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After last year’s fairy tale in the Champions League, the sobering and the fall of two European competitions were lost to the conference league. Ivan Kmotrík ml. However, it does not perceive the third most prestigious European competition as a tragedy.
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Slovan Bratislava footballers will perform in the conference league this season. The “Belasi” did not manage Thursday’s play off playoffs at Young Boys Bern (2: 3) and last week’s home game against the Swiss opponent (0: 1). Six rivals in the third highest UEFA club competition will learn during Friday’s draw in Monte Carlo.
Slovan has established himself in Europe
In recent years, Slovan benefited from the establishment of the third European competition (conference league) and thus from the easier journey to the Cup autumn. He has established himself as a regular participant of continental competitions and built a strong European coefficient.
In the last seven seasons, it has not only advanced to the main phase of one of the European competitions. He qualified for the Champions League, the European League and four times to the conference league, where he advanced twice to the knockout part. Only the Covid Year was unsuccessful when he dropped out of the Champions League against the Faroe Klaksvík.
The greatest achievements of Slavs in the aforementioned period are the eight -final of the conference league of the 2022/23 season and last year’s participation in the Champions League League stage, but he did not score a point in the competition of elite teams.
Godfather: Let’s not take the conference league as a tragedy
Club CEO Ivan Kmotrík ml. At the end of the last season, he expressed his ambition to achieve even significant success in the following period:
“Let’s fight for the final or victory in the conference league once. Let’s fight to go as far as possible in the European League. Let’s fight to play the Champions League more regularly. It is every 3-4 years, not every 10 years.”
Last season Slovan advanced to the main phase of the Champions League for the first time in his history. In front of him, smaller Slovak clubs 1. FC Košice, Artmedia Petržalka and MŠK Žilina proved it.
Penalty for Captain Slovan Bratislava Vladimír Weiss jr. is known. However, the Brick Field Club will not be able to count on its player even in the first three meetings of the main phase of the UEFA European League or the Conference League, as it was not included for the match nomination for the playoffs against Young Boys Bern.
The fans were saturated with historical success and the conference league was wrong before this season, expected to participate in at least the European League. According to Godfather, however, it does not matter which European competition will play Slovan:
“Everyone offers a certain alternative and it doesn’t matter which we will play. People could be aware of that.
If we qualify for the conference league, let’s not take it as a tragedy, but as another challenge and let’s fight for the finals. Why not? When we could play the Champions League League phase, why could we aim to play the final of the conference league? Can you fight for victory once?
I am not talking to the unrealistic goal and I do not fly in the clouds. I think what I say really makes sense. When Celje can be in the quarterfinals today, Slovan can be in the finals and fight for victory. We have confirmed that we are better quality. ”
The conference league was qualified for English Crystal Palace, but also ŠK Slovan Bratislava, Maltese club Hamrun and Czech teams Sigma Olomouc and Sparta Prague.
Up to 14 teams have a more expensive cadre than Slovan
How much is this a realistic goal for Slovan? The bookmakers have not yet recorded courses for the overall triumph in the conference league.
Looking at the simplest indicator, the market value of the cadre, are the favorites of the English Crystal Palace (391 million euros), Italian Fiorentina (291 million), French Strasbourg (269 million), Ukrainian shaft Donetsk (173 million) and German Mainz (139 million).
Up to 14 clubs including Sparta Prague, Lech Poznan or Rapida Vienna has a more expensive cadre than Slovan. The Specialized Transfermarkt portal estimates its value to 38.58 million.
Weiss is not satisfied with the transfer
The coaching team of the Slovak champion headed by Vladimir Weiss st. He is not satisfied with the lead after the historical success in the Champions League completed the cadre during the summer.
Perspective players with the potential for further sales have come, but according to coaches, they are not ready to play immediately in the basic line -up in difficult European matches.
So far, only the left defender Sandro Cruz and defensive midfield Peter Pokorný have been given more space. Kelvin Oori’s wingman was not even included in the roster for matches with Kajrat Almaty and Young Boys Bern.
Video: Godfather before the season: I am 70 % satisfied with the transfer. We want to do it as Slavia:
What is happening behind the scenes of the Slavs
Slovan is not in ideal state of mind at the beginning of the season. The team will not succeed and the exception of the home match with Mostar and retaliation in Berne or the game room. In the league, Belasi has already tripped in Prešov (2: 2) or Michalovce (1: 1). Coach Weiss is irritated, he was excluded twice in 19 days when he was vulgarly scolding the referees.
There are various messages and signals from behind the scenes. Again, there is talk of the sale of part of the American company Gamechanger 20 Ltd, the inconsistency between the implementation team and the leadership or the not ideal atmosphere in the cabin. Even speculation about the end of coach Weiss has already appeared.
Video: Does Slav pay for the inability of leadership? Borbély: Weiss’s criticism was justified:
The national break is approaching and they will have something to think about in the Brick Field. Belasi will welcome Košice in the League (broadcast Voyo) on Sunday from 5 pm. The team will be led by his assistant Boris Kitka in the absence of the coach Weiss.
