LJUBLJANA. With a population of two million, Slovenia is an amazingly successful sports country.
The men’s European basketball championship shook the country in 2017. Luka Doncic is one of the NBA’s brightest stars.
In volleyball, the country has won European Championship silver three times in the previous four tournaments. And we shouldn’t forget the world stars of road cycling Primoz Roglicia and Tadej Pogacaria. Even in hill jumping, success is raining by leaps and bounds these days.
Football has been left out in recent years. During the successful period of the early 2000s, the country played twice in the World Cup and once in the European Championship.
Now hopes are high. The new generation has shown promising signs. On Friday, Huuhkajat will face a team that hasn’t lost a game in a year at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.
A special program for Slovenian football It’s round father Luka Petric has followed the team closely throughout its history. Slovenia became independent only in 1991 after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
– Getting to the Games would be a huge deal. When that happens, the rest of life around stops. You certainly experienced the same in Finland during the previous games, Petric describes to Urheilu.
However, it is difficult to notice the increased enthusiasm around football on the streets of the capital Ljubljana. The only sign of the upcoming, important matches between Finland and Denmark are the street side advertisements, where the main star is the country’s biggest football star, the goalkeeper of Atletico Madrid Jan Oblak. Fortunately for Huhkajki, he is not able to play due to an injury.
– Other sports are enjoying great popularity right now, but football will always have its place in Slovenia. I’ve always said that the national team is like the entire Slovenian club team, especially when the team plays well. That’s when everyone talks about football, Petric says.
Sounds familiar. In few European countries does the national team unite supporters of different clubs in the same way as in Finland. Huuhkajie’s matches are the most anticipated events in the Finnish football calendar.
The person who lives in Ljubljana and pretends to be a supporter of the Slovenian national team is also looking forward to Friday’s match Niko Sommeregger. He comes from the small village of Cerknica near the world-famous stalactite caves of Postojna.
– Slovenia is built around small villages as a country. Many people don’t have a local club to support, so the national team is a big deal, says Sommeregger.
As anywhere in Europe, the world’s major football leagues are also popular in Slovenia. Many’s favorite team can be found in the English Premier League or the neighboring Italian Serie A. Sommeregger’s favorite can be found in a surprising direction – he swears by the name of the Helsinki Football Club.
– I am a big fan! I was on exchange in Helsinki for half a year and got to know people who support HJK. I was a little surprised how warmly they received me. We had fun and did some stupid things, but not too stupid, Sommeregger laughs.
Through football and HJK, Sommeregger traveled around Finland for away matches.
– Rovaniemi and Mariehamn were quite hardcore!
Sommeregger says that he was crowned sauna king in a Finnish group of friends. Therefore, it is no surprise that his favorite player from HJK is Japanese Atom Tanakawho writes his own sauna blog.
– Just like Tanaka, I love saunas, Sommeregger confirms.
Niko Sommeregger is the exception that proves the rule.
When you ask other Slovenians if they know anything about Finnish football, they do Teemu Pukin name the most common and often the only answer. Jari Litmanen after all, many remember. The conversation quickly turns to ski jumping, especially Janne Ahosen and Matti Nykänen. Outside of sports Arto Paasilinnan novels are popular in Slovenia.
On the other hand, hardly many Finns could name many Slovenian footballers.
One name should be remembered, and not only with Friday’s match in mind. From a 195-centimeter striker Benjamin Sesko, 20, may well become the next Slovenian sports superstar alongside Doncic, Roglic and Pogacar.
Sesko has even been compared to Erling Haaland. His career path is almost identical so far, because like Haaland, Sesko moved from his home country to the Austrian Salzburg at a young age and from there on to the German Bundesliga. Next season, Sesko will play in Leipzig’s shirt.
– He has taken on more and more responsibility in the national team and scored important goals. The group as a whole has played really well as a team and has shown the characteristics of unity that have been present in every successful Slovenian team, says Luka Petric.
Šeško’s goals have propelled Slovenia to an unbeaten streak that has lasted more than a year. Still, Petric approaches the Finland match with moderation. Huhkajat is seen in Slovenia as the main opponent of the qualifiers.
– It will be really difficult to win in Helsinki. A draw would be a great result, not only because of the point but also because Finland would not get three, says Petric.
– Traditionally, Slovenia has not played very well against teams similar to themselves, with a hard work ethic. We are usually strong against better teams so to speak.
This has really been the case during the undefeated streak, as Slovenia has faced, for example, Sweden and Norway twice. The EC qualifiers started with victories over Kazakhstan and San Marino, but now big tests against Finland and Denmark are ahead.
Today, the Finnish men’s national football team will face Slovenia in the European Championship qualifiers. The broadcast on TV2 and Areena starts at 18:15.