On May 12, the Slovak Football Association officially confirmed that 61-year-old Vladimir Weiss has been appointed as the head coach of the Slovak national team. Following approval by the executive committee, Weiss will once again take charge of the national side.
The selection process was managed by a four-member committee consisting of national team vice president Karol Belaník, FA vice president Ivan Kozák, technical director Otto Brunegraf, and coaching representative Ján Kočian. The committee unanimously recommended Weiss to the executive committee.
Belaník stated: “Our committee proposed Vladimir Weiss as the national team head coach to the executive committee, which unanimously approved the nomination. The FA president and I have been authorized to negotiate the contract details with Weiss in the coming days.”
This move also means that ŠK Slovan Bratislava has agreed to release Weiss despite his existing contract with the club for another year. The club ultimately chose to support the national team’s needs.
Belaník expressed gratitude: “We sincerely thank Slovan Bratislava owner Ivan Kmotrík and general manager Ivan Kmotrík Jr. for considering the national team’s requirements and releasing Weiss without any compensation.”
He also revealed that Weiss and Adrián Guľa were the final two candidates before the final decision. “Both Weiss and Guľa are highly capable and respected coaches. Throughout the interviews and communication process, they demonstrated great professionalism and strong interest in coaching the national team. However, two days ago, Guľa informed us he wishes to remain focused on club football, which we respect. We thank him for his honesty and professionalism. The FA sees him as a coach with great potential who could return to the national team system in the future.”
The FA will now focus on building Weiss’s coaching staff. Since Italian coach Francesco Calzona left with his Italian staff, Weiss needs to assemble an entirely new national team coaching setup.
Belaník noted that the team aims to maintain some continuity from the previous system, so legendary player Marek Hamšík is very likely to remain on the coaching staff. Discussions are also ongoing about continuing cooperation with Pavol Farkaš, while Ján Novota’s future remains open. Given the dense autumn schedule for the national team, there may also be an additional goalkeeping coach appointment.
For Weiss, this marks his return after 14 years. His last match as Slovakia head coach was on October 11, 2012, an European Championship qualifier in Skopje.
Notably, Weiss remains the only coach to lead Slovakia to a World Cup. At the 2010 South Africa World Cup, he guided the team through the group stage to the round of 16, creating a historic moment for Slovak football.
Over his 30-year coaching career, Weiss has managed clubs including Slovan Bratislava and Kairat Almaty, as well as the national teams of Slovakia and Georgia.
Honors include winning eight Slovak league titles, the Slovak Cup, and the Kazakhstan Cup. While coaching Slovan Bratislava, he led the team to multiple European group stage appearances and even the Champions League group stage.
Weiss has also been named “Slovak Coach of the Year” eight times and received the prestigious “Crystal Wing” award in the sports category in 2009.