Griga and Hipp handed Slovakia reins
Thursday, April 26, 2012
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Michal Hipp said Stanislav Griga was "Slovakia's best coach" after the pair were appointed to take charge of the country's national team, replacing Vladimír Weiss.
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Stanislav Griga and Michal Hipp have been installed as the new two-man coaching team of Slovakia, 86 days after the resignation of previous boss Vladimír Weiss.
Former AC Sparta Praha and Czechoslovakia striker Griga, 50, takes his share of the reins after being named last season's coach of the year in Slovakia for his work with FK Senica. The man who led Slovakia's Under-21 side from 1999 to 2002 has also been in charge of MŠK Žilina, ŠK Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Praha. The 49-year-old Hipp, meanwhile, was Weiss's assistant and had previously occupied the helm at FC Artmedia Petržalka and Slovan Bratislava.
"I know all about the atmosphere in the national team," said Hipp, capped five times each by Czechoslovakia and Slovakia as a defender. "Two coaches looks like a good idea to me. I am convinced that the team need fresh impetus after an unsuccessful [UEFA EURO 2012] qualifying campaign, and last but not least, Stanislav Griga is now, in my opinion, Slovakia's best coach."
The pair will face their first test when Slovakia play UEFA EURO 2012 co-hosts Poland in a friendly in Klagenfurt, Austria, on 26 May before tackling the Netherlands in Rotterdam four days later. Slovakia will meet Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Latvia, Liechtenstein and Lithuania in FIFA World Cup qualifying Group G, starting in September.
