TASR,
SITA,
Truth
16.03.2021 11:09, updated: 13:25
–
At the beginning of the World Cup 2022 qualification, the Slovak national football team must cope without Marek Hamšík. In addition to the injured midfielder and captain, the nomination of coach Štefan Tarkovič also includes goalkeeper Marek Rodák, who also worked with the injury.
–
Marek Hamšík in a national team jersey.
Author: SITA / AP, Peter Morrison
–
Thirty-three-year-old Hamšík suffered a calf injury at his new club IFK Göteborg on Friday’s training and missed Saturday’s preparatory meeting and Monday’s training.
According to Tarkovich, he should be out of the game for about four weeks. In the case of the goalkeeper of the English Fulham Rodák, the problem is the finger on the hand.
“Marek is not even in a full-fledged training process. There was no point in dragging him to a meeting of the national team.
Already at the November meeting, I said that players who are not in good health cannot give adequate performance. Unfortunately, injuries belong to football, “said Štefan Tarkovič at a press conference in Bratislava on Tuesday.
The national team coach also informed the media that defender Peter Pekarík was only allowed to go to the duel in Cyprus by his German employer, Hertha Berlin. The next two qualifying matches of Slovaks at home will be without him due to coronavirus measures in Germany.
“Hertha does not agree that their player should cross the borders of Slovakia. As a national team coach, I cannot influence it, only accept it, as in this case the orders of the German authorities are superior to the UEFA rules on the release of players.
I don’t think it’s sports objectively. I don’t have such information from other German clubs yet, but it may change, “explained Tarkovič, who also came across Ondrej Duda from Cologne and László Bénes from FC Augsburg.
“I suppose it will also apply to Dud and Bénes. It is probable that we will return to Slovakia without them, “he added.
Forty-eight-year-old pilot of the Slovak Republic limits and regrets the situation regarding covid legislation, but refuses to hide behind it: “As for the FIFA regulation… I do not want it to sound bad, but it is not completely objectively sporty.
Clubs are not obliged to release a player for events if the home authority orders a mandatory quarantine after the player returns. I personally understand this point, but it has meant that now the club decides which players will be released.
But I don’t want to comment much, I won’t affect it. I expect that there will be other complications and more clubs will contact us. We did everything we could according to the regulations.
We informed the clubs about everything, we explained the principle of the representation bubble to them and we did our best. But there are things that we really won’t affect. We have to accept it. “
The name of Jakub Hromada appeared in the short-term nomination, the midfielder of the Czech master Slavia Prague has recently established himself in the line-up of coach Jindřich Trpišovský:
“Kubo Hromada is, so to speak, a newcomer to the national team. We assumed that there was the right mix in the team. He plays in the best Czech club, he joined the league and European competitions and played very solidly.
I wanted there to be players who have established themselves in clubs and are currently playing. This also applies to Ber, Benes, Suslov or Sagittarius. I am convinced that they have the quality to be of benefit to the representation. “
As in November, 31-year-old Vladimír Weiss Jr. is on the team:
“I do not want to reopen the topic of Vlado Weiss. I will repeat what I said in November and I stand behind it. It is a player who plays and has the quality to change the course of the match and help the national team help. Now, for the last time, he had a minor problem with a muscle, and they agreed with the coach that he would rest so that it would not get worse, “Tarkovič explained.
Slovak footballers will start an extremely challenging year.
In addition to at least three duels at the post-European Championships 2020 against Poland, Sweden and Spain, they will also complete ten qualifying duels in the H-group in the fight for the world in Qatar.
In addition, they will play the June general at the European Championships in Austria.