The Football Association of Slovenia has officially closed the book on a public disagreement with Manchester United concerning striker Benjamin Sesko.
The Injury That Sparked the Dispute
The controversy began when Benjamin Sesko sustained a knee injury during the latter stages of Manchester United's 2-2 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday. The forward was subsequently unable to join the Slovenia national squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Sweden.
Instead of travelling to the Slovenian FA's headquarters in Brdo pri Kranju on Monday, Sesko remained at United's Carrington training base for further treatment. The injury is not believed to be serious.
Manager's Fury and Threats
Slovenia's national team manager, Matjaz Kek, reacted with fury to the decision for Sesko to stay in Manchester. He claimed that United had kept him "in the dark" and that he had not received any official medical documentation from the club.
Kek demanded "maximum respect" for the Slovenian national team and was reported to have even threatened a "diplomatic incident." He insisted that he would have preferred the Slovenian national team's own medical experts to assess Sesko's condition.
Resolution and Official Statement
Despite the manager's initial anger, the Slovenian football federation has now moved to resolve the situation. A spokesperson confirmed that the national team's medical staff have received and reviewed all the necessary documents from Manchester United.
"The medical team of the Slovenian national football team received the complete medical documentation from Manchester United regarding Benjamin Sesko’s health condition," the spokesperson stated. "Unfortunately, the injury currently does not allow for the training process... We wish Benjamin a speedy recovery."
This official acceptance of United's diagnosis and treatment plan effectively ends the dispute. The club maintains that it followed all the required protocols for withdrawing a player from international duty due to injury.
