Slovenians about Podgorica: As if we were playing at home, applause for the anthem in response to the gesture from 2024.

02.04.2026. / 0 comments

The Slovenian national football team was welcomed with ovations and applause at the stadium under Gorica, where they defeated Montenegro 3:2 in a friendly match, and as the Slovenian portal Ekipa.si writes, the atmosphere at times was such that it seemed as if the home team was playing.

The Slovenians state that their selection received "special recognition" in Podgorica, recalling that the Montenegrin media had been announcing such a welcome for days.

During the performance of the Slovenian anthem "Zdravljica", almost the entire stadium, as it is noted, reacted with loud applause, equal to that received by the host's anthem.

A special detail, according to the Team, was also seen at the press conference, where local journalists also applauded the guests' anthem, which was considered unusual and symbolic.

The Slovenian portal reminds that this reception has a deeper background – a gesture by their national team at the 2024 European Championship in Germany, when they played against Denmark with black armbands as a sign of respect for the deceased Montenegrin goalkeeper Matija Šarkić.

"It was something beautiful and noble, for which we will be eternally grateful," it states, concluding that Podgorica responded in the "most beautiful way possible."