For Robert Mak, this year’s Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series carries extra significance. Not only does the Slovakian have a Semi-Final clash against Central Coast Mariners to look forward to but he’s also fighting for the chance to represent Slovakia at UEFA Euro 2024. Mak sat down with aleagues.com.au reporter James Dodd.
A little over a year before making the move to Sydney FC, forward Robert Mak was busy putting on a show for fans around the world as he scored one of the goals of the tournament – officially an own goal, but he’s still claiming it – at the delayed European Championships in 2021.
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“Yeah especially when you have kids… they show me all the time,” laughed Mak when asked how often he watches the goal he scored against Poland in Saint Petersburg which sent Slovakia on their way to an opening 2-1 win at Euro 2020.
“When you score at the Euros it’s an unbelievable feeling, even if it was like an own goal, I took it as mine though!
“When you play for your country it’s something else. It’s special for me because, in the club you are always here, you have ups and downs.
“But when you play national team you need to deliver every single game because there is no time for mistakes, you are there only for 10 days. You have two games and you need to try to win all the games, play good and show that you are willing to play for your national team.”
The national team is certainly a hot topic for Mak given Slovakia boss Francesco Calzona is no doubt deliberating over his squad for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 tournament in Germany – a competition 80-time Slovakian international Mak is hoping to be a part of.
“I’ve been there for a long time. I’ve been in (the) national team for 12 years now so I’ve been in two Euros. I know for the player, when you play for your country, the Euros is the target always and the World Cup, which we didn’t make.
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“The travelling I’ve had to do over the (last) two years was crazy. So I will be really, really happy if I can be part of the team and everything but they will decide at the end of this month and I’m just doing my job on the pitch.
“But I’m ready, I’m feeling good. Obviously I’m 33, it will maybe be my last, but you never know…”
Having already represented his country at both Euro 2016 and Euro 2020, the 33-year-old will now be hoping to make it a hat-trick of tournaments this off-season when Slovakia line-up in Group E at Euro 2024 alongside Belgium, Romania and Ukraine.
Further boosting his chances of selection is the fact Mak was called up for nine of Slovakia’s 10 qualification matches, playing in seven of those games, including going head-to-head with Cristiano Ronaldo when Portugal defeated Slovakia 3-2.
But what about matters here in Australia?
Sitting down before morning training commenced ahead of this week’s Semi-Final clash with the Central Coast Mariners, Mak’s mood reflected that of the rest of the players and staff at Sydney FC’s Sky Park facility: Confident.
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Two goals from the Slovakian helped Sydney FC defeat Macarthur FC 4-0 at Allianz Stadium in the Elimination Final to book a two-legged Semi-Final date with the newly crowned Premiers and AFC Cup Champions.
But while reaching the final four of the Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series is nothing new for a club of Sydney’s stature, the feeling around the side is vastly different to this time last year, where they were eventually bundled out by Melbourne City, 5-1 on aggregate.
“Last year we weren’t as good as this year,” said an honest Mak when comparing the two finals series he’s been a part of. “This year I think consistently we’ve played really good football.
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“We try to press high and try to play attractive football, try to score as many goals as we can. We are always offensive. We don’t just sit back and wait for the opponent. We want to play, we want to create so I think we play really nice football.
“We have a better feeling this year than we had last year because the last year… (only) the last few games we played good. But this year, we have the feeling we can go all the way.”
Undoubtedly key to the Sky Blues turnaround was the appointment of head coach Ufuk Talay, who replaced club legend Steve Corica after a disappointing start to the league season which saw them lose their first three matches.
“Yeah, I think the coach (has) made a huge difference,” said Mak when discussing Talay’s appointment and subsequent impact on the club.
“I don’t say the older one (Corica) was like bad but every coach has his own mentality and his own tactic and I think this tactic suits us much better than what we did last year.
“Even for like me, an attacking player, it’s much better to play pressing up front than to wait behind and to defend I don’t know, maybe 60 minutes of the game or something.
“So we really tried to change our game. We’re pressing, we try to play fast, try to score goals. Even if we concede like two or three goals, we try to score as many as we can. He has got his own mentality which I like very much.”
Mak’s brace against the Bulls in round one of the Finals Series took his tally to 10 goals for the season which equals his attacking output from his debut campaign in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
However the 33-year-old believes he’s enjoying himself more this season on the pitch due to a subtle shift in tactics which has seen him deployed closer to goal rather than as a wide man.
“Look, I came as a winger, like a typical winger on the line, which I don’t say I can’t play but as you can see, in front (of goal) I feel more comfortable, much better.
“I am closer to the goal. I can score goals and I think I’m dangerous in the box and my finishing is also good. So yeah, personally what changed is that I play as a striker and now I feel very, very good.”
Rapidly approaching the end of his two-year deal at Sydney FC, Mak is likely to have no shortage of offers when he ultimately sits down and decides what to do next.
However, Slovakia’s eighth most capped footballer of all time remains focused on the task at hand and that’s adding another medal to his collection having already won the Australia Cup at the beginning of the campaign.
“I’m gonna concentrate 100% for these, I’m gonna say three games,” smiled Mak when talk turned to his current contract situation.
“Because we want to win the semi-final and go into the final and win the trophy. It would be amazing to have two trophies in one season because obviously we won the Australia Cup.
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“The future? We’ll see when we finish the season what happens with the national team and everything and then I will decide. At the moment I will go back home and see what happens, what the football brings.”
Whether or not Mak stays in the Isuzu UTE A-League remains to be seen but if he were to leave these shores then there’s a good chance he’ll depart not knowing the answer to a simple question – one that he’s been asking since arriving in Australia almost two years ago.
“I think it’s (the A-League) very good. Obviously because it’s in Australia it’s far away from Europe so it’s not getting too much attention from Europe,” he said.
“But I still don’t get it how AFL is the first (sport). For me I just don’t get it because football is everywhere in the world, it’s number one.
“In Europe, everywhere. So this is like something I don’t get, why is it like this? But it is what it is and I’ve really enjoyed my time here. It was really good. I would say like there’s so many good players in this league.”
You can catch Mak and his Sydney FC teammates in action on Friday night for the first leg of their crunch Semi-Final clash with Central Coast Mariners.
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