Article by Romeo Ene – Published Monday, March 30, 2026, 12:19 / Updated Monday, March 30, 2026 12:19
Francesco Calzona (57 years old) will no longer be the coach of Slovakia from Wednesday, the day after the friendly with Romania, according to sport.aktuality.sk. It remains to be seen who will lead the national team in the Nations League in September and when the decision will be made.
The Italian coach only had a contract with the Slovak Football Federation until the end of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In the event of qualification, the deal would have been automatically extended until the end of the tournament.
However, the Slovaks missed the goal. They were eliminated in the semi-finals after losing at home to Kosovo, 3-4.
Francesco Calzona would leave the Slovak national team
Calzone he will be out of contract after Tuesday's friendly against Romania. The president of the federation, Jan Kovacik, spoke of a common interest in continuing the collaboration. However, the coach avoided a clear answer after the failure with Kosovo.
“My future is not important. What is important is that the team plays equally well with any opponent. Our team has heart and soul. We have to stay on this road, with or without me. The team is in first placeCalzona had said.
A four-member committee will decide the selector's future. For a decision to be possible, the federation must first propose an extension to his contract.
“There are two clear criteria. The federation must determine if it can afford the salary of 70,000 euros per month and if the results justify this amount.
Calzona took Slovakia to the last 16 of EURO 2024. The team showed a modern game and was close to qualifying for the quarter-finals after the match against England.
However, it did not meet the other objectives. Slovakia failed to advance to League B of the Nations League and missed out on qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
There is also a cost-related discussion. The federation is looking into whether a cheaper coach could have achieved similar results. According to recent information, the federation has salary arrears to Calzona and his staff for the months of November and December,” the Slovakian press writes.
