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Football Club Železiarne Podbrezová is not only about the first team and the boys’ academy. A large part of our football family also consists of the girls’ U15 and U19 teams, which compete in the Central Slovak Women’s Second League.

At the moment, the biggest joy comes from the younger girls – the U15 category. After the autumn part of the season, they go into the winter break in first place in the table, with only one defeat and a seven-point lead at the top. Their older teammates in the U19 category had a more demanding autumn season, but the most important thing is that the girls enjoy football and regularly test themselves against quality opponents.

Both teams are led by coach Jakub Kastelovič, who is very satisfied with the performances of the U15 squad:

“Before the season, we really didn’t expect to be spending the winter at the top of the table. We slipped up only once, against Bzenica, who are right on our heels. But we managed the other matches, often even the tough ones. In this league, two or three quality players usually decide games – we’re lucky to have more of them, and the team spirit pushes us forward.”

Reinforcements Brought Quality

The autumn results of the U15 team were also strongly influenced by new faces in the squad:

  • Karin Pančíková – one of the top scorers among boys last season,
  • Melissa Žilinová – regularly plays in the boys’ league in Brezno.

Both significantly raised the team’s level. In goal, Slávka Richtáriková delivers reliable performances, and the other girls are also showing high playing quality.

The Biggest Challenge – Keeping Girls in Football

Coach Kastelovič knows that girls’ football has its own specifics. Player turnover is high – many girls quit after just a few training sessions, others leave after primary school, especially if they continue their studies outside the region.

“With the youth teams, our priority is therefore to keep as many girls playing football as possible. Younger players often have to step in for the U19 team, which sometimes comes at the expense of results, but they gain invaluable experience. What’s important is that they manage the transition from U15 to U19 at secondary schools in the surrounding area. If they go farther away, interest often declines – but that’s the reality of girls’ youth football everywhere.”

Even now, we see talents in our squad who could one day wear the national team jersey or make a living from football. The key will be to get through the critical period around the ages of 15–16.

What Do the Players Say?
Nela Maková (U15 midfielder):

“We collected all the important points, especially the tough ones. I believe we’ll continue in the spring and finish first at the end of the season. Big thanks go to the coach – without him, we probably wouldn’t be here. But it’s also about our own work on ourselves.”

Veronika Muránska adds:

“We’ve improved physically and the goals are coming. Even though I couldn’t be at all the matches, I supported the girls and later watched everything back.”

The U19 team faces bigger challenges – according to Stela Horvátová, the squad lacks numbers:

“Sometimes we’re still finding ourselves, but we believe we’ll improve in the spring. We need to strengthen the squad – we’ll see what the coming period brings.”

Football in Podbrezová Is Also for Girls

Even though not everything always goes smoothly, working with youth pays off. Boys and girls alike represent the club’s colours with pride. The most important thing is that young footballers enjoy movement, develop healthy habits, and truly love the game.

Author (source): Podbrezovan