For us, it is and always will be a great test against the Czech Republic, says Milan Rampáček

We will continue our cooperation with the Czech national team

The Slovak national team joined the training camp in Boskovice, where they played two friendly games against the Czech team as part of their World Championship preparation. “For us, it is and always will be a great test against the Czech Republic in every aspect. The conditions in Boskovice were exactly what we need for our preparation for the World Championship in Ostrava – they were perfect, and I only have positive feelings about it,” says Slovak head coach Milan Rampáček.

Although the Czech players won both matches, they provided valuable insights for both sides. “Every loss with the national team hurts, because everyone plays to win – and it’s no different in our team. But we found out where we are falling behind and what, on the other hand, worked well. That was the main purpose of this three-day camp,” Rampáček admits. His team will continue with their preparation. “We are just at the beginning of our journey, and I want to thank the guys for their attitude. I’ll always stand by them – we just need to learn from these defeats,” the men’s head coach adds.

This year’s camp was not the first collaboration between the Czech and Slovak national teams. “It’s on a professional level and always has been – whether under coach Mašík or now under coach Kuna – and so far, there hasn’t been any major issue. Looking ahead, I don’t intend to change anything. We will continue our cooperation with the Czech national team; nothing will change in that regard as long as I’m the coach,” concludes Rampáček, who also led the U23 national team at the World Championship in Hradec Králové.