He mightiness now beryllium retired, but Hamsik still plays a cardinal domiciled for Slovakia.

In July 2022, Slovakia were trying to find a caller coach aft a disastrous Nations League run during which they were beaten doubly by Kazakhstan. With a deficiency of home coaches, nan Slovak FA looked overseas but had a constricted budget.

That is erstwhile Hamsik came successful and recommended nan mostly chartless Calzona.

Calzona had ne'er worked arsenic a caput coach previously, but he was Maurizio Sarri’s adjunct and Hamsik knew him good from Napoli.

Calzona was appointed, overmuch to nan anger of immoderate Slovak ex-players and fans, who had doubts because of his inexperience successful a elder role.

It was besides a revolutionary measurement because Slovakia had ne'er had a overseas coach earlier different than Czech Pavel Hapal, who antecedently led Slovak nine sides.

Hamsik helps retired Calzona to this day.

He retired from shot successful May 2023 but returned 1 period later to play 2 much games successful qualifying - against Liechtenstein and Iceland - aft playmakers Ondrej Duda and Laszlo Benes were injured.

These days, Hamsik heads up his ain shot academy adjacent Banska Bystrica but is besides a personnel of Calzona’s unit arsenic his assistant.

He was mocked astatine nan commencement - not slightest because immoderate of his quotes successful Italian were mislaid successful translator - but Calzona’s spell has truthful acold been successful.

In Euro 2024 qualifying, Slovakia suffered only 2 constrictive defeats against Portugal, and were different convincing. Calzona has managed to instrumentality a clear tactical change.

Previously astatine large tournaments, arsenic successful their 0-0 tie against England astatine Euro 2016, Slovakia relied connected a packed defence pinch counter-attacks, which were not excessively systematic.

However, Calzona group retired to create a playing style that would suit nan champion Slovak players. He relies connected a variety of 4-3-3 which useful good particularly because of nan variability of nan midfielders.

Stanislav Lobotka is simply a protect midfielder who is besides awesome astatine passing arsenic good arsenic breaking done nan lines and being alert of what is going connected astir him. Juraj Kucka plays arsenic a box-to-box midfielder while Duda, seen arsenic Hamsik's successor, adds creativity.

Slovakia person go much unfastened and adventurous, these days usually trying to play retired from nan back.

That useful perfectly for Lobotka who, during nan build-up, tin besides displacement successful betwixt nan 2 centre-backs, Denis Vavro and Milan Skriniar. Both are comfortable pinch shot astatine their feet, while adding solidity.

Left-back David Hancko is besides a subordinate to look retired for.

He plays arsenic a centre-back for Feyenoord but starts connected nan near for nan nationalist squad and his spot lies successful supporting nan attack.

Slovakia person started to play pinch a higher protect line, trying to property correct up nan pitch.

Calzona believes successful an attacking style and managed to person nan players of his methods while creating a beardown enslaved pinch them.

In February, he accepted an connection from his erstwhile nine Napoli to coach them until nan extremity of nan season.

The Slovak FA agreed pinch this caretaker role, and Calzona signed a caller statement pinch nan nationalist squad until nan extremity of 2025.

After Calzona was appointed, location was a nationalist request for a procreation alteration successful nan nationalist team. Some of nan older players retired - including Hamsik - but Calzona has a mini excavation of players to take from.

That is why he still had to trust connected older and knowledgeable players successful immoderate positions. For example, right-back Peter Pekarik, 37, has 129 world caps and plays for Hertha BSC astatine nine level.

However, Pekarik is still successful a bully shape and has performed good astatine this tournament, neutralising Leandro Trossard successful nan opening triumph against Belgium.

Midfielder Kucka is only 4 months younger, but his obsession pinch eating good and a training programme has maintained his fittingness levels truthful he tin still look Europe's best.

In general, Slovakia has a comparatively aged team. This was visible during nan qualifying campaign, erstwhile nan mean property of nan starting line-up was almost 30, nan highest of each nan teams competing.

It is akin during Euro 2024; Slovakia's line-ups against Belgium and Ukraine had an mean property of 30.7.

It is clear Calzona will request to rebuild soon and immoderate younger players made it into his squad, specified arsenic Leo Sauer (Feyenoord, 18), Tomas Rigo (Banik Ostrava, 21), Tomas Suslov (Hellas Verona, 22) and Adam Obert (Cagliari, 21).

But location remains a problem astatine centre-forward, a position occupied astatine nan infinitesimal by Robert Bozenik aliases David Strelec, pinch nary talent pushing through.

Slovakia person players dispersed each complete Europe, pinch nan squad representing 12 different leagues, including nan Premier League and Serie A.

It intends players do not play pinch each different overmuch astatine nine level, though astir of nan cardinal men person been playing for nan nationalist squad for galore years and person developed a bully understanding.

Former Slovakia coach Jan Kozak complained he would for illustration to build nan broadside connected nan ground of bully section clubs, but that is not presently possible.

Champions Slovan Bratislava supply conscionable 2 players - Kucka and Strelec - and different mostly trust connected foreigners, while different teams person to waste their champion talent for profit.

Decent Slovak players often move to neighbouring countries specified arsenic nan Czech Republic, Poland aliases Hungary.

However, each 4 starting defenders and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka are products of MSK Zilina, wherever they were taught a passing crippled that has enabled Slovakia to play successful a different way.

Previous Slovakia teams were often criticised and fans would only move up successful ample numbers erstwhile nan squad had awesome results aliases faced a celebrated opponent.

Now, nan liking successful nan squad has grown, pinch TV viewership numbers for nan crippled against England expected to beryllium astir successful nan aforesaid region arsenic for nan nationalist crystal lucky team, which is mostly much popular.

While Slovakia were considered 1 of nan outsiders earlier nan tournament, players are assured and hoping to triumph nan state over.

After nan Belgium game, goalkeeper Dubravka said: "We each dream that we tin make our full federation proud."

In nan past fewer years, Slovakia has been a politically divided country, but Dubravka appealed to his chap citizens to beryllium much assured successful their shot team.

"Maybe group criticise america and deliberation we are not astatine nan level of apical football. But it's clip to extremity emotion for illustration a mini state and go much confident. That is besides my situation for group successful Slovakia. We request to beryllium connected nan aforesaid side," he added.