Kek goes from naive fool to improbable hero

Jonathan Wilson

• Last Updated: November 19. 2009 11:17PM UAE / November 19. 2009 7:17PM GMT

On Saturday, after his side had nicked a late goal to reduce the first-leg deficit to 2-1 in Moscow, Matjaz Kek said “it is better to be wounded than dead”.

By Wednesday night, after they had completed an away-goals victory over Russia, Kek was hailing his side as “immortal”.

This may be Slovenia’s second World Cup qualification in eight years, but it is still, as he put it “a fairy tale”.

The might of Russia came to watch. Dmitri Medvedev, the president, was there; Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was there; the head of Gazprom was there.

They arrived in planes the likes of which Maribor has never seen, drawing crowds to the tiny airport. And yet somehow the country they represent, the 143 million people stretched across 11 time zones, was beaten by a nation of two million that has traditionally scorned any sport that did not involve hurling yourself downhill very fast.

Kek, characteristically, gave credit to the collective.

“Victory is not down to any individual player, but the team as a whole,” he said. “We prepared thoroughly for this match and analysed the Russian style of play beforehand.” Determinedly understated, and perhaps realising his talk of immortality had gone too far, he then retreated into his mild-mannered shell and declared himself “very pleased” with the win.

This, though, is his achievement. The Slovenia that qualified for the World Cup in 2002 may have been more than the sum of its parts, but at least they had Zlatko Zahovic, one player of genuine quality.

This Slovenia has nothing even vaguely resembling a star. Their captain, Robert Koren, can not even get in the West Bromwich Albion team in England’s second tier of football.

The triumph is born of the traditional Slovenian values of organisation and diligence – and, given the ethnic diversity of their squad, inclusiveness.

Kek is an improbable hero. He was far from a popular choice when he was appointed to replace the charismatic but tumultuous Brane Oblak two years ago, with many questioning, given how their resources dwarfed those of every other Slovenian club, just how much he had had to do with the two league titles Maribor had won under his management.

As they finished sixth in their qualifying group for Euro 2008, behind Albania, Belarus and Bulgaria, fans mocked him as ‘Kekec’, a slang term for a naive fool.

Slowly, though, Kek was building, replacing the old Balkan 3-4-1-2 with a flat back four, the benefits of which were obvious in a qualifying campaign in which they had the best defensive record of any European side in a six-team group.

He may not have had the charisma of Oblak, but he was just the safe pair of hands Slovenia needed. Suddenly people have begun to recall another Kekec, the eponymous hero of a hugely popular Slovenian film of 1951, a cheerful and cunning boy who saves the day by setting an owl on the villain in a narrow tunnel.

Given the absence of stars, it would be easy to dismiss Slovenia as simply efficient, but that would be unfair. Make no mistake, they outplayed Russia, who were again overrun in midfield in the absence of Sergei Semak.

Russia may have had two men sent off – Alexander Kerzhakov unluckily after his flick at a loose ball was deemed a kick at the goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, and Yuri Zhirkov quite deservedly for two yellow cards – but Slovenia were in control long before that.

Zlatko Dedic, who grew up in a remote train station and, perhaps not surprisingly, has a great engine, got the only goal just before half-time, but Mile Novakovic wasted two clear opportunities, and the increasingly hapless Sergei Ignashevich deflected a cross against his own post.

Russia were poor and they have some serious soul-searching to do and, although Guus Hiddink was offered a new contract earlier this month, almost certainly a new coach to appoint. Kek, meanwhile, can prepare to release his owls on South Africa.

sports@thenational.ae