European Drone Soccer Championship: 3 competitions and 3 titles for the Slovak delegation!
We last saw them full of ambition last September when they came to Jeonju for the World Cup, eager to launch a true competitive division in Slovakia. Nine months later, they’re back in the spotlight for the European Championship in Bologna—and what a championship it was… Three competitions and three victories for the delegation led by Ondrej Macs and represented by the students from the “stredná športová škola” in Košice.
With two teams competing in the Club Challenge, one in the School Challenge, and an “All-Star” five-man team set to represent Slovakia in the European Cup, Slovakia arrived in Italy as the team to beat. Right from the group stage of the School Challenge, the young riders from the Stredná športová škola in Košice took the lead. This same team would go on to form the core of the five-player squad selected to represent Slovakia in the European Cup. Ondrej Macs is proud to see this partnership with the sports vocational school come to fruition: “We launched the program at the school in early 2026. Since then, these seven young players have done nothing but improve. Partnering with this institution was no small matter for us. Each player is enrolled in a ‘sports-academic’ program, and many of them compete at a high level in their respective sports. It was important for us to foster a competitive spirit within the team, so what better way than with athletes?” Ondrej says with delight.
The Hungarian Response
Having easily qualified for the final rounds of the School Challenge, Ondrej’s players continue their journey in the Club Challenge and the European Cup. There was a slight setback for Slovakia here, as they suffered a loss to the Hungarian team NKE HZSE in the Club Challenge, leaving them in second place after the group stage. It was a bitter defeat for the team’s coach, Peter Kubičko: “We knew this team had what it took to compete with us. We were caught off guard by this particular one-set match format. With only three minutes to play, there’s no room for error. Losing by two points is inevitably frustrating, knowing that it cost us first place heading into the knockout stage. We’ll now have to refocus for the rest of the competitions. ” The Slovaks are starting to get to know this Hungarian team well, which is impressive on offense. With both teams also competing in the School Challenge and the European Cup, the matchups between them have taken on almost a derby-like atmosphere, given how tense the games are between the twosquads.
Titles That Will Lead to More
By easily advancing to the finals of all three competitions, FIDA Slovakia found itself facing NKE HZSE in the finals three times. This all-Slovak showdown quickly turned in favor of the Slovaks, who were a cut above their Hungarian neighbors. Three finals, three victories—all in two sets: 2-0, 2-0, and 2-0. A historic triple crown for this very young team, which, after conquering the stars, is already setting its sights on world gold. Juraj Stefanik, the team’s striker and the driving force behind this Grand Slam, shared his thoughts on the team’s evolution: “It’s crazy to think that just a few months ago we were discovering Drone Soccer, and today we’re European champions and two-time Challenge winners. Moving forward with this competitive spirit is part of our daily lives. We’re all, to varying degrees, elite athletes, and we all share this drive to win. Spending the whole year together has made us a very close-knit team. This adventure has been quite a wild ride for us, both athletically and personally, so let’s hope this result takes us even further in the future!”
As for the future, Ondrej Macs has big plans. While seeking sponsors and support to continue developing this team, Slovakia will have to defend its title next year in Turkey at the next edition of the European Championship. But until then, the president of FIDA Slovakia is already setting his sights on much greater ambitions across the Atlantic, where the 2027 World Cup is set to take place on the West Coast of the United States in Palm Springs.