Special rules are in place for the Championship that features 200 players from 8 countries: Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Portugal. The finals are set to take place on Saturday, June 2, in Beltinci and Murska Sobota.
The competition also features wine-tasting events hosted by more than 100 top winemakers from the participating countries. These events provide an excellent opportunity for Slovenia to further cement its reputation as a wine and culinary destination.
Slovenia manager Sebastjan Rojs had this to say before the tournament: “Slovenia, Germany, and Hungary are the strongest teams at Vino Euro 2018, and they happen to be in the same group. This means that one of the favourites to win this year’s Vino Euro will be eliminated at the group stage. We’ve trained hard because we need to finish at least second in our group. On the other hand, the Czech Republic and Portugal, who play in Group A, are total rookies and dark horses. An interesting draw, to say the least.”
The Slovenia team features former First Football League stars and other talented football players. One of them is former First Football League player Tim Lo Duca, who now helps run his family’s winery, Ducal, in Svečina. “No-one believed us when we told them that every player on our team was actually a winemaker, but after checking our ‘pedigrees’ they realized that we don’t cheat and that every one of us is a true winemaker,” said the footballer.
Janez Aljančič, who made appearances for the Slovenia national football team and played in 199 First Football League matches for Domžale, Maribor, Triglav, and Olimpija, is also on the Slovenia team. He also runs Pr’ Bizjak, a successful family inn in Preddvor (NW Slovenia).
Another star on the Slovenia team is Boštjan Žnuderl, who played in the Champions League for NK Maribor but later continued his career in Austria. Matej Vračko, who now runs Vina Vračko, a family wine cellar in Zgornja Kungota, is another NK Maribor veteran playing for Slovenia.
