In the interview with Delo newspaper, Zlatko Zahovic confirmed that the game against Croatia was his last in the NT. He scored 34 goals for Slovenia, which is a record that will be difficult to break. Although I blame him for the dispute with Katanec in WC02, there can be no denying that he was our most important and influential player in Euro2000 and WC2002 qualifiers and brought to Slovenian people something, that before year 1999, nobody dared to even dream of - playing in two major football championships. He should be remembered for this as the pioneer of slovenian football awakening. He helped to make us feel like a football nation, he helped us to experience those unbelievable moments of joy and happiness when our team got a 1:1 draw in Kiev against Ucraine, which qualified us for our first major tournament in our short football history. Although he didn't play in the decisive matches against Romania in WC02 qualifiers, he was part of that team, he made it possible for us to even get to play against Romania (specially with his 90th minute free-kick against Yugoslavia, I will always remember the explosion of joy from people in the stadium when he scored) and I will never forget those surreal moments when me and my friends drove from Bovec to Brnik airport after the Bucharest match and seeing that unbelievable long queue of vechicles that were driving from Ljubljana to Brnik to see our heroes who were returning from Bucharest. Anyway, every nice thing has to end some day, and so is ZZ's playing for the NT. All I can say is, thank you ZZ, for everything you have done for us, specially the feeling of being a football nation, of being a respectable football NT is something that cannot be matched by any money or any other thing, it is something you have inside your heart and that cannot be erased... 
roud: roud:
roud: roud:
