Slovak Junior Coach Wants to Be Ready for Every Style of Play

The Slovak junior national team doesn’t have it easy ahead of the home world championship. Defending the silver medal in such strong competition, under the pressure of home fans, will certainly be a tough challenge for every Slovak player wearing the double cross on their chest.

Success in matches may come down to the smallest details, which could tip the scales either way. That’s why head coach Michal Salajka is realistic and doesn’t want to leave anything to chance in preparation. He wants to be ready for every possible style of play—whether it’s the opponent’s speed, creativity, or strong defense backed by a top goalie. Given the high quality of their opponents, he approaches the championship with humility, and any medal will be considered a success.

In an interview for the Poprad2025 portal, Michal Salajka shared the current state of the Slovak junior team just one month before the championship.

What stage of preparation is the U20 national team in, one month before the World Championship?
We’re currently approaching the final stage of preparation. We still have the Országh Cup tournament coming up this weekend, where we want to test the players under game conditions. After this tournament, I will announce the final roster.

Are you satisfied with the preparation so far? Is everything going according to plan?
I’m satisfied, though I wish it were better. Unfortunately, we’ve had some injuries and had to cut a few players from the prep squad, so in that regard, things haven’t gone to plan. But the preparation as a whole is progressing the way I envisioned.

What have you been focusing on in preparation—tactics, chemistry, speed, fitness?
I pay close attention to all of these areas. So far, we’ve been working primarily on fitness and teaching the players the systems and expectations I have for them during the tournament. I want to see if they have what it takes to play international ball hockey. Tactics are crucial, so we’ve worked on them at every training camp. We’ll focus on chemistry—both within lines and the team as a whole—during the final camps after the roster is finalized.

What kind of playing style do you want to show at the championship?
A style built on solid physical preparation and sound tactical execution, with an emphasis on responsible defensive play. But I won’t reveal the exact style, since we’re working with several variants. My players will be prepared to play whatever style the situation demands.

Is the final roster for the World Championship already set?
No, not yet. It will be announced on June 10, 2025.

How many training camps are left before the championship, and what will they focus on?
We have three more camps. The closest one is the Országh Cup on June 7–8. Then we’ll have two more camps with the final roster: June 14–15 in Skalica and June 21–22 in Vranov nad Topľou.

Will you play any warm-up matches before the championship?
Yes, we’ll play a friendly against the U23 national team on June 15 in Skalica.

What is the Slovak team’s goal at the home championship?
To win a medal.