England test captures Slovakia's imagination
Saturday, December 12, 2015
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"I like the idea of playing against England," said Slovakia midfielder Marek Hamšík, with games against Russia and Wales to come in their maiden EURO finals campaign.
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Having beaten Spain in qualifying, Slovakia were not unduly concerned about playing England in UEFA EURO 2016 Group B, though coach Ján Kozák conceded that he would rather have avoided Wales.
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Ján Kozák, Slovakia coach
England won all ten of their qualifying games – they are definitely attractive opposition for the fans and a big challenge for us. As for Russia, we played them last year. Russia have a good defence which has played together for a long time, but as a Pot 2 team they are a good draw for us, because their performances in qualifying varied and that means there is a chance for us. I didn't want to get Wales, because they play with great passion. They also have players who can decide a game.
Marek Hamšík, Slovakia midfielder
It was a good draw for us. It could have been a lot worse. I like the idea of playing against England in the final group game. We will know before the first whistle whether that is a good thing or not. The most important game will be the first one against Wales.
