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Matchworn Peter Binkovski 08.02.1994 SVN 🇸🇮 : GEO 🇬🇪 1-0
(Rothman's International Football Tournament 1994)
Manufacturer: Puma
Source: TSPN Calcio
THE COUNTRY
The small Central European country of Slovenia in some way fittingly represents Europe as a whole:
The moderate climate and beautiful Alpine scenery in the north, the lush forests and vineyards in the east, and the Mediterranean coasts in the southwest are a perfect summary of what can be expected of the average European country.
“Average” is also a great cue to describe the countries footballing performance. Having had their most successful period from 2000 to 2010, with team qualifying for the 2002 and 2010 World Cup, as well as the EURO 2000, the subsequent years were hallmarked by a steady decline. In 2021, however, the team was able to win their Nations League group, enabling them to get promoted to group B, where they will face Sweden, Norway and Serbia.
THE SHIRT
In 1994, Slovenian football was still in its infancy. The national team officially formed in 1992, just one year after the country’s independence, becoming the first post-Yugoslavian FIFA member and playing their first official game in June 1992.
In their fifth official game during the 1994 Rothman's International Football Tournament in Malta, the Slovenian national team wore this beautiful Puma shirt, which came yet without a federation badge, but rather had the country’s coat of arms applied to the chest. Slovenia would eventually win the tournament while also taking part in their first ever World Cup qualification.
The shirt was worn by Peter Binkovski who made his debut for the national team against Georgia in said tournament. As only pictures of this game seem to exist on the internet, I’m not sure, if this shirt was used in other games during the tournament.
