After the last qualifying match for the 2024 European Football Championship, in which Slovenia defeated Kazakhstan today in Stožice and qualified for Euro 2024, coach Matjaž Kek emphasized that the players who really deserved this great achievement should be in the foreground.
The Slovenians needed a point to qualify for next year’s Euro, but in the end they got all three. They dominated most of the match, only at the beginning of the second half there were a few critical minutes when the rivals equalized and indicated that they were looking for something more. But everything was finally decided in the 86th minute, when Benjamin Verbič made it 2:1 after a counterattack and confirmed the trip to Germany.
“We are happy, happy and proud. I think it is deserved. Thank you to Slovenia for this incredible positive energy in recent months. It paid off for this generation, which was almost labeled as a ‘loser’. They restored faith in Slovenian football ,” said selector Kek at the press conference after the match – which started with a considerable delay due to the celebration of the players and the coach on the field with the fans.
“The goal was clear from the moment the balls were drawn. I am sure that this will be a new impetus for Slovenian football. Thank you to the boys, thank you to my staff, thank you also to the management of the NZS, who believed in us and left me alone for five years. which is probably a world record in Slovenia,” said the selector about the road to the Euros and added: “Today, Slovenia breathed as one again and that is the most beautiful thing. We are happy that the footballers contributed to the recent successes of Slovenian sports.”
