Deep insights

ÖFB opponents: “The pain was even more intense for us”

Jon Gorenc Stankovic (center) will face Austria with Slovenia on Friday.(Bild: APA/AFP/PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA)

Slovenia and Austria will face each other in the Nations League on Friday, two teams that had to endure almost traumatic experiences at the last European Championship. The ÖFB players still have a lot to take away from their round of 16 exit against Turkey, while the Slovenians came close to defeating Portugal in the last 16. "I think the pain was even more intense for us because it went all the way to the penalty shoot-out," said Jon Gorenc Stankovic.

The Slovenian team player and Sturm Graz professional remembers with a certain bitterness how his compatriot Benjamin Sesko missed a penalty in the 115th minute. The Portuguese then went on to win 3:0 on penalties. "The whole nation was proud of our national team, but we were also very disappointed to have been eliminated without defeat against great opponents," said Gorenc Stankovic. They drew against Denmark, Serbia (1:1 each) and England (0:0). Gorenc Stankovic was a substitute in all four of Slovenia's European Championship matches.

Jon Gorenc Stankovic (right) in a duel with Denmark's Christian Eriksen.(Bild: APA/AFP/Fabrice COFFRINI)

"Something very special"
The midfielder emphasized that they now want to take the momentum from the European Championship into the Nations League. "We feel a strong positive energy after the tournament. Now we have to build on these successes." Like Austria and Norway, his team can have justified hopes of winning the group. "Austria have a good team that showed their quality at the European Championships. There is respect, but we have enough self-confidence after the EURO. It will be close games between these three teams, I don't see any clear favorites in the group," said Gorenc Stankovic. The 28-year-old is expecting a sell-out crowd of 16,000 at the Stozice Stadium on Friday. "The support from the fans will be great. This game is something special for me, but also for the whole of Slovenia. We are neighbors," explained Gorenc Stankovic.

ÖFB team won three out of four duels
So far, however, there has not been much to gain for the Slovenians against Austria. Three out of four duels went to the ÖFB team, with Red-White-Red winning both matches in the 2019 European Championship qualifiers. After seceding from Yugoslavia, Slovenia first played international matches in 1991 and has enjoyed considerable success since then. The country of two million inhabitants, currently number 52 in the FIFA world rankings (Austria is 22nd), took part in the 2002 and 2010 World Cups as well as the 2000 and 2024 European Championships. With the exception of the tournament in Germany, it was always time to say goodbye after the group stage.

The team's stars include Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak and former Salzburg striker Sesko, who has since joined Leipzig. The team has been coached by Matjaz Kek since 2018. The former Spittal and GAK player had already coached the national team from 2007 to 2011.