The first of several anticipated national team camps before the upcoming European Championships in Košice took place in Bratislava this weekend.23 players attended 5 training units and two video analyses. After the camp, the national coaches evaluated it and also revealed their plans for the future.
According to Ladislav Borbély, the head coach of the Slovak national minifootball team, it was a test camp in which he and his players focused on basic game activities after a break of almost seven months. “We have prepared the team to be able to start highly specialised training during the next training camps.”
He ran the camp with his assistant and longtime friend Peter Ganczner. “I’ve been working in small-sided football for about 20 years, and that’s been critical to my work with Laco.”
Head coach Ladislav Borbély explained what he used to select players for the first national camp before the European Championships. “We followed the national Niké Superleague and other tournaments the players participated in more closely. Initially, we were worried because the players lacked training and match practice due to the pandemic, which was reflected in their physical preparation. But towards the end of the season in the final matches, it started to have solid parameters.”
Several rookies were given the opportunity in the national camp. “This is a result of the fact that we have been intensively following the teams that have played in the Niké Superleague and other competitions. We chose players typologically to fit our game concept.”
Assistant Peter Ganczner elaborated on what he and the players worked on over the weekend. “We have been trying transition schemes to facilitate the goalkeeper’s deliberate transition into the opponent’s half in synergy with the players who open up spaces for him.”
This style of play, however, still needs a lot of work, according to him, “We need to work on being able to finish these schemes with some rehearsed finishing, which should also be sure so that the goalkeeper is not under pressure, and so that we can get the ball back as soon as possible in case of a turnover.”
The assistant added in the same breath that it is a very demanding style of play, but at the same time necessary: ‘We want to play boldly and take advantage of our proactivity, to keep the opponent under pressure, but we have to step out of our comfort zone. It’s a challenging way to play, but on the international stage it’s the only way to succeed.”
According to Ladislav Borbély, we still have a long way to go and nobody has a certain place in the line-up. “We have the basic skeleton ready, but nobody has a certain place. This training camp is the beginning of a purposeful work. More camps will follow, coupled with international confrontation, and based on that, the players who best meet our criteria will be profiled.”
