Captain at Olimpija, where he won the domestic double under Albert Riera in 2022-23 and played in the Europa Conference League last season, Timi Max Elsnik is also a big figure for the national side. He operates in midfield alongside Adam Gnezda Cerin, and coach Matjaz Kek has huge faith in him. He returned to Slovenia four years ago after a long spell in England with Swindon, Mansfield and Northampton, all on loan from Derby. He loves his football, and relished every moment of Slovenia’s friendly 2-0 victory over Portugal in March. “Cristiano Ronaldo? We sent him back to the hotel. It was an outstanding evening for Slovenian football, just the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo showed up. To beat one of the best teams in the world is incredible.”
