Slovakia have now qualified for three European Championship tournaments in a row, making the round of 16 at Euro 2016 before being knocked out in the group stage of Euro 2020.
The Falcons were not present at the last World Cup in Qatar, though, with their only qualification for the finals of that tournament coming back in 2010, when they managed to reach the round of 16.
Regardless, Italian coach Francesco Calzona has done an incredible job since taking over in November 2022. They gave Portugal two close games during the qualifiers and will hope their reliable core keeps them in the mix for the knockout round.
Football takes a look at the provisional 32-man Slovakia squad announced for the upcoming Euro 2024 finals in Germany. The list, which needs to be whittled down to 26 players by June 7, features some interesting selections, with a notable influence from Serie A.
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GOALKEEPERS
Calzona has built his success as the Slovakia head coach by sticking to a largely unchanged squad.
And there should be no surprises in the goalkeeping department, with long-time No. 1 Martin Dubravka set to keep his starting berth in between the sticks after producing some fine performances at the club level for Premier League outfit Newcastle United.
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Henrich Ravas | Widzew Lodz |
| Martin Dubravka | Newcastle |
| Marek Rodak | Fulham |
| Dominik Takac | Spartak Trnava |
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DEFENDERS
In defence, the most high-profile name is that of PSG centre-back Milan Skriniar, who remains the leader at the heart of Slovakian defence and team captain, with Copenhagen’s Denis Vavro likely to partner the PSG star. At full-back, Calzona has plenty of options, but Salernitana’s Norbert Gyomber and Feyenoord’s highly sought-after defender David Hancko are his favoured options due to their more defensively sound profiles.
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Adam Obert | Cagliari |
| David Hancko | Feyenoord Rotterdam |
| Denis Vavro | FC Copenhagen |
| Matúš Kmet | AS Trencin |
| Michal Tomic | Slavia Prague |
| Milan Skriniar | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Norbert Gyömber | Salernitana |
| Peter Pekarik | Hertha Berlin |
| Sebastian Kósa | Spartak Trnava |
| Vernon De Marco | Hatta |
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MIDFIELDERS
An ever-present as Napoli claimed the 2022-23 Serie A title, Stanislav Lobotka is unquestionably integral to his country’s fortunes and will be tasked with controlling the tempo in the middle of the park. Alongside him, Juraj Kucka and Ondrej Duda will be preferred in a midfield trio owing to their vast experience at the top level, while Genk’s Patrik Hrovovksy, Viktoria Plzen’s Erik Jirka, and Jablonec’s Dominik Holly are all viable alternatives.
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Dominik Holly | AS Trencin |
| Jakub Kadak | FC Luzern |
| Juraj Kucka | Slovan Bratislava |
| László Bénes | Hamburg SV |
| Matus Bero | VfL Bochum |
| Ondrej Duda | Hellas Verona |
| Patrik Hrosovsky | Racing Genk |
| Stanislav Lobotka | Napoli |
| Tomáš Rigo | Banik Ostrava |
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FORWARDS
Robert Bozenik is still in fine form at Boavista, but he will be battling for a starting spot up front with namesake Robert Polievka. Wide options include Slavia Prague duo Ivan Schranz and Lukas Haraslin, Feyenoord’s Leo Sauer, as well as Slovak First Football League stars David Strelec and Lubomir Tupta. Meanwhile, Hellas Verona’s Tomas Suslov is a jack of multiple trades and can feature in a variety of attacking positions, but Robert Mak looks set to miss out.
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Dávid Strelec | Slovan Bratislava |
| David Duris | Ascoli |
| Ivan Schranz | Slavia Prague |
| Leo Sauer | Feyenoord Rotterdam |
| Lubomir Tupta | Liberec |
| Lukas Haraslin | Sparta Prague |
| Róbert Bozeník | Boavista |
| Robert Polievka | Dukla Banska Bystrica |
| Tomas Suslov | Hellas Verona |
EXPECTED XI
Slovakia boss Calzona is expected to set his side up in a possession-based 4-3-3 system, which relies heavily on the midfield controlling the tempo.
Dubravka will likely get the nod above Rodak in goal, behind a back-four comprising Gyomber, Vavro, Skriniar, and Hancko.
Kucka, Lobotka, and Duda will look to hold the fort in the middle of the park, with the latter also renowned for his goalscoring ability after arriving late in the opposition box.
Suslov or Haraslic will feature as the left-sided wide player while Dusic is pushing for a start on the right. Bozenik will lead the charge for the Slovaks in the final third. He would have to carry most of the goal-scoring burden for the Falcons up top.
Slovakia predicted XI (4-3-3): Dubravka; Gyomber, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Dusic, Bozenik, Suslov
