Weiss takes Slovakia out of the shadows

By Martin Santa

BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovakia's appearance at the 2010 World Cup finals will finally bring soccer out of the shadows of ice hockey in the small central European country, said coach Vladimir Weiss.

The Slovaks won the ice hockey world championship in 2002 and the sport has dominated headlines for years.

"I believe reaching the World Cup finals is a unique event to change the public view -- soccer can reach a new position in society," Weiss told Reuters in an interview.

Slovakia qualified for the finals for the first time since becoming independent in 1993 by finishing top of European Group Three during a campaign that included wins over Poland and more illustrious neighbours the Czech Republic.

"The biggest win for me is not reaching the final tournament, but the fact that tens of thousands of people came to see the match against Slovenia," 45-year-old Weiss added referring to their penultimate qualifier.

"The nation has awakened, they believe in us."

SOCCER FAMILY

Weiss, who played for Czechoslovakia at the 1990 World Cup and was Artmedia Petrzalka coach when they reached the Champions League group stage in 2005/06, has been widely praised for turning a modest team into a well-organised outfit.

"I've inherited the love for soccer, we're a soccer family," Weiss said. "My father used to tell me that I've kicked a ball since I was a baby... I saw it later through my son's love for soccer," he said of 19-year-old Manchester City winger and Slovak international Vladimir Weiss.

Weiss senior believes Slovakia's success in getting to next year's World Cup in South Africa could prompt officials and sponsors to pour money into soccer back home, improve the infrastructure and repair and build new stadiums.

The Slovak Soccer Association was established in 1938 and, with almost 430,000 members, is the country's biggest organisation, with some 5,000 events taking place every week.

"Soccer can deliver magic, you can do almost everything with soccer," Weiss said. "If you are doing great you have all doors open, and it's good to use this opportunity," he said.

"We will go to fight for the best possible result. We're not going to South Africa on holiday, we're going to play. The ball is round and we can always surprise."

(Editing by Alison Wildey

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