World Cup Preview: Slovenia

In Group C with England, United States and Algeria

Appearances: 1 appearance in 2002

Current FIFA Ranking (As of March 3): 27

Captain: Robert Koren (Midfielder)

Leading Scorer in Qualifying: Milivoje Novakovic (Striker) - 5 goals

Key Injuries: No significant injuries

Key retirements since 2006: Aleksander Knavs (Defender), Milenko Acimovic (Midfielder)

Team Overview:

Slovenia surprised many by making this year's World Cup. They finished second in their group during the qualifying stages, ahead of World Cup perennials Poland and the Czech Republic. They were then placed in a playoff match against a vastly superior Russian team and pulled off one of the biggest shockers of the qualifying campaign by defeating them.

Slovenia Vs Russia World Cup Qualifier (I think the commentary is in German)

The Slovenian team is one that does not really possess a star player but they work well as a team. They were one of the best defensive teams in all of qualifying, only allowing four goals in 10 matches. 


In goal will be Samir Handanovic, one of the heroes during their qualifying campaign. The 25-year-old is an experienced player, having played 38 career international games. He is also the starter for Serie A (the top Italian league) team Udinese Calcio so he is used to playing against top flight players. 


The backline for Slovenia goes six players deep. All six are solid defenders and a couple of the them are also adept offensive players. One of the leaders of the group is Bostjan Cesar, a 6-foot-5 monster of a man that is excellent at defending set pieces. Cesar and the rest of the defenders combined with Handanovic to shut out their opponents in six of the ten games they played in, as well as a shut out against Russia in the playoff game.

Captain Robert Koren is the leader of the midfielders, as well as the team. The entire group is used more on the defensive end and as facilitators rather than as attackers. Koren has scored the most goals among the group of midfielders, and he only has four career international goals. The rest of the group have yeoman like abilities and will fight for possession of the ball. A couple of players that will not start but may see a good amount of time are Nejc Pecnik and 19-year-old Rene Krhin. Krhin is a very talented player and is currently with Serie A team Internazionale (Inter Milan). Expect him to be a big part of future Slovenian teams.


Slovenia employs three forwards in the starting lineup but the only one that really makes a difference on the team is the previously mentioned Milivoje Novakovic. At 6ft 3in, he can cause damage from the air as well as with his feet. Novakovic is the fourth most goals in Slovenia team history and with two more, he will move up to second place. Slovenia will count on Novakovic to use his frame to keep possession of the ball and to open up holes for the other two strikers, Zlatko Dedic and Valter Birsa.

Player to Watch: Robert Koren


Koren is the playmaker in midfield (the only one actually) and the ball will go his way a lot. He is currently a member of West Bromwich Albion, an English club team that was relegated last year. His familiarity with the English game and their players will help when the two teams play each other. 

As the attacking midfielder, he links the field between the forwards and the rest of the team. He keeps possession of the ball very well and is an excellent passer. He is, however, a very weak player defensively so the rest of the midfield will be expected to be there to pick up the slack.

Prediction: Knocked out during the group stages

The final squad will not be announced until June 10 but here is a small list of players in the running to make the team.

Match Schedule