Jaroslav Kentosh leads his Slovakia U-21 squad into battle against tournament favorites Spain in the opening match of Euro 2025 on June 11 in Bratislava. The 51-year-old coach, who has been at the helm since January 2020, faces a daunting task against the five-time European champions.
"Hosting the tournament gives us extra motivation, but we understand the challenge Spain presents," Kentosh might say ahead of this crucial fixture at Tegelne Pole stadium.
The home side enters the competition as relative newcomers, with this being only their third appearance in the U-21 European Championship. Their previous showings came in 2000 (also as hosts) and 2016, when they narrowly missed advancing to the semifinals. The Slovaks have struggled in recent friendlies, going winless since October when they defeated Wales 4-2.
Santi Denia's "La Rojita" arrives as one of the tournament's heavyweights alongside Germany. The Spanish squad captured Olympic gold in Paris under Denia's guidance and reached the Euro final two years ago, only to suffer a narrow 0-1 defeat to England. Spain cruised through qualification, winning nine of ten matches with an impressive 27:4 goal difference.
Interestingly, Slovakia defeated Spain 2-0 in a friendly match in March 2024, but competitive fixtures tell a different story – Spain has won seven of eight official meetings between these teams at this level.
Spain will be without talented winger Jeremaj, who was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury. His absence comes after La Rojita's surprising 0-1 defeat to Ukraine in their final warm-up match.
The Slovak players mostly compete in domestic leagues or neighboring Czech Republic, with a few exceptions playing in more prestigious competitions like Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. Can the home advantage give Slovakia's youngsters the edge they need against the Spanish talent factory?
Despite playing in front of a supportive home crowd, the odds heavily favor Spain. The match kicks off at 19:00 local time and marks the beginning of what promises to be an exciting tournament featuring Europe's brightest young talents.