Italian Francesco Calzona has been in charge of Slovakia since August 30, 2022, but his future could be in question just weeks before the 2026 World Cup qualification play-off semi-final against Kosovo, which will take place on March 26 next year.

Elections are expected to be held in the Slovak Football Association in February, and in this context, the future of Calzona is being widely discussed.

Petr Kaspar, a member of the federation’s Executive Committee, has stated that Slovak football leaders may also consider an Italian coach for the national team bench, a topic that has been discussed since the beginning since Calzona took charge.

Calzona, who has not had an easy path as a foreign coach, has faced both praise and criticism from the public, with some fans calling for his departure after each poor performance.

The last time this happened was after a 6-0 defeat to Germany in the final match of the qualifying phase. In the regular qualifying phase, Slovakia recorded four wins and two losses.

Calzona’s contract is valid until the end of March, but the upcoming elections could bring changes.

A new executive committee could immediately review Calzona’s performance and decide whether he will continue on the bench. Such a change just weeks before the decisive matches is considered difficult, but in sport and behind the scenes, nothing is certain. Petr Kaspar has assessed that Slovakia’s passage to the playoffs is a great success.

Slovak media analysis of Kosovo

Slovak media “Sports Web” has also paid attention to Kosovo, emphasizing that Slovakia’s only advantage in this match is the performance in front of their fans.

“But first, Slovakia must overcome Kosovo, a challenge that will not be easy. The Balkan team plays fast, aggressively and with a lot of passion, while the traditional Balkan quality in keeping the ball is not lacking. Kosovo is a new country in football, with a population of under two million inhabitants, but with quality footballers. Many of them have previously played for the youth teams of Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavian countries, where they learned discipline and mental toughness. When these qualities are combined with traditional Balkan enthusiasm and creativity, they can create a dangerous weapon on the field,” writes this medium.

Although Slovakia and Kosovo have not faced each other before, several players from both teams know each other well. Our captain and center back, Amir Rrahmani, has a teammate named Stanislav Lobotka of Napoli.

The medium also mentions the names of players such as Vedat Muriqi (Mallorca), Edon Zhegrova (Juventus) and Milot Rashica (Besiktas).

There are also lines for Franco Fodan, who took charge of Kosovo in February 2024 and under his leadership, the national team has recorded 12 wins from 19 matches, showing good consistency and great potential for the challenges ahead. /Telegraph/