Having recently watched several matches of the Slavia Praha U19 team in the UEFA Youth League, it was at first clear that this group of academy players has several top prospects among them, and more articles on some of the other Slavia Praha U19 players will be forthcoming. However, it was Simon Sloncik that stood out the most as a rock in the Slavia defence.

Who is Simon Sloncik?

Simon Sloncik was born May 15, 2007 in Zlin, Czechia. His father, Petr Sloncik, was a former professional player in the Czech leagues and his older brother Tom is an attacking midfielder in the Viktoria Plzeň system. Both Sloncik brothers started their football careers in the Zlin youth system. Simon was scouted by Banik Ostrava, and joined their academy for a year before Slavia Praha brought him into their ranks. Still at just 18 years old, Simon Sloncik has been one of the best players in the Slavia B/Slavia U19 teams, and is showing significant promise. Standing at 1.89m, Sloncik already has a big frame that he could further grow into.

Technical Attributes:

In the matches I observed, Sloncik showed a very strong level of technical ability, both on and off the ball. He provides an additional level of confidence to his teammates with his reliability. On the ball, Sloncik has a reliable short passing game and a strong first touch, leading to him rarely being put in situations to give away the ball. He showed some aptitude for progressing the ball through carries/dribbles, with room to further improve in this aspect. Sloncik showed an eye for the long ball, and even when his passes did not find their target, he chose opportunities where his teammates would have a good chance to win the second ball if the pass was not completed.

Off the ball, Sloncik was extremely impressive in his technical ability. His 1v1 defending, tackling, marking, and anticipation to make blocks were all best-on-the-pitch quality. In terms of the modern CB, Sloncik has the technical foundation desired by the majority of managers across the top leagues. Sloncik showed great use of angles and body position to effectively prevent his man from getting a scoring opportunity, as shown below in an example from his match against Arsenal U19.

Example: Defensive Reading / Technique:

Sloncik recognizes the pass about to be made, realizes he cannot intercept it and doesn’t overcommit trying to do so. He waits for his opponent to take their first touch towards goal before fully committing to the ball, making an impressive block.

Mental Attributes:

Sloncik demonstrated calmness and composure on the pitch beyond his years. He clearly is the player organizing the Slavia defence, and uses his strong reading of the game to communicate adjustments to his teammates. In terms of apparent attitude, Sloncik carries himself like a veteran, leading his team by example with an incredibly high level of concentration and communication throughout the match. I rarely saw Sloncik overcommit and draw himself out of position; he was almost always in the right place to make a key interception or block. Sloncik plays for his teammates and does not show any signs of selfishness in his game. Overall, I was very impressed by the professional mentality and composure shown by Sloncik. He has all the attributes required to be a real leader from the back at senior team level.

Physical Attributes:

As previously mentioned, Sloncik is 1.89m tall (about 6’2″), and has a strong, while not bulky, frame. At just 18 years old, there is still plenty of time for him to reach his physical peak. With that in mind, the level shown by Sloncik already is very impressive for his age. While playing at the U19 level, Sloncik is regularly one of the more imposing figures on the pitch. He has solid pace/acceleration – while he might not beat out Micky van de Ven in a race anytime soon, he certainly has the foundation to reach a solid Top 5 League level. Sloncik showed aerial dominance at U19 level, but with signs that it can translate to senior team level. His height, strength and jumping ability make him a regular set piece threat in attack, and a strong aerial defender. I did not see him lose a single aerial duel at U19 level.

Overall Summary and Potential:

Based on the matches I observed, Simon Sloncik is currently capable of being a regular starter in a Top 8-15 European league. In 3 years time, he has the potential to play in one of Europe’s Top 5 leagues/be at a UCL-level. Sloncik’s time in the Slavia youth team will certainly be coming to an end soon, I would not be surprised to see him make his mark in the senior team quicker than expected and start getting some attention from Europe’s top leagues. Sloncik looks like a near-certain lock to be a Czech senior national team player in the future, and is quite the exciting CB prospect! Simon Sloncik is One to Watch.

Thanks for Reading,

LM