The tandem of coaches of Slovakia’s national football team Stanislav Griga and Michal Hipp are set to be replaced by current trainer of MFK Kosice, Jan Kozak, in the wake of a much-criticised performance against Liechtenstein in the World Cup qualifiers last week, which ended 1-1.
The unusual decision to take on two coaches didn’t prove to be a winning combination for Slovakia’s team aspirations, as they lasted just 14 months in the job, in which time the results themselves were no victory.
Slovak Football Association head Jan Kovacik spoke on TA3 news channel about the choice of Jan Kozak, saying he had immediately expressed an interest. Now the executive board is meeting to finalise their choice and negotiate the details.
The SFA will be hoping Kozak, or someone else, will still manage to get Slovakia into the World Cup in Brazil, but their chances are now very slim as they sit third in their group with just 9 points after 6 matches, with Bosnia and Herzegovina enjoying 16 point on top of the table, followed by Greece with 13. Slovakia now has to face and beat both of them to have any chance of a sunny holiday in Brazil next year.
A decision on the new coach should be made on 2 July.
Know his son of course as he played for Artmedia when I actually bothered to watch Slowvak football .
Whats wrong with Goat Snr ……a bit of a Diva is he ??
The most-fined coach in Corgon Liga history apparently. Last in trouble for (allegedly) grabbing the Nitra goalkeeping coach round the neck and pinning him up against a wall. Think what he might do with Hamsik and the rest….
Mind you, the Nitra incident’s about 3 years ago. He’s 58 now and perhaps mellowing a bit.
Goodness me Jim, a real popular Manager choice among the Dan Richardson`s types and the other knuckle dragging Slovan Ayran Neanderthals then ?
Lets hope he never meets up with Slaven Bilic, I can see handbags being fort at 30 paces .
BTW Jimbo ………..any news on fat boy Sebo and his USA move ? Playing football or still on the park bench eating all the pork pies is he ?
Against Liechtenstein the players either didn’t care or were playing to get Griga and Hipp the sack. Liechtenstein aren’t great but they’re good enough to make you look silly if you don’t treat them seriously.
The two-coach appointment was actually just the outcome of an entire chapter of incompetence from Kovacik and the rest of SFZ. Immediately Weiss went, they went public with the fact that Pavel Vrba was their no1 choice and that no’one else was of interest. When the little matter of Vrba’s Plzen contract started causing difficulties, they had to look elsewhere.
It’s the same story now. Griga and Hipp were no sooner out the door than Kovacik was banging on about Kozak. Surely what you do in these circumstances is draw up a list of candidates, sound them out, see what they’ve got to offer etc. Not SFZ, they just go gung-ho after the current man-of-the-moment and tell their mates in the press all about it. They want sacking themselves.
If it is Kozak, there won’t be a dull moment, mind.
When I first saw the tables drawn I thought ” a walk in the park for Slovakia” with only Greece likely to cause a problem. The rise of B and H has taken me by suprise but the SVK performance against the other three has been appauling. Unless there is a miracle the boys will not be attending Carnival in Rio next year. Two coaches? bad idea from the start!
Yes DC just goes to show how good Weiss was as a Manager of this bunch of 3rd rate gang . Hard to believe they beat World Champions Italy in that famous group game . Sadly Weiss suffers from being a moody Diva ….
Another awesome article Jimbo, can I say it again just AWESOME !
….but ?