National Schools’ Cup makes football top of the class in Slovakia

The Slovak Football Association (SFZ) has underlined the importance of school football to achieving its long-term goal of inspiring more young people to take up the game.

SFZ general secretary Peter Palencík, and president president Jan Kováčik wither side of UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin UEFA

Meeting with UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin in Nyon on Monday, 31 January, the SFZ’s president, Ján Kováčik, and general secretary, Peter Palenčík, described how a national schools’ cup has become the most successful sports competition for primary and secondary schools in Slovakia.

SFZ’s 2018–22 football strategy

Strengthening grassroots football across the country, both through school and youth competitions, is a central component of the SFZ’s 2018–22 football strategy.

Slovakia's national schools' cup has been a huge successSFZ

"We want to write one positive football story for people’s lives every day. Then, we will become a positive inspiration for our country," said the SFZ general secretary after updating the UEFA president, and national associations division director Zoran Laković, on football development activities in Slovakia.

The schools’ cup is just one example of how UEFA’s HatTrick development programme is supporting implementation of the SFZ strategy. The programme, which channels revenue from the UEFA EURO back into the game, has also paid for the construction of 14 full-size training pitches with artificial turf in all regions of Slovakia. Find out more about what the Slovak Football Association is doing to develop football here.