Slovakia’s national football team triumphed over Belgium with a 1-0 victory, in a stunning upset at Euro 2024.
“The lesser teams, if you will… the smaller nations, have made progress,” remarked Coach Francesco Calzona, while expressing pride in the team.
He highlighted Slovakia’s ability to challenge more renowned opponents. He acknowledged the gap in resources, saying, “It’s not easy because a country like Belgium produces so many footballers.”
Calzona took over Slovakia’s coaching reins after his tenure at Napoli.
“We’re a small nation,” he explained, highlighting the hurdles they face. However, he lauded his team’s relentless efforts, which guided them to a great win against a formidable Belgian squad.
Goal-scorer Ivan Schranz also reflected on the historic win. He called it “one of the goals of a lifetime.”
Slovakia now set their sights on the upcoming matches against Ukraine and Romania.
Calzona called on the team for continued effort and stressed the importance of scoring in upcoming games to achieve their goals. “Our players did their best, they put in the effort and we beat a great opponent. I told the boys that we have to have the mentality that we can be equal to the best.
“It’s a huge win, but we have to keep working. We are looking at the next games – we have to score in those games as well to meet our target and advance,” Calzona added.