Transfer records and statistics

(published in Slovak Sport Daily)

After the success of our U21 team in June, fans turned their attention to the four Slovak clubs in European competitions. There was early joy after smooth progress, but it soon turned to disappointment. Once again, there will be no Champions League group stage. Will the new season of the Fortuna Liga, starting tomorrow, offer any comfort?

Among summer transfers into the league, Slovan stood out. The club, known for its aggressive recruitment, opted this time for proven quality. Mareš, Hološko, and the Slovak transfer record signing Rabiu are genuine reinforcements. Success in European competitions requires quality players—who naturally come at a price, often a steep one. Larger transfer fees for incoming players have also become common among our western neighbors. Investments by the two Prague clubs, Slavia and especially Sparta, have been drawing attention for some time. Sparta, in particular, has gone all in, signing a million-euro coach and several high-priced players, including a new Czech league transfer record. These records only highlight the widening gap in financial power between the richest and poorest clubs in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic. That trend is unlikely to change.

Departures from the Fortuna Liga have so far been overshadowed by the transfers of Slovak players already abroad (Škriniar’s record deal, Lobotka, Chrien, Kucka). Aside from non-European moves (Mabouka, Hlohovský from Žilina), there were also significant transfers to Europe - Soumah to Serbia from Slovan, Faško to Switzerland from Ružomberok, Blažek to Denmark from Senica. While Poland remains a traditional destination (Mucha, Košťál, Sipľak, Pastva, and De Marco on loan), this summer saw a surprisingly large number of players head to Hungary. Financial conditions in Hungary’s top two divisions are becoming increasingly attractive for Slovaks. In contrast, only a few players moved to the Czech Republic—Schranz, Štepanovský, and Podio.

The Slovak premier league remains one of the best European leagues for the development of young players. This was confirmed by a December 2016 statistic on youth playing time: in the ranking from the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), nine of the top 100 U20 players with the most minutes played were Slovaks—the highest number of any country in Europe. Encouragingly, these players now come mostly from the Fortuna Liga itself rather than from foreign academies. Some even progress to the senior national team. On the downside, spectator turnout remains low despite improved infrastructure, and overall interest in football still lags behind neighboring countries. This year’s top quality is again expected to come from Žilina, Slovan, Trenčín, and Ružomberok, with perennial high expectations from Trnava. For fans in Dunajská Streda, the good news is that all of their U21 players have stayed—perhaps a few big names could help draw more fans to the stadiums.

Slovakia is currently hovering around a respectable 20th place in the FIFA rankings. The national team remains a point of pride, and World Cup qualification is still alive via the playoffs. Let’s hope that top-tier clubs bring joy and memorable moments as well. May as many young players as possible grow and develop—after all, that statistical record for U20 minutes won’t defend itself next year.