If we look to the past, one of the best defenders of all time was Jan Popluhar, who the legendary Pele spoke about in glowing terms. Peter Dubovsky was the only Slovak to play for Real Madrid, more recently there were Martin Skrtel and Marek Hamsik, and Stanislav Lobotka is currently one of the world's best midfielders. However, 19-year-old Leo Sauer is currently opening the door to world football from the Tatras.
The native of Bratislava started his football career in the Raca district, but his talent was quickly noticed by Slovan Bratislava, the most successful team in the country. Nevertheless, after four years, he went north to the very successful youth academy of MSK Zilina. He was only 13 years old when he left home and moved halfway across the country.
He immediately showed that he could be a player for world football. Gradually he grew up, jumped categories, and shortly after his 16th birthday, he made his debut at senior level in a match for the reserve team in the second league.
His brother Mario, a year and a half older than him, is also playing for Zilina, and together with Leo he left Slovan's academy and headed there as well. He is currently the leader of this team and an important member of the national U21 team, just like his younger sibling.
Feyenoord did not hesitate
In fact, he didn't even have a chance to make it to the A-team, as he was quickly snapped up by Dutch side Feyenoord in 2022, where he was suddenly given a chance to prove himself in one of the best competitions in the world.
Sauer got used to his new surroundings very quickly and his quality performances in the youth categories had an impact on a smooth transition to the first team.
Despite his young age, he earned a place in the wider squad ahead of the 2023/24 season. As a seventeen-year-old, he started his summer training, in which he hit the ground running in all six pre-season games. He spent the opening two league rounds on the bench, but had a dream debut in August.
As a substitute, he rescued a point for Feyenoord in stoppage time for a draw in the Rotterdam derby against Sparta. Gradually, more chances came. He also made his debut in the prestigious Champions League. His presence was almost always felt on the pitch, but he didn't have enough space in the tight competition.
A guest appearance serves its purpose
Feyenoord and the player himself then made an effective move as they opted for a loan. Since the start of the current league run, Sauer has been part of NAC Breda, where he has quickly become a mainstay.
He scored his first goal for his new side in October from the penalty spot. More goals and assists followed, and he currently has five goals and two assists.
He is the team's second top scorer, and the Dutch media have praised him highly. Recently, Voetbal International wrote that NAC without Sauer has nothing to offer offensively. Feyenoord themselves are also watching his performances with great pleasure, where he is expected to return during the summer.
Sauer excels in one-on-one battles, he is technically very good and has a lot of speed to scare defences. He has great acceleration and also makes quick and correct decisions. Obviously, he needs to work further given his age, but he has all the necessary attributes to be one of the best wingers in Europe.
"I'm most focused on what's next, so the national team and Breda. Then on to what comes next, whether it's a return to Feyenoord or the U21 European Championships. I'm enjoying my time in NAC. The fans are great, I have nothing to complain about. I'm gaining new experience and playing a lot of games, so the goal is fulfilled," he said recently.
In March, he won the Petr Dubovsky Award for the best Slovak U21 player for the second time in a row. He equalled the record held jointly by Robert Vittek, Marek Hamsik, Miroslav Stoch, Robert Mak and Tomas Suslov, but Sauer still has two more years to take the lead.
Success at national level
The young footballer's maturity has not escaped the attention of national coach Francesco Calzona, who nominated him to the senior national team for the first time in October 2023, and since then he started a match against Norway, becoming the youngest player to play for the Slovak national team at the age of 18 years and 101 days.
He soon set another record as he was selected for EURO 2024, where Sauer played only five minutes against Ukraine, but it was in that match that he became the youngest Slovak player to play at a major event. However, his importance for the national team started much earlier.
Due to his younger age, he missed out on a nomination for the U19 European Championship in 2022, but Slovakia made it to the U20 World Championship for the first time, where he was not absent. It was the first time the whole world, including countless scouts, had the opportunity to see his qualities live.
Now the Slovaks have another big challenge ahead of them. In the summer, eight stadiums will welcome the U21 EURO, where Jaroslav Kentos' team, led by Sauer, will try to convince Europe that it is possible to work with youth under the Tatra Mountains. The Feyenoord youngster should play a key role in that.