BRATISLAVA – Slovak national football team coach Francesco Calzona revealed Thursday that defender David Hancko may be unable to join the team due to the impending birth of his child.Hancko informed calzona of the situation via message Wednesday evening,leaving the coach struggling to articulate a response.The situation presents a challenge for Calzona as he prepares for upcoming matches, but he emphasized prioritizing family needs. This advancement underscores the personal considerations often faced by athletes at the highest level and highlights the delicate balance between professional commitments and personal life. The team is hoping to find a way for Hancko to join, even if only for the matches themselves.
“David sent me a message last night, he had a pregnant wife. He told me he wanted to be close to her now as they had a date of birth. I called him back and he confirmed the words he wrote,” Calzona stated at a press conference.
calzona further explained, “He told me about this situation after Luxembourg. I said the family comes first, but we want to find some way to attend this suddenly. We want to do this to come to the matches at least.”
Drawing on personal experience, the 56-year-old Italian coach shared, “In 2018 my daughter was born after a tough course, I worked in Naples at that time. On Sunday afternoon I came to them and was born on Monday evening. I knew they where fine that they were fine. Then I returned to work because it should be.”
Calzona concluded, “Everyone is thinking with his head, so, of course, I don’t want to judge David. We have already missed some players in the past, I am happy to train such a group. I still say that everyone is replaceable from the first player to the coach.”