The motive of Slovan Bratislava’s match against Finnish KuPS Kuopio on Thursday is clear. If the Slovak champion wants to advance to the elimination part of the Conference League, he must score points and ideally win.
Compared to Kuopio, Slovan is a big club with millionaires
So far, he has faced qualitatively and financially stronger opponents in the competition. He lost by a goal to both Strasbourg and Alkmaar. He impressed in the game against the French, but failed in performance in the Netherlands.
This time the roles will be reversed, Slovan acts as a millionaire big club opposite Kuopio. Whites have eight times the budget and five times the market value of the staff. KuPS players earn an average of only 3,000 euros per month, while Slovan’s best players earn twenty times more.
While the Bratislava club, generously subsidized by the Kmotrík family, is already a regular participant in European cup competitions, the Finnish champion will make his debut in the main stage of one of them. It doesn’t even have a suitable stadium, the match will take place in Tampere, 300 kilometers away (from 18.45, broadcast by JOJ Šport).
Takač: After those losses, it was not ideal
“Finally, an opponent of a slightly different rank. Of course we won’t underestimate them, but it’s something different from Alkmaar or Strasbourg,” goalkeeper Dominik Takáč said before leaving Bratislava.
In recent weeks, he has regained the form that graced him during last year’s promotion of the Whites to the Champions League. Especially in Alkmaar, he saved the team from a debacle. With Slovan’s fluctuating performances, he is perhaps the only one who maintains his standard:
“There was more that needed to be emphasized. After the losses in Alkmaar and with Prešov, it wasn’t ideal, we all said and admitted that. But then we responded with two wins and that encouraged us. I believe that we will come to Finland with a winning attitude and finally take the first points.”
VIDEO: Coach Weiss before the match with KuPS Kuopio:
Two turns of the cabin helped
Although Slovan lost in the last two away league matches against Komárno and Podbrezová, they managed to turn the score around.
“Those two league victories helped the mood in the team. I remember the match with Podbrezova two years ago. We turned from 1:2 to 3:2 in stoppage time and we got an incredible kick. I believe it could be similar now.
We showed that this team never gives up. I feel we have something good in the dressing room. I believe that we will use it in Finland as well,” hitter Kevin Wimmer said.
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The reigning Slovak football champion ŠK Slovan Bratislava has a third opportunity to win premiership points in the league part of the European Conference League 2025/2026. So far, coach Vladimír Weiss’s men lost at home to the French Strasbourg and also came up empty in the match against the Dutch team AZ Alkmaar. Now they have a duel in Finland against the KuPS Kuopio team, with whom they were eliminated in the 2nd qualifying round of the European League in the 2020/2021 season.
Experienced hitchhiker: I refuse any excuses!
The hot topic is artificial turf, which the Finns are used to and which is supposed to be their advantage.
“We can also take positives from artificial grass. We have several technical, fast players who could benefit from it. So I reject any excuses about the weather or the artificial grass. Those are things we have to adapt to.” the experienced Austrian was not looking for an alibi.
“We were all disappointed after Prešov. Then we turned the games around twice and gained confidence. We want to get the first points in the Conference League.” shouted another central defender, Kenan Bajrič.
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They don’t look like a strong opponent on paper, but…
Slovinec is one of Slovan’s best players so far this season. He is a constant, he has been working at the club since January 2018 (he was a guest in Cyprus for two years). He is the only one who remembers the embarrassment when Slovan was eliminated from the European League against KuPS in 2020 after a penalty shootout:
“I remember that, we also talked about it with the guys. However, I think this will be a completely different game. Now we have a more experienced squad. We had good players then, but now we have a completely different team and style of play.”
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Slovan Bratislava is fighting for the first points in the Conference League for the third time. He is expected to face the weakest opponent on paper, to whom he sensationally succumbed in the only previous confrontation.
Slovan will probably not face a weaker opponent in the Conference League. At least as far as the team’s market value is concerned. The Slovan cadre is worth 31.8 million, KuPS only 6.85 million. Škendija Tetovo from North Macedonia also has more expensive players (7.1 million).
“Maybe they don’t look like a strong opponent on paper, but they’re hard to play on artificial grass. It’s a different surface, they’re strong on it. They’re strong on the ball, they play short passes. They’ve already scored two points, we’ve scored nothing.” pointed out Bajrič.
Kuopio has already recorded draws at home with Kosovar Drita (1:1) and in Iceland against Breidablik (0:0). However, Slovan will clearly be the most difficult opponent for them so far.
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