Ladislav Pecko

Slovak Football Association

Slovak Football Association (SFA), founded in 1938, is the largest organization in Slovakia with its 427 102 members. SFA ensures regular sporting activity of more than ten thousands of young people within its structure. It is held about 5,000 matches every week in the towns and villages across the whole country. The first mention of organized football in our area comes from 1893. An important milestone in its development was the emergence of the Czechoslovak Republic. The conditions for sports development were created and the basics for the organization of football in Slovakia were established. The first Slovak football club was 1. Čs. ŠK Bratislava based in 1919. Massive expansion of football began in the postwar period. Significant increase in the number of players, teams, and especially in youth categories may be observed in mentioned period. The great achievements of Czecho-Slovak football: - 2nd place (silver) on the World Cup in 1934 in Italy - 2nd place (silver) on the World Cup in 1962 in Chile - 1st place (gold) on the Olympics in 1980 in Moscow - 2nd place (silver) on the Olympics in 1964 in Tokyo. - 3rd place (bronze) on the European Championship in 1960 in France - 3rd place (bronze) on the European Championship in 1980 in Italy - 1st place (gold) on the European Championship in 1976 in Yugoslavia The great achievement of Slovak football: - last 16 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa