Federal captain Marco Rossi called the mental attitude of the Hungarian national football team crucial in successfully winning the European Championship qualifying series.
“There is a saying in Italy: there is no defeat in the heart of those who fight. There is always a chance to translate until the match is blown. The boys do not give in and do not give up, above all this makes me proud because it reflects my character. I have never been talented footballer, I’m not even one of the best coaches, but I never gave up and fought until the end”
– the Italian manager, who also has Hungarian citizenship, said on Monday in the M4 Sport Góóól!2 program regarding the fact that his team won two of the eight European qualifiers coming from behind, and on two other occasions saved a point by equalizing in the second half, such as in the 97th minute in Bulgaria. , where the national team qualified for the continental tournament with a draw.
Rossi also talked about how he has changed a lot in recent years, especially in the way he relates to the players, the way he speaks to them. As he said, he has a lot of respect for his students.
“We are united like a family. I could also be their father, and the children must be brought up. If they make a mistake, I will let them know. For example, Milos Kerkez should have had a cooler head during his exhibition in Bulgaria, but he apologized to me and his companions, which shows that he understood the seriousness of his fault”
– said the 59-year-old coach, who added that the Bournemouth player told him that Dominik Szoboszlai’s goal-scoring free kick in the 97th minute “saved his life”.
The master, who celebrated the Hungarian championship title with the Budapest Honvéd in 2017, of course also talked about the leadership of the national team. According to him, Liverpool’s 23-year-old midfielder has become much more mature since the captain’s armband, which he took over last November. He revealed that since he was appointed to the post, they have exchanged many more messages and he shares his thoughts with her.
“He is a special player, but not only because of his talent, because it is a talent and not a merit. He has worked extremely hard on his weaknesses, he has an enormous will to improve. Apart from him, Roland Sallai is the most decisive in the team, but both of them put their talents at the service of the others.”
Rossi said who admitted that he himself made the biggest tactical mistake in the first half of the match in Lithuania in October by playing Szoboszlai further back. “He could hold his own in any position, but we never tested this before, so he was not yet prepared for the role of the number six. However, he can play freely in his usual position, I basically give my players freedom in the attacking third”.
Regarding the team’s defense, however, Rossi is not so permissive, as he noted, “this is an obsession of the Italians”, that they do not like to change the formation at the back, because automaticity must develop there, because the players must not think in any situation, because it already delays the defender results in He revealed that, although Endre Botka played well in Bulgaria, he gave Balogh Botond the opportunity in the last match on Sunday, who wore the crested shirt for only the second time, because he wanted to test him. He was curious about how he performs in front of 65,000 spectators, because when he gets a chance in Parma, he usually plays well.
“I tested him and he played the match with a cool head as he should. I’m very happy that he stood his ground”
– he praised the 21-year-old defender, but he also spoke positively about the most experienced member of the national team, who has been selected 77 times. “I was also happy with Ádám Nagy’s goal because, on the one hand, he was one of the team’s best against Montenegro, and on the other hand, he has a different role in the field. I’m sorry that many people don’t understand his role, even though if he’s in good shape, he’s indispensable for the national team”.
Regarding his own future, he emphasized that all stories will come to an end one day, but if he escapes from here, he would definitely like to part with the president of the association, Sándor Csányi, and the Hungarian fans in peace.
“We know that nothing is impossible. We have already proven that even the best can’t go against us. But let’s get through the draw first”
– said Rossi about next year’s continental competition in Germany, who would like to have an opponent from the first hat, i.e. the strongest rivals, that his team has not met yet, citing the Spanish team as an example.
The Hungarian national team made it to next year’s European Championship in Germany with five wins and three draws, undefeated and first in its group, so it awaits the group draw in Hamburg on December 2nd.
