The league has a treasure. Regularly playing teenagers sell better than Czechs

Slovak players sell better in Europe than Czech players. Many teenagers get a chance in the domestic league, making the competition one of the best in Europe in this regard.

During the autumn part of the Slovak top football league, the average attendance per match was 2,017 spectators, the second lowest average in the league’s history. And yet, this was one of the most successful years in Slovak football history. The national team advanced to the Round of 16 at the European Championship, and the under-21 national team qualified for the European Championship as well.

Attendance dropped by about 650 spectators compared to last season, influenced partly by a sharp decline in turnout in Trnava, where many fans are boycotting matches. After a rise last year, interest has sharply declined again. All neighboring countries have higher average attendance, though it’s true they also have larger populations: Hungary averages 2,806 spectators per match, Austria 6,802, Poland 8,849, and the Czech Republic 4,565.

However, the Slovak league dominates its neighbors in other areas. Foreign interest in Slovak players is growing. The International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) recently counted the number of foreign players in 31 of Europe’s top leagues. Brazilians top the list with 469 players in these competitions. Slovakia ranks 14th with 91 players, including nine who play in Europe’s top five leagues (France, Italy, England, Germany, Spain). The Czech Republic ranks only 23rd with 57 players. “The Slovak Fortuna League is becoming an ideal stepping-stone into top-level European football. It’s proof of good youth development,” believes Jozef Tokos, sports lawyer, analyst, and football agent.

There are several reasons why Slovak players are more sought after. One of them is the economy. The best Czech clubs (Sparta Prague, Plzen), from which players often move abroad, are well-off financially. They regularly play in the group stages of European competitions. Even if they don’t make the Champions League, which offers huge rewards, the Europa League is also financially attractive. Therefore, they don’t need to sell players.

Slovak clubs rarely reach the elite level—Žilina was the last to play in the Champions League group stage, six years ago. That’s why many Slovak clubs are financially dependent on transfers and deliberately give chances to teenagers. The aim is clear: showcase young talent and then sell them. Trenčín and Žilina are typical examples of this approach. Even so, these clubs have increasingly managed to command higher transfer fees. Matúš Bero, Milan Škriniar, and Lászlo Benés all transferred for over a million euros—unheard of in the past.

However, the wealthiest Czech clubs can resist such offers and pay players better. “If Czech clubs can compete with clubs from the West, it’s logical that players stay home. The top players in the Czech league earn more than those in Slovakia,” says Tokos.

In a FIFPro players’ association survey, eleven players from the Czech league reported monthly salaries ranging from 28,000 to 56,000 euros. The best-paid players in Slovakia earn around 10,000 to 15,000 euros a month.

Slovakia has the most homegrown players in its top league among 31 European countries. Prešov even tops the ranking of clubs, with 74.6 percent of its players being academy products. However, the club was last in the league after the autumn portion of the season.

The Slovak league, with an average player age of 25.27 years, is the fourth youngest league in Europe. Senica has the third youngest squad (average age 22.6), and Trenčín the fourth youngest (22.7) in all of Europe. “Our club has gained value and a good reputation. Players who leave us are well prepared. Our league is becoming a reservoir of talent,” said Trenčín’s general manager Róbert Rybníček in an interview with SME.

In the CIES ranking of the 100 most active under-20 players in Europe, as many as twenty Slovaks appeared—more than any other country. These young players are gaining valuable experience, which benefits the U19 and U21 national teams.

“Clubs in Slovakia have significantly rejuvenated their squads and are giving chances even to teenagers. The youngsters get the opportunity to develop, but they still have to prove their quality. The birth years 1994 to 1996, which I follow closely, are exceptional not only in footballing terms but also in character,” said U21 national coach Pavel Hapal, a Czech.

At the top of the most-active-young-players list is 19-year-old Trnava goalkeeper Adam Jakubech, who didn’t miss a minute in the autumn season. There is strong interest in him from abroad. One Serie A club offered 750,000 euros for him last summer. His price has since risen. Paradoxically, he didn’t have a spot in the U21 national team. Eighteen-year-old Nigerian Samuel Kalu (Trenčín) missed only twelve minutes of one match. Among the most active players is also another teenage Žilina talent, Nikolas Špalek, who started every game in the starting lineup. “A player who plays regularly has a strong case for a transfer abroad,” admits Tokos.