Slovenia looking for new coach after World Cup bid failure

Slovenia are looking for a new coach after deciding to part ways with Matjaz Kek following their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the national federation announced on Monday.

The 64-year-old's contract expired at the end of November and the Slovenian Football Association (NZS) said that it was time to give someone else a chance.

"We agreed that, after seven years of very good partnership, marked by a very successful qualification to the (2024) European Championship, it was time to end our work together," NZS said in a statement.

"We will choose a new coach... without any time pressure," the statement added, stipulating that a new handler would be named before the squad's next match in March.

Kek guided Slovenia to the Euros last 16 in Germany in 2024 – the first time in 24 years that they had reached the Euros – but they failed to get through their World Cup qualifying group, finishing a distant third behind Switzerland and Kosovo, having not won any of their six matches.

They have twice qualified for the World Cup – in 2002 and 2010, the latter of which was achieved during Kek's first spell as national team coach.