A chance for youth. Slovakia leads the way

Slovakia’s top football league is usually associated with negatives – low attendance, boring matches, outdated and uncultured stadiums. In many metrics, the Fortuna Liga ranks among the weaker competitions in Europe. But there is one area where Slovakia is actually the best on the continent.

According to a report by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), Slovakia tops the list when it comes to playing time given to under-20 players. The report analyzed 31 European leagues and found that nine of the top 100 most-played U20 footballers are based in Slovak clubs – more than in any other country. "This is a good report card for the Fortuna Liga. A young player who regularly plays has a good chance of transferring abroad – and that’s also interesting from a club perspective," said football analyst and agent Jozef Tokos to the Economic Daily.

The fact that Slovakia’s Fortuna Liga ranks first in this area doesn’t surprise AS Trenčín’s general manager Róbert Rybníček. His club is represented by three players in the ranking – Martin Šulek, Samuel Kalu, and Aliko Bala. "I’ve been saying for years that our league is a breeding ground for talent. I’m glad it’s now backed by statistics. We can rightly be proud of that," said Rybníček. According to him, several Slovak clubs – especially Žilina and Trenčín – have realized that in modern football, age and experience are no longer as crucial as they were a decade ago. "Football is becoming more dynamic and physically demanding. Today, there’s no such thing as an experienced or inexperienced player. There are only good or bad players. This trend in our league is positive, and we’ve even surpassed neighboring countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary," he said. He confirmed that among Trenčín’s players, foreign clubs are currently showing the most interest in Kalu and Šulek. In recent years, it’s also become more evident that it’s often better for young talents to first prove themselves in the domestic league before moving abroad – rather than leaving, say, at age 17. "Foreign clubs are watching, and our market is becoming more attractive to them. It’s not as financially demanding as Italy, Germany, or England, and we can produce quality," added the AS Trenčín manager. This opportunity for young players to gain senior-level experience is also benefiting Slovakia’s U21 national team – and later, the senior squad led by coach Ján Kozák.

In addition to the recent success of Slovakia’s senior national team and the U21 squad’s qualification for next year’s European Championship, this trend may help make international transfers from Slovakia a common, rather than rare, occurrence. "The Fortuna Liga is becoming an ideal launching pad for talents moving into major European football. It shows that youth development in Slovakia is on the right track," said Jozef Tokos. Looking at the CIES ranking, it’s worth noting that the Czech Republic placed three players, Hungary four, and Poland only one in the top 100. Some may argue this reflects the poor quality of the Slovak league. "But take Hungary, for example. Their league is comparable to ours, and they have just four players in the ranking. I wouldn’t attribute this to league quality," Tokos concluded.