CZEAUTSVKPOL #2: MŠK Žilina

 

Okay, so I’m kind of cheating here seeing as I haven’t seen MŠK Žilina play. I have, however, sampled the wonderful sights and sounds of Žilina, and I have watched a fixture between Slovakia U21s and Northern Ireland U21s at the home of MŠK; the delightful Štadión pod Dubňom (literally translated as the “Stadium under the Dubeň Hill”).

 

I’d struggled to find any fixtures during this particular week due to the international break, but I’d hit the jackpot with this first Slovakian groundhop. I picked up a ticket online for the equivalent of a fiver and printed it before leaving the UK. This was also to be my furthest ground east – an exciting new benchmark for a nerd like me.

 

The Trip to Žilina

I’d gone back on myself during this particular trip, having started in Brno (with a brief day trip to Vienna), before going north to Olomouc, west to Prague, then back east to Žilina on a 6 hour train. I’d spend a couple of days in Žilina before flying back from the lovely Bratislava.

 

As the train left the northeast corner of Czech Republic, it briefly skirted through Poland for a few minutes – I’m still not counting Poland as ticked off though. It then rolled through the almighty Slovakian snow-capped hills, thankfully still visible before the setting of the sun at around 6-ish on arrival into Žilina.

 

I dropped my stuff off  at the hotel before heading to Trattoria Pepe for a beautiful four-cheese pizza and beer for around 10 Euros. They had an English menu too, as did La Donuteria, which I would certainly recommend for those with a sweet tooth.

 

There’s a lot to see for such a modest town, but hiking and skiing are the most popular activities here. All that said, the town is definitely more than a mere ski resort.

 What’s the ground like?

A modestly sized and tightly packed all-seater ground, likely to generate quite the atmosphere on any given MŠK matchday. A Thursday afternoon under-21 game is perhaps not the best marker of what the ground’s atmosphere is usually like.

 

As you enter Žilina by train, it’s likely that you’ll see it from the station, but in order to get there, you have to take a minor detour. Exit the station and turn right, continue, then turn right at the underpass. There you’ll find some (graffiti-covered) artwork marking MŠK Žilina’s famous Champions League group stage appearance alongside Chelsea, Marseille and Spartak Moscow in 2010.

 

You’ll then notice the Dubeň Hill in the distance. I’m a sucker for a ground with a hilly backdrop, which explains why I’m so fond of the likes of Forthbank (Stirling Albion) and Recreation Park (Alloa Athletic). In fact, this wasn’t too dissimilar, and I mean that in the best way possible. The hosts ran out 2-1 winners and looked good value for their win over Northern Ireland, though the game was fairly uneventful.

 

Who are ya?

Žlto-Zelení (The Yellow-Greens) may look like a Norwich City rip-off, but they’re only six years younger than the Norfolk side having been founded in 1908. They’ve played at Štadión pod Dubňom since 1941, with major renovations having taken place from 2006 to 2015 to comply with UEFA standards. Though its capacity is officially 11,253 right now, Slovakia v Dynamo Moscow saw an impressive 25,000 spectators in 1953. Despite hosting Under 21 games regularly, the ground hasn’t hosted the Slovak National Team since November 2015.

 

As for MŠK Žilina, their history is filled with success, with their first two Slovak Championships coming in 1928 and 1929. The club played 30 seasons in the Czechoslovak First League during the period from 1945 to 1993, with their record high finish being 4^th in 1947. They managed to get into the Cup Winners’ Cup as Dynamo Žilina in 1961, losing to Fiorentina 4-3 on aggregate in the Quarters.

 

Since the Slovak Superliga began in 1993, ŠK Žilina (renamed with the M in 1995) have only suffered the ignominy of relegation once in 1995, before bouncing back immediately. They won their first title under Leoš Kalvoda in 2002, retaining it under Milan Lešický despite Kalvoda’s departure. They won it for a third season under a third manager, with Ladislav Jurkemik returning for a 2^nd spell in the Žilina dugout.

 

Stability has never really been the buzzword around Žilina, though the club have won four titles since that three-in-a-row success to date. A 6^th placed finish last season perhaps represents something of a backwards step though. They won the League/Cup double in 2012, with that win only representing a 2^nd cup success in the club’s history.

 

Prior to those famous European nights of 2010 at Stamford Bridge and La Velodrome, the club also got themselves a cheeky 2-1 win in the UEFA Cup at Villa Park back in 2008. They fell to Czech side Jablonec (8-1) in the 2021-22 Europa Conference League play-offs, but with European competitions becoming more open for the less glamorous sides, it seems inevitable that group stage football will be back in Žilina sooner rather than later.