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Knavs gives Slovenia steel

Aleksander Knavs' firm play has made him the linchpin of the Slovenian defence.

1. FC Kaiserslautern defender Aleksander Knavs may live in the shadow of playmaker Zlatko Zahovic, but his firm play and extraordinary vision have made him the linchpin of the Slovenian defence.

Reliable defender
An English-style stopper, Knavs is a tough competitor and a fine header of the ball. In a Slovenian side not overburdened with flair players, he is the epitome of the disciplined work ethic which has seen the small former Yugoslavian republic earn a reputation as one of the most obstinate opponents in European football.

No compromise
Knavs started his career with NK Olimpia Ljubljana in 1993 but was rarely given the chance to show all his talents. Switching to FC Tirol Innsbruck in 1997 he slowly made his way through to the first team, becoming a key defensive player for the Austrian club. A reliable member of the back-line at Tirol, he swept the penalty area without compromise and helped the team to consecutive league titles in 1999/00 and 2000/01.

Bundesliga recognition
After four years he finally gave in to an offer from Kaiserslautern and moved to the 1. Bundesliga, where he has proved to be a virtuoso conductor of the German side’s defence. The club started the 2001/02 campaign with five wins out of five and Knavs was voted the Bundesliga player of the month.

Highly regarded
"Football is a job, like any other job. I am pleased when people say I am playing the game the way it is meant to be, but I will let the commentators do the talking,” was a typically humble remark from the man who is, according to German media, one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga and in Europe. For the Slovenian national team, Knavs is an ever-present force and it was his headed goal that earned the country a point against Russia in 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, taking them to the brink of the finals.

Successful campaign
At 1.9m in height and close to 90kg in weight, Knavs’ no-nonsense style and towering physical presence were a major factor in an incredibly successful Group One qualifying campaign. Slovenia did not lose a game despite sharing a group with Russia, Yugoslavia and Switzerland and having to face a two-legged play-off for a place in the finals against Romania. ‘Sandi’, as he is known to supporters, was ruled out of the Romania play-off matches through injury and missed a sequence of games for Kaiserslautern. Slovenia just about managed to survive without him, but his club’s results immediately went into decline. Like all great defenders, he is conspicuous only in his absence.