Slovakia is one of the positive surprises of the European Championship. Stanislav Lobotka, Napoli's playmaker, is at the heart of the team that will face England on Sunday.
Sometimes all it takes to recognize the value of a player is a few stat sheets. Or a few video scenes are enough to captivate the fans. Lobotka is neither of these two types, he is neither responsible for the spectacular dribbles nor for the many scoring points. In the last two seasons with Napoli, he scored one goal and provided two assists.
And yet: when Xavi, then still coach of FC Barcelona, was asked in March before the Catalans' Champions League clash against Napoli which player he would like to take over from his opponents, the answer from the former brilliant Spanish playmaker was: Stanislav Lobotka. Not the Nigerian top scorer Victor Osimhen or the Georgian dribbling artist Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
In Italy, Xavi's request came as no surprise. There, Lobotka has long been identified as a player who makes the difference. In Napoli's championship season, he made the team of the year and was named "best playmaker in Serie A" by Andrea Pirlo, the Italian version of Xavi.
Twice "Player of the Match"
Lobotka's appearance and words are more reminiscent of the statistics: conspicuously inconspicuous. 170 centimetres tall, a short hairstyle that looks more military than modern, no visible tattoos and statements that always revolve around the collective. According to him, Slovakia is on a mission to prove to everyone that the many critical observers were wrong in their opinions.
"We showed a lot of people who didn't believe in us and our coach's tactics," said Lobotka after the 1-0 surprise win against Belgium, adding without a smile: "I love it when nobody believes in us. That's the moment when everyone can shine." Lobotka said a few days later that they had qualified for the round of 16 as a united team and that he was particularly proud of that.
Lobotka was named "Player of the Match" twice - as were Granit Xhaka, N'Golo Kanté and Kevin de Bruyne in the preliminary round of the European Championship. In the center of the Slovakian three-man midfield, he is just as responsible for stopping the generic attacks as he is for launching his own counterattacks. He excels with passes of all kinds. In his hands lie the threads of the Slovakians' game, who are similarly blatant outsiders against England as they were against Belgium.
Barcelona or an Englishman after all?
"The game of our lives," enthused coach Francesco Calzona, looking ahead to the round of 16 in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday. The Italian can go into what is on paper an unequal duel with a great deal of optimism. His team is excellently prepared for the tournament, possibly also because Calzona knows his most important player so well. The 55-year-old was assistant coach at Napoli before becoming Slovakia's national coach in 2022 and has been interim coach of the southern Italians since February.
Lobotka has been under contract with Napoli for four and a half years since the Italians acquired him from Celta Vigo for €20 million. At almost 30 years of age, the next step in his career is imminent. FC Barcelona had almost reached an agreement with him, but backed out for the time being following Xavi's dismissal. A decision that the Catalans may regret, as the price for the playmaker, who is still under contract in Naples until 2027, has risen. And could rise further if Lobotka also wins over English clubs on Sunday.
SDA
