Slovenia appoints new national team head coach

The Executive Committee of the Football Association of Slovenia (NZS), at a correspondence session, confirmed Boštjan Cesar as the new head coach of the Slovenian senior (A) national team.

Cesar is the record holder for the number of appearances for the Slovenian national team (102) and wore the captain’s armband for many years, CE Report informs via the Slovenian Football Association.

He also represented Slovenia at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as part of the generation that took the country to football’s biggest stage for the second time in history.

He spent the largest part of his club career in Italy with Chievo, where over ten years he made 247 official appearances and scored nine goals. He also played in France (Marseille, Grenoble) and England (West Bromwich Albion), giving him broad insight into different football schools and working methods.

After ending his playing career, he moved into coaching, leading the Slovenia under-19 national team. In January 2022, he joined the coaching staff of the senior national team as the first assistant to Matjaž Kek. He was also part of the coaching staff when Slovenia qualified for and achieved the greatest success in the country’s football history by reaching the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2024.

In Kek’s absence, he successfully led the senior national team, with Slovenia remaining unbeaten in five matches under his guidance, including a 2–0 friendly victory over Portugal.

Foto: M24.si