Center-back Jaka Bijol: ‘We didn’t give England a single chance’

Center-back Jaka Bijol – The England national team truly struggled to find their way to the Slovenian goal in the final match of Group C at this year’s Euro.

Center-back Jaka Bijol expressed his joy as Slovenia brilliantly held off the stars of the England team in a goalless draw in Group C of Euro 2024.

“The whole team played very well from the first minutes until the final whistle. We didn’t give them any dangerous chances and are completely proud of our performance,” Bijol shared after the match between England and Slovenia.

Several of Bijol’s teammates shared the same feelings about this unexpected result.

“We fought with everything we had, one for all, and all for one – for the flag on our chest. We succeeded, and this feeling is unbelievable,” said defender Vanja Drkusic.

“We entered the match with a positive mindset, knowing we could get a favorable result to advance without worrying about the other match,” said Adam Gnezda Cerin, the man of the match.

The Slovenian national team delivered an excellent defensive performance against England. They stopped the relatively smooth attacks of the “Three Lions” while also creating notable attacking moments towards Jordan Pickford’s goal. A thoroughly deserved result for the tireless efforts of Jaka Bijol and his teammates.

With 1 point from this match, Slovenia concluded Group C of this year’s Euro with 3 points from three draws, finishing in third place and officially securing a spot in this year’s Euro playoffs along with England and Denmark. In fact, with a bit more luck, Slovenia could have secured the second place in the group, which went to Denmark.

This is the first time Slovenia has advanced past the group stage in history. Twenty-four years ago, Slovenia made their first appearance at the Euro, finishing last in a group featuring Spain, Norway, and the former Yugoslavia.