EURO 2016: Bernd Storck – We deserved a draw

Hungary’s national team coach believes that his side primarily secured a draw against Iceland thanks to their fighting spirit. “I’d like to congratulate my team; they never for a moment gave up the fight and they deserve to be a step closer to progressing from the group” he said after the match.

“We attempted to play the kind of football which would ensure we were in contention right until the end. Iceland defended well but my players put a huge amount of work in. We had chances and in the end a goal came from one of them. We deserved the result; we did everything we could and got our reward in forcing an own goal. We again gave a fantastic performance; we gave our all, the players fought for each other. We win a lot with this point, which we achieved against a very strong opponent. It’s exceedingly difficult to play against such a defence; it’s difficult to create chances, and there weren’t many in the match. Our support is unbelievable, not just here but also back in Hungary; their help is of great importance”

Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson praised the Hungary team but also said he hadn’t counted on his team letting victory slip from within their grasp late on. “The Hungarians once again proved that they are very good. Whoever underestimates them is making a big mistake. We didn’t take our chances as we should have; I also noticed some tiredness in my players. My colleague roused his side with two good substitutions and the risk paid off. Hungary began with greater self-confidence; we couldn’t keep hold of the ball and ended up under pressure. We had many big chances, and should have used them better. A lack of concentration as well as mental tiredness may also have played a role in this. I’d like to congratulate the Hungarian team; they play good football, are strong physically, and their supporters were also very good” he said.

Source: MLSZ press release