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Around Slovenia
24.11.2009 18:22
FOOTBALL, DISEASE
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Slovenia's Football Hero Gets Swine Flu (adds)

adds statement by Dedic
Foto Foto servis

Slovenian football player Zlatko Dedic gets swine flu
File photo.

Bochum, 24 November (STA) - Slovenian football player Zlatko Dedic, whose goal sent last week the Slovenian national team to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, has been diagnosed with swine flu, his club Bochum said on Tuesday.

Dedic, who plays professionally for the German Bundesliga club, was forced to miss Sunday's match against Hamburger SV because of fever and has been hospitalised since.

According to Bochum, the 25-year-old striker will be able to return to training already at the beginning of next week.

This was confirmed by Dedic, who told commercial station POP TV that he feels "much better".

"I expect to be out of hospital in two days... This was probably the price I had to pay for everything," said Dedic in a reference to the massive celebrations following Slovenia's stunning entry to the World Cup.

Club physician Karl-Heinz Bauer added that Dedic had been hit by the new flu virus at the last week's game against Russia in Maribor.

Trailing Russia 1:2 after the first leg of the play-offs, Slovenia qualified on Wednesday for its second-ever World Cup through Dedic's goal in the 44th minute.

The aggregate score was 2:2, which allowed Slovenia to eliminate the Russians on the away goals rule.

gj/zm/pc/pc
24.11.2009 18:22

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