At a press conference, Slovenian national football team manager Srečko Katanec broke down his gameplan ahead of a friendly match against Colombia in Stožice on Tuesday: "Colombia is going to be a very difficult match-up for us. I really hope for a strong home crowd to support our boys – some of them will be making their debut – for better or worse. They will now get a chance to give their all. They will play against the third-ranked team in the official FIFA rankings, a team that boasts an impressive line-up of top-notch players. They're all bringing their A-game to the table. I wish my boys the best of luck."

Not afraid of a landslide defeat
After Saturday's defeat at Wembley, some players have left the squad to return to their respective clubs – Kevin Kampl, Samir Handanović, Boštjan Cesar, Valter Birsa, Andraž Kirm, Mišo Brečko, Dalibor Stevanović, Milivoje Novaković and Zlatan Ljubijankić. Benjamin Verbič is not slated to play due to a minor ankle injury. As for the question of who will now wear the captain's armband for the national team, Katanec said that the player with the most international caps is usually appointed as the new captain. That would be Branko Ilić, who has 56 international appearances under his belt.

Ahead of the new game, which will feature some player debuts, Katanec was not worried about formations: "Generally speaking, formations are not important at all. It is important that I see how easily certain players can adapt and react. I'm not interested in player analyses ahead of a friendly, and it is best if my players are not given too much information. They're on the pitch and they're left to their own devices. No-one can hear you anyway if you're trying to say something at Wembley."

12.000 tickets have been sold, so tickets are still available.

M. R.; translated by D. V.