Slovenia captain Jan Oblak warns his teammates before the final: ‘Not so much on your head! You have to play a game like this with your head!”

Denmark is forgotten,
Slovenia
counting down to the grand final of the qualifiers for the
Euro 2024
. On Monday night, Kazakhstan will host the sold-out Stožice Arena, and the Slovenian equation is clear: Matjaz Kek’ s squad must not lose. If not, he will be at Euro 2024. Jan Oblak, Slovenia’s captain, has no doubt that Monday will be a day for rejoicing. Jan Oblak spoke about his expectations ahead of the hellish end of the arduous journey to Germany at a press conference in Brdo pri kranju on Sunday.

PRE-MATCH EXPECTATIONS
We have worked hard to be where we are. We all wanted to be still in the running for the European Championship before the last qualifying match. And now we are. So far, we have done a very good job in qualifying. But the last step is missing. Final. We can’t wait for it to start. I believe we will succeed. I am also confident that the team will do its utmost to achieve the common goal that we all want so much. But it won’t be easy. I expect a tough match. The two teams playing for Euro 2024 will compete. This is a unique opportunity for us and for them. We both deserve to be where we are. That is why it will be difficult. For both.

DEFEAT IN DENMARK
It is clear that nobody liked the defeat. But we were not affected. We knew what was coming. It was the toughest away game in the group and unfortunately we lost it.Denmark were much better. There is nothing to add. We are aware of this. But since the end of the game in Copenhagen, Kazakhstan has been on our minds. We are thinking positively and we all believe we can do it. I see the boys at training… Yesterday they were really focused, really focused. We are not interested in anything else. Just a topic. We all believe that we will succeed.

THE PATH TRAVELLED FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP
It has not been an easy journey. But what was, was. In football, it’s only every other game that counts. What we have achieved so far has taken time to build, and Monday’s game will show whether we have built enough for the EP or not. It is clear that a lot of work has been put in by us: by the players and by the professional staff. By everyone. Together, we have got to where we are. And we are there to stay alive before the last game. We have never been this close since I have been here. Yes, we qualified in 2016, but we didn’t make it. Then November did not offer us any more opportunities. We are in the game now, we are playing at home, we have a real chance. That’s what we all wanted, that’s what we trained for. We have to do our best to make the most of what we get.

HOW TO PLAY SUCH A MATCH
In such matches, the head is the most important thing. We are all good enough at this level, so in the end it’s the head that decides. It is true what some say. That it should be upside down. But I will add that it is all the more important to be headstrong. And above all, smart. We have to be careful about how we position ourselves, how we play. But the fight in such a match should not be in doubt. A cool head and a hot heart – that’s the most important thing.

SOLD OUT CONES
This is one great joy. To be able to sell out 3, 4 Stožice… That’s what we play for. We always dreamed that we could play in front of a packed Stožice, that we would have a huge crowd of fans behind us. No, it’s not really pressure, it’s mostly joy. Fans will be an added plus on the road to joint success.

DIFFICULT TIMES WITH A SHOULDER INJURY
These have certainly not been easy months. But I am positive about it all and believed that I will get back to the level I was at. It was a tough few days, true, but that’s part of football and part of life. There are ups and downs, but in any case you have to stay calm. You must never be too euphoric or too sad. So it is in life. If you live like that, you never get into big trouble.

END OF THE CLUB SEASON AS AN ADVANTAGE FOR KAZAKHSTAN
Maybe this is really an added plus for Kazakhstan, because the opponent had a lot of time to spend together and prepare for the game. I have no doubt that they are well prepared. It doesn’t make a big difference, but it might be a small plus for them.

Avtor: Uredništvo Planet nogomet

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