Bernd Storck announces 18-man squad for training camp

Hungary head coach Bernd Storck has named an 18-man squad to participate in the first part of a fortnight-long training camp in Telki from Monday 22nd August onwards.

Following Hungary’s successful Euro 2016 campaign this summer the team will, on 6th September, embark on the qualifying campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. A difficult group awaits Storck’s men, the only one with three participants of the Euro 2016 knockout stages in it, amongst them the European champions Portugal. As well as hosts Russia, 13 teams from this continent will qualify for the World Cup – the winners of each of the eight qualifying groups plus four teams who win two-legged play-off ties contested by the second-placed teams from the eight groups.

As well as the afore-mentioned Portugal, Hungary will also face the Faroe Islands, Switzerland, Latvia and Andorra in their bid to become one of those eight qualifying group winners. Their first fixture will be away in Torshavn on 6th September against the Faroes, an opponent they faced in the last Euro campaign when they won home and away, 1-0 in Torshavn thanks to an Ádám Szalai goal and 2-1 at home thanks to substitute Dániel Böde’s double strike. The training camp starting on 22nd August will feature only domestically-based players but they will be joined by Hungary’s ‘foreign legion’ on 29th August for the second week.

Seven players from the Euro 2016 adventure will feature during both weeks, amongst them Zoltán Gera who has decided to continue his international career despite his long-time teammates Gábor Király and Roland Juhász recently announcing their retirement.

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Several players from the national Under 21 squad can be found on Storck’s latest list of names as well as those totally new to the international scene such as Diosgyőr’s István Bognár and Honvéd’s Márton Eppel. Videoton’s István Kovács also returns to the fold.

Bernd Storck explained his thoughts on the camp to www.mlsz.hu:

“The first week will be comprised of intensive work including physical tests and measurements before we then play a training match at the end of the week against our Under 21 team who will play Liechtenstein on 1st September in a U-21 European Champioship qualifier. The call-up to this camp doesn’t mean the players can consider themselves a part of the squad for the big forthcoming matches, but for them this is a chance to show they will be a contender for a place in the national squad sooner or later”.

After Friday’s training match the U21 players will link up with their squad for that qualifier against Liechtenstein but the gaps left will be filled by Hungary’s foreign-based contingent on Sunday when the squad reconvenes following Saturday’s rest day.

Storck continued: “I’d like to thank the clubs for the opportunity to start our preparations for the important World Cup qualifier earlier than originally planned – this opportunity gives players the chance to prove themselves at Telki. Besides this, I’d like to thank the supporters for their understanding too in regard to the late changes to the NBI schedule [in order to facilitate this camp]”.

The 18-man squad for the first week of the training camp:

Goalkeepers:

Dibusz Dénes (Ferencváros)
Kovácsik Ádám (Videoton FC)

Defenders:

Baki Ákos (MTK Budapest)
Botka Endre (Budapest Honvéd)
Fiola Attila (Puskás Akadémia)
Hangya Szilveszter (Vasas)
Korcsmár Zsolt (Vasas)
Korhut Mihály (Debreceni VSC)
Lang Ádám (Videoton FC)

Midfielders:

Bognár István (Diósgyőri VTK)
Csiki Norbert (Gyirmót FC)
Elek Ákos (Diósgyőri VTK)
Gera Zoltán (Ferencváros)
Kovács István (Videoton FC)
Nagy Dominik (Ferencváros)
Vida Máté (Vasas)

Forwards:

Böde Dániel (Ferencváros)
Eppel Márton (Budapest Honvéd)

Photo: MTI

Source: MLSZ – Press release