Hancko warns: Slovak football risks repeating Czech football's fate

Atlético Madrid defender and former Sparta Prague player David Hancko has voiced concerns about the future of the Slovak national team once its experienced generation of players — led by Milan Škriniar and Stanislav Lobotka — eventually moves on. He shared his thoughts on the Definice Fotbalu podcast, with his comments picked up by the Slovak outlet Sport.sk.

"I'm a bit afraid that once these guys are gone, the younger players might end up in a situation similar to what's happening in Czechia right now. The question is whether we even have enough quality material," admitted the 28-year-old, who was born in Prievidza.

The Norway example

According to Hancko, a generational talent occasionally emerges — in Czechia, for instance, that's Sochůrek or Hložek — but in Spain there are twenty such players at once, giving clubs plenty of choice. "I know we can't have twenty players like that," the defender added.

As proof that even a small country can regularly produce top-level athletes, Hancko pointed to Norway, which reached the quarter-finals at the last World Cup. "Norway is a country of five million people. They topped the medal table at the Winter Olympics, and when they played Brazil this year, in terms of star quality it was almost even. I think we've missed our moment a little," he said.

The team's backbone and the move to Atlético

Alongside Škriniar and Lobotka, Hancko is regarded as one of the key figures in the current Slovak national team. He spoke particularly warmly about the Napoli midfielder: "Stano Lobotka is a huge introvert and a quiet guy. But on the pitch, he's a real magician."

Hancko himself tries to lead primarily through his performances on the field: "My approach has always been simple — I want to be a leader through great play." His club career has also taken a notable step forward: after Sparta and Feyenoord, he now plays for Atlético Madrid.

Hancko recalled the moment when, after a planned transfer to Saudi club Al-Nassr fell through, he unexpectedly received a message from Atlético head coach Diego Simeone. "We were sitting at breakfast with the lads when I told them: look at this message. Everyone was in shock," he said. At the Spanish club, the defender has ambitious goals: "One day I want to win La Liga and the Champions League with Atlético," noted the husband of former Czech tennis player Kristýna Plíšková.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz