- Title: VARIOUS: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Slovenia World Cup preview
- Date: 17th May 2010
- Summary: KIDRICEVO, SLOVENIA (MARCH 2, 2010) (REUTERS) SLOVENIAN NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM WALKING ON THE PITCH FORWARD ZLATKO DEDIC JOGGING FORWARD MILIVOJE NOVAKOVIC PASSING BALL WITH OTHER PLAYERS PHOTOGRAPHER GOALKEEPER SAMIR HANDANOVIC SHAKING HANDS WITH TEAM DOCTOR VASJA KRUH SLOVENIA COACH MATJAZ KEK (LEFT) WATCHING PLAYERS WARM UP PLAYERS LISTENING TO COACH DEFENDER MATEJ MAVRIC, DEDIC AND HANDANOVIC LISTENING TO COACH PLAYERS STRETCHING GOALKEEPERS TRAINING LOW ANGLE PLAYERS RUNNING ROUND MARKER ON PITCH DEDIC RUNNING AROUND MARKERS VARIOUS OF PLAYERS RUNNING AROUND MARKERS ON THE PITCH LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 25, 2010) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) SLOVENIA AND WEST BROMWICH ALBION MIDFIELDER, ROBERT KOREN, TALKING ABOUT PLAYING IN ENGLAND WHICH IS ALSO IN SLOVENIA'S WORLD CUP GROUP, SAYING: "Yeah of course they (English media) pay more attention to my performance since we've played a friendly match against England. The media attention is starting to grow and it is quite hard sometimes but I accept this is all a part of soccer and it does not represent a problem for me." KIDRICEVO, SLOVENIA (MARCH 2, 2010) (REUTERS) KEK AT TRAINING LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE, 2010) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) SLOVENIAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL COACH, MATJAZ KEK, SAYING: "And we must be careful of not doing the same to other teams. Algeria has got a very good team, USA can be one of the surprises of the World Cup, they showed that at the Confederation Cup, and I don't even need to start with England. England is for me, and not because they're in the same group as us, one of the favourites for the whole tournament. I think Capello has done a great job with organising the team and putting these players, the biggest stars in the world, in a team that is worth all the respect and can go all the way." KEK SIGNING A FOOTBALL KEK'S SIGNATURE ON BALL
- Embargoed: 1st June 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA7PIVJ0DUH24HUO8MI68RSXBX2
- Story Text: Slovenia caused a major upset to qualify for the World Cup finals after they knocked out favourites Russia in one of Europe's four play-offs. Their coach Matjaz Kek is confident they can reach the last 16 for the first time in a major tournament, but acknowledged his thin squad would have to reproduce their qualifying form.
Slovenia are an industrious team with few world-class talents but their work rate can outweigh their weaknesses. It remains to be seen whether gifted youngsters Rene Krhin and Tim Matavz will break into the final 23-man squad.
Striker Milivoje Novakovic was Slovenia's top scorer in qualifying with six goals and the team's chances of reaching the last 16 rest heavily on his clinical finishing.
Midfielder Valter Birsa has had an excellent season at Ligue 1 side Auxerre while goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic appears to have peaked at Serie A club Udinese and the trio should be the backbone of Slovenia's effort to reach uncharted territory in major tournaments, having bowed out of the group stage in Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup.
Factbox: Colours: Green and white shirts, white shorts and white socks Nickname: Zmajceki (Dragons) Previous World Cup Appearances: 1: 2002 Best World Cup performance: group stage in 2002 Most capped player: Zlatko Zahovic 80 Top scorer: Zlatko Zahovic 35 Coach: Matjaz Kek, played for Slovenian side Maribor and Austrian team GAK Graz. Won two league titles with Maribor as manager and coached the Slovenian under-16 side before taking over the first team in 2007. Failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and then won the hearts of Slovenia's soccer fans after steering them to the 2010 World Cup finals. Has brought the best out of a modest squad after instilling discipline and the fighting spirit that saw them through.
Key players: Milivoje Novakovic (Cologne). Forward. Born 18.5.1979 Slovenia's top scorer in qualifying with five goals. A robust striker who was his club's top scorer in the 2008-09 season with 16 goals. He also led Cologne's scoring chart in the 2007-08 season in the German second division, steering them back into the top flight. Has plenty of pace and is a clinical finisher who seems to be at the peak of his powers.
Samir Handanovic (Udinese). Goalkeeper. Born 14.7.1984 One of Europe's most promising goalkeepers who deserves the lion's share of the credit for Slovenia's progress, having impressed throughout the qualifiers. Was loaned to Lazio, Treviso and Rimini after signing for Udinese in 2004 but has established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper after returning to the Italian first-division side in 2007.
Zlatko Dedic (Bochum). Forward. Born 5.10.1984 The Bosnian-born Dedic scored the goal that put Slovenia through to the World Cup finals. Moved to his present German Bundesliga club after an eight-year spell with clubs in Italy, starting with his 2001 move from Slovenian outfit Domzale to Parma. Also scored in both group-stage qualifiers against Poland.
Squad: Goalkeepers: Samir Handanovic (Udinese), Jasmin Handanovic (Mantova), Aleksander Seliga (Sparta Rotterdam), Jan Koprivec (Maribor).
Defenders: Bojan Jokic (Chievo Verona), Marko Suler (Ghent), Bostjan Cesar (Grenoble), Branko Ilic (Lokomotiv Moscow), Matej Mavric (Koblenz), Dejan Kelhar (Cercle Brugge), Elvedin Dzinic (Maribor), Miso Brecko (Cologne), Aleksandar Rajcevic (Koper), Suad Filekovic (Maribor).
Midfielders: Andraz Kirm (Wisla Krakow), Andrej Komac (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Rene Krhin (Inter Milan), Mirnes Sisic (Giannina), Darjan Matic (Rapid Bucharest), Dare Vrsic (Koper), Dalibor Stevanovic (Vitesse Arnhem), Robert Koren (West Bromwich Albion), Aleksander Radosavljevic (Larissa), Valter Birsa (Auxerre).
Forwards: Milivoje Novakovic (Cologne), Zlatko Dedic (VfL Bochum), Zlatan Ljubijankic (Ghent), Nejc Pecnik (Nacional), Miran Burgic (AIK Solna), Tim Matavz (Groningen) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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