SFZ did the statistics. They think that Hungary is worse off on average – ŠPORT.SK

yesterday 18:20 | Before Sunday’s EURO 2024 qualification draw in Frankfurt, the Slovak national football team is only in the fifth performance basket. According to the president of the Slovak Football Association (SFZ), Ján Kováčik, there is no need to make a tragedy out of it. “Reality, I take it as a fact. No tragedy, no joy. We got to the fifth basket with results alone, we have to get out of it again only by ourselves and again only with results. For me, this is not a new situation, I have already been in a similar situation.” said Kováčik in an interview for the official association site futbalsfz.sk. “Of course, we’re not happy with it, it’s unpleasant, it doesn’t make any of us happy. But I’ll repeat that only we can get out of it ourselves. Again, only with results.” Slovakia is currently in the 55th place in the FIFA ranking, in the era of his presidency it was even lower – at the 60th place. “Let’s stick to solid debates about the facts, today it’s easy to see when we were in which place in the ranking. There are also numbers 20, even 16. The average position in the ranking from 2011 to today is 35th when rounded to the whole number “Like our neighbors from the Czech Republic or Austria, Poland is one number better, Hungary five worse,” compared the head of the SFZ. Kováčik, vice president for national representatives Karol Belaník, SFZ general secretary Peter Palenčík and SFZ spokeswoman Monika Jurigová have work duties in Frankfurt already on Saturday. A day later, national team coach Francesco Calzona, interpreter Enzo Passarini and director of the international department of SFZ Lenka Gazdíková will join them before the draw. “Personally, I have no preferred opponents,” Kováčik said regarding the possible outcome of the draw. Despite placing in the fifth basket and rebuilding the squad, the Slovaks will want to fight for promotion: “We will never let go of the qualification cycle, whether it lasts a year or two. The task of the current national team coach is to assemble a squad with 25-27 players who will form a stable skeleton for several years.” Slovak national football is in crisis, which was also reflected in the past duels in the League of Nations. After that, the national team received a wave of criticism from the public and some former representatives. “Everyone has the right to an opinion, I respect that. They played most of their careers in the national team under the leadership of this union. At the same time, I can say that even during their time in the national team, Slovak national football experienced better and worse stages, or really good and really bad. “Football is a living organism, whole generations, players, coaches change. Everything takes time,” says the SFZ president. Division of teams into performance baskets before the EURO 2024 qualification draw: Nations League basket: Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, Italy 1st basket: Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland 2nd basket: France, Austria, Czech Republic, England, Wales , Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Scotland, Finland Basket 3: Ukraine, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Ireland, Albania, Montenegro, Romania, Sweden, Armenia Basket 4: Georgia, Greece, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia Pool 5: SLOVAKIA, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belarus, Lithuania, Gibraltar, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Malta Pool 6: Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein