MŠK Žilina defends selling players abroad over Slovan Bratislava

Karol Belaník, the sports director of MŠK Žilina, has addressed the lack of player transfers between Slovak clubs, specifically responding to comments from Slovan Bratislava's management regarding the dominance of the capital club.

Belaník explained that Žilina prioritizes offers that are economically advantageous for both the club and the player. He noted that the Slovak market faces lower competition compared to neighboring countries like Poland, Hungary, or the Czech Republic. Using 18-year-old defender Tobiáš Pališčák as an example, Belaník stated that the player moved to Viktoria Plzeň because Slovan Bratislava could not match the conditions offered by the Czech club.

Belaník emphasized that while Žilina has talent that can be monetized, the decision to sell players abroad rather than to domestic rivals like Slovan is a matter of market reality and financial logic.