Former Olympic Ljubljana head coach João Henriquez offered insights in a recent interview about the Portuguese team that will meet Slovenia in the knockout stages of the Europa League. He emphasized that despite Slovenia's failure to win in the group stage, their performance was good enough to pose a threat to any opponent, including Portugal.
Enriquez began by reflecting on his coaching experience in Slovenia, where he left fond memories of the time by leading the team to a successful UEFA Europa League. In particular, he noted the impressive performance of the Slovenian team in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, where despite failing to win, they managed to advance to the knockout stage through effective soccer tactics and excellent organizational skills.
Regarding the upcoming showdown between Portugal and Slovenia, Henriquez said that the match will be a tough one. He mentioned that Slovenia's defensive counter-attacking tactics work very well and that Portugal could face great difficulties if they make mistakes like they did against Georgia. He emphasized that Slovenia is a well-organized team, their players are improving in the game, and the head coach, Keke, has found the right lineup match to make the team a strong whole.
In addition, Enriquez singled out several star players in the Slovenian team, such as Oblak, Šeško and Ilčić, whose play will have a significant impact on the outcome of the match. At the same time, he also spoke highly of former Ljubljana Olympique player Elšnik, saying that he has the ability to reach a higher level of the league and expects him to achieve even more in the future.
Enriquez is optimistic but cautious about Portugal's prospects. He believes that Portugal is one of the favorites to win the tournament, but going into the knockout rounds, any mistakes could lead to irreversible consequences. He emphasized that Portugal must stay in top form and bring out their best competitiveness in order to secure a good result in the Euros.
