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Slovakia

Slovakia make their finals debut as hosts and their coach, former international Ladislav Pecko, is targeting at least a FIFA U-17 World Cup slot.

Slovakia
Slovakia ©SFZ

Slovakia are relishing their debut at a UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals as host nation, having on seven previous occasions made the elite round.

Ladislav Pecko is the coach charged with leading Slovakia in their bid. "We want be successful, of course," he said. "We want to advance to the [FIFA U-17] World Cup [by reaching the semi-finals], but to be honest it's difficult to say how good my team will be at this tournament on home soil. We will see."

Friendly results in 2012/13: Austria 0-1 (a, 29/08), Germany 0-2 (n, 31/08), Croatia 3-1 (n, 02/09), Spain 2-2 (h, 02/10) & 1-0 (h, 04/10), Switzerland 0-2 (h, 06/11) & 1-3 (h, 08/11), Norway 1-2 (n, 03/02), Denmark 1-1 (n, 05/02), Poland 1-0 (n, 07/02), Israel 2-0 (a, 18/02) & 1-1 (a, 20/02), Hungary 1-0 (h, 12/03) & 0-3 (a, 14/03)

Key players
Martin Junas (FK Senica, goalkeeper), Denis Vavro (MŠK Žilina, defender), Lukáš Haraslín (ŠK Slovan Bratislava, midfielder)

Coach: Ladislav Pecko

Date of birth: 27 June 1968
Nationality: Slovakian
Playing career:
ŠK Slovan Bratislava
Coaching career: ŠK Slovan Bratislava, 1. FC Tatran Prešov, Slovakia U16/U17

As a player, Pecko was one of the fastest right-wingers in domestic football, first in the former Czechoslovakia and then in Slovakia, both of which countries capped him. His 17-year career between 1988 and 2005 was spent entirely with Slovan, playing 431 games and winning five league titles: one Czechoslovak championship in 1991/92 and four Slovak in 1993/94, 1994/95, 1995/96 and 1998/99.

The next time Slovan celebrated a league crown, Pecko was coach in 2008/09, helping them complete the domestic double having previously been assistant. He managed Tatran in 2010/11 before switching to take charge of the national squad destined for the U17 finals on home soil.

Team records

UEFA European Under-17 Championship best
First finals appearance