Euro2020

Miracle on EURO2020: World Cup title holder France could not defeat Hungary – PHOTOS, VIDEOS

EURI2020 Hungary football

Attila Fiola’s sensational first-half run and finish gave a superb Hungary hope of a huge upset against reigning world champions France in the Puskás Aréna on Saturday, and although Antoine Griezmann equalised from close range midway through the second period, Marco Rossi’s hosts can be immensely proud of their 1-1 draw and a brave and invigorating performance.

Hungary head coach Rossi had decided to retain the same 3-5-2 formation as against Portugal with just one change, Loic Nego coming in for Gergő Lovrencsics at right wing-back and Attila Fiola staying in a less familiar position on the opposite side.

This is how the fans marced to the Puskás Aréna, Budapest:

https://www.facebook.com/dailynewshungary/videos/4031513476886167/?__cft__[0]=AZWmaprBTOgfsSpdJuNdZYg9AHSN6quDr-61aBKPKHBbS-vf-AuCTsChWId1Nx-79rqfLJSuiVVvr4wAFhbiEtOTtaa4IdWp3f7i-yj0BlkEizyl9Sd95LVZ1GgQjxecaY9mazYcmgSqmKyKxvp8FmrVGOxwFOWX-fFMA-rvND6VdPkr5lPu4yH0OJ9P-FcFqPw&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Endre Botka, Willie Orbán and Attila Szalai again comprised a compact, three-man defensive line in front of goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi with László Kleinheisler, Ádám Nagy and András Schäfer providing another line of protection in midfield and Roland Sallai and captain Ádám Szalai looking to be involved in counter attacks upfront.

EURI2020 Hungary football
MTI

Hungary were combative from the outset but France certainly weren’t shirking any challenges either and many people’s tournament favourites soon started to show their class.

In the 13th minute, Kylian Mbappe’s low shot towards the far-left corner of the Hungary goal was partially saved by Gulácsi but with the goal at his mercy, Antoine Griezmann was thwarted by Hungary’s recovering goalkeeper from the rebound. Four minutes later, Lucas Digne’s left-wing cross found Mbappe’s powerful downward header flew wide and on the half-hour mark, the Paris St Germain forward’s clever pass inside was volleyed just wide of the right post by the arriving Karim Benzema.

EURI2020 Hungary football
MTI

Still the French forwards kept coming and in the 33rd minute Mbappe jinked through on goal on the right side of Hungary’s box but could only drag his shot wide of the far-left post. Just when it seemed though that it would only be a matter of time until France broke through,

Fiola turned the game entirely and sensationally on its head,

the Fehérvár defender receiving a long, cross-field pass on the left wing, exchanging passes with Sallai inside him, then surging into the France penalty area and slipping the ball inside Hugo Lloris’s near post to spark incredible celebrations both on and off the pitch. 

EURI2020 Hungary football
MTI

Half-time came and went, a 15-minute party in the Puskás Aréna tribunes gladdening the hearts of all Hungarian fans present, before normal service was resumed, France forging forward, Hungary defending courageously and stealing possession as often as possible. Just before the hour, France substitute Ousmane Dembele rattled Gulácsi’s near left post with a rising drive from a tight angle on the right side of the penalty area.

A few minutes later, France finally managed to breach Hungary’s hitherto watertight but now tiring defence, Mbappe’s low cross from the right half-cleared by Orbán, only for Griezmann to sweep the ball into the net barely ten metres from goal.

The relief on French faces was all too evident but instead of inspiring an epic onslaught on Gulácsi’s goal, that cathartic equaliser led to a collective becalming as both sides seemed to succumb to the 30-plus degree temperature in which they’d been baking for more than an hour.

EURI2020 Hungary football
MTI

The game moved almost at walking pace at times thereafter but France raised themselves just enough to create one more clear opportunity, Mbappe finding space on the left side of the penalty area but then seeing his fierce shot beaten out well by the ever-alert Gulácsi.

EURI2020 Hungary football
MTI

That helped secure a famous draw for Hungary and now a win in their final group match against Germany on Wednesday

could even see Rossi’s charges reach the round of 16.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGZlicnBKsA

Continue reading “Miracle on EURO2020: World Cup title holder France could not defeat Hungary – PHOTOS, VIDEOS”

Slovakia: full-capacity football matches in Budapest might spread Indian variant

Hungary Portugal football

In Hungary and in the world press, we mostly hear about how good it was to have a full-house match in Budapest at the European Championship. However, not everyone is overjoyed. According to the Slovak Ministry of Health, it could have serious epidemiological consequences.

On Tuesday, June 15, more than 60,000 fans were in the Puskás Arena at the Hungary-Portugal football match. Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was also pleased with the full-house match. In addition, there was more news in the world press of how looking at the pictures of the match was like before COVID-19.

The Slovak Ministry of Health fears the match could spread the Indian variant in the region.

This is because the number of infections in Portugal has increased in recent days – just when hundreds of Portuguese fans came to Budapest for the match where they were without a mask together with tens of thousands of Hungarian fans. The Slovak Ministry of Health warns that despite the good epidemic situation in Hungary, such an event could immediately increase the number of infections. The fourth wave of the coronavirus could be a real threat not only in Hungary but also in the whole region, including Slovakia.

Telex.hu writes that Zuzana Eliášová, a spokesperson for the ministry, asks the Slovak visitors of the match to register for a free PCR test. Portugal has previously been attacked from several places for opening its borders too soon due to the start of the tourist season. This is how the Indian variant was introduced and spread. This is how the Indian variant came to Portugal and spread.

The Indian variant spreads faster and has a more severe course than the British variant.

Approved vaccines also protect against this coronavirus variant, based on research findings. However, the effectiveness of the vaccine may be lower. The Slovak government is trying to prevent a fourth wave. To this end, the Minister of Health said they would consider making vaccination mandatory, writes 24.hu. Mandatory vaccination would not apply to everyone. According to current plans, vaccination would be mandatory in Slovakia for certain age groups or professions.

euro 2020 puskás arena
Read alsoBudapest to host Euro 2020 final?

EURO2020: This is how Hungary prepared to face world champion France today

Hungary football France

The Hungarian men’s national team will face one of the favourites to win the European Championship on Saturday when they take on France. Before the match, Marco Rossi said everything had been done to keep the team fit, but they will have to play smart in the intense heat.

Following their clash with 2016 European champions Portugal, Hungary now host reigning world champions France in the Puskás Arena.

“I think France have a chance to win the whole tournament”

Rossi began the official press conference before his team’s second European Championship group-stage fixture. “Many national teams have players of similarly excellent ability, but they can rely on a talent whose ability is almost extraterrestrial, he is Kylian Mbappé. It is quite certain that France will play for victory tomorrow. We must strive to perform well, but the most important thing is to continue to improve. We know that the level represented by the French presents us with a very difficult task, an almost impossible mission. But of course we are prepared to fight and we will fight”.

Hungary’s head coach was also asked by reporters about the great heat predicted, Rossi replying that whether we play at 20 or 30 degrees, we will have a very difficult time against France and the weather will affect both teams at the same time.

“We know that we will have to run more against the world champion

without the ball than they do, and when the heat is so great, it is not easy to do this, so we have to be perfectly prepared and play football wisely. Soccer is a very simple game, no matter how many new tactics come up; if the opponent attacks, we have to defend, and if we have the ball, we have to attack. We’ll see how good we’re going to be and how much we can attack, ” he continued. “As far as we are concerned, it is likely that we will line up with some changes, but it will be similar to the lineup which faced the Portuguese. It’s hard to say what to expect from our opponent.

We know they have world stars in every position

and it is conceivable that they will be preparing for seven matches and selecting the team accordingly. However, we are preparing for the group matches and we can’t be tired after four days as we have done everything we can to be fit for the next meeting. There are no excuses, we have to be warriors”.

The press conference’s other participant, Loic Nego, also spoke about his old friend Antoine Griezmann, with whom he said he hadn’t had much time to talk lately, but who he is looking forward to seeing again on the pitch, albeit as an opponentnow having earlier been teammates in the French junior national team.

“Tomorrow will be a very special match, but I will focus 100 percent on doing everything for the Hungarian national team, even if most of my family lives in France.

I live here, this is my team, I will fight for Hungary”, promised the MOL Fehérvár midfielder.

Budapest to host Euro 2020 final?

euro 2020 puskás arena
London’s Wembley Stadium could be replaced as the site of the Euro 2020 final in line with a contingency plan announced by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The British daily The Times reported on Friday that Budapest’s Puskás Aréna was considered as an alternative venue.

The British government has not waivered travel restrictions introduced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, including a ten-day mandatory quarantine for arrivals. UEFA said that

discussions with the British authorities on allowing fans to attend the two semi-finals and the final are under way.

“There is always a contingency plan but we are confident that the final week will be held in London,” UEFA said in a statement.
 

According to The Times, the UEFA wants to waive quarantine for 2,500 officials, but the British government has not yet decided to allow that. The officials would include politicians, sponsors and broadcasters, and

it would mean that they do not have to self-isolate on arrival.

Based on the British magazine, “ministers are concerned that if they do not relax the rules the semi-finals and final will be moved to Hungary, which will have no border restrictions for travel within the Schengen zone from next week and would host the games with full stadiums.”

However,

they are afraid of a possible public outcry (millions of Britons are not allowed to go on a holiday abroad) while travellers might bring the Delta or Indian, variant in the United Kingdom.

If the government decides to exempt the 2,500 officials from the ten days’ isolation rule, the government still has to approve that. If that happens, Wembley will be at 50 per cent of its 90,000 capacity for the semi-finals on July 6 and 7, as well as the final on July 11.

 

UEFA may initiate proceedings against the MLSZ for homophobic manifestations

Hungary Portugal football

According to an official report received by the European Football Association (UEFA), Hungarian fans made homophobic statements at Tuesday’s Hungary-Portugal European Championship meeting. One Hungarian-Portuguese organisation discovered anti-LGBTQ banners in the auditorium.

An international monitoring organisation called Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) has made an official announcement to the UEFA Disciplinary Committee because during the Hungarian-Portuguese match, some fans held anti-LGBTQ banners high in the auditorium, writes The Athletic.

In the Puskás Arena, several molinos scolded the LGBTQ community in some form.

According to The Athletic, FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) sends an inspector to each match, who must write a report on whether any acts of discrimination have taken place in the meetings or the auditorium. The condemnatory report was received by the UEFA Disciplinary Committee as early as Tuesday evening.

A few hours before the match, Parliament passed an anti-paedophile bill banning the broadcasting of any homosexual or transgender content to children. On the day before the vote and Monday, there were plenty of protests in Kossuth Square against the bill. Read everything you need to know about it here!

A “counter-side” appeared in the Puskás Arena on Tuesday, sending various inscriptions to protesters against the law, which also contains anti-gay content.

Piara Powar, the director of FARE, also criticises the Hungarian Football Association in the article for announcing before the match against the Irish that the national team will not kneel to protest against racism. He put it this way:

The situation in Hungary is worrying, and it is our job to ensure that everyone respects fundamental human rights at events of this calibre. Last week, the MLSZ announced that the Hungarian national team would not kneel before the matches, and the Hungarian audience whistled during a friendly match against the Irish, who did so. And a week later, we saw homophobic captions in their next match. These are political manifestations that accurately reflect the position of the Hungarian government.

UEFA is currently considering whether to impose a penalty on the Hungarian Football Association.

According to Power, the position of the MLSZ and the Hungarian government is blurring together, and according to him, the respect for fundamental rights in the given country should be made a condition for the organisation of international football events.

The MLSZ also tweeted today about the fact that the police seemed out multiple people in connection with yesterday’s match, but this is probably not related to the banners, but to the fact that a spectator ran into the field during a game.

euro 2020 puskás arena
Read alsoEURO 2020 – the Irish are still mad about the kneeling issue, Budapest is misspelled

EURO 2020: Everything you need to know

puskás aréna budapest

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The 2020 Euro tournament is right around the corner, and after delays due to the current, one of the best football tournaments in the world is about to start.With teams from across the continent competing in 11 cities, tons of goals to be scored, and some of the best players in the world.

However, some may still not be sure who is playing, where they are playing, and what the format of the tournament is. This post will go through everything you need to know before the tournament begins.

Where is it Being Played? 

This year’s tournament starts on the 11th of June and ends on the 11th of July, and is being held across 11 host cities. 12 cities were due to host games, but Dublin had to relinquish their responsibilities due to Coronavirus concerns.

The host cities are Amsterdam, Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Munich, Seville, and St. Petersburg. Rome and London will also be hosting games, with Rome being chosen for the opening fixture, and the final of the tournament to take place at Wembley Stadium in London.

Who is Playing? 

There are 24 teams that are split into 6 groups. Group A will include Italy, Switzerland, Turkey and Wales. Group B will include Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland. Group C will have Ukraine, Netherlands. Austria and North Macedonia.

Group D will have England, Croatia, Czech Republic and Scotland. Group E is Spain, Poland, Sweden and Slovakia. Group F is the group of death, and includes Germany, France, Portugal and Hungary.

Tournament Format 

The tournament format is pretty straight-forward. Each team will play the other teams in their group, and receive points for a win or draw and none for a loss. The top two teams in each group wll then go into the Round of 16, with the top 4 third place finishers making up the rest of the 16 teams.

From this point on it is purely elimination. Winners will go through to the quarter-finals, then the winners of the quarter-finals matches will go through to the semi-finals, and then onto the final. There is no third place game unlike some other tournaments.

Favorites

The favorites heading into the tournament have to be England and France. Both sides have incredibly strong squads, however, the likes of Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands have been billed as dark horses, with Italy especially being tipped as a surprise winner.

The bookies’ favorites currently are England. They have an incredibly strong squad that has depth, experience, and on paper have all the working parts to form one tournament winning machine.

Gareth Southgate has been criticised with his selection choices though, with many fans being surprised and almost outraged by the fact that Jesse Lingard, who just came off the back of his best Premier League season ever with West Ham, and James Ward-Prowse who is arguably one of the best players behind a dead ball in the country.

France are the other favorites to win the tournament. Karim Benzema has been recalled after 6 years out of his national team, and will be joined up front with kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezman. Pundits have already agreed that these three will be near impossible to stop if they click and find their form together.

Like England, their depth and general squad strength is incredible, their bench is going to be full of players that will start for any of the top clubs in the world. These two will most likely be the juggernauts of the tournament.

Portugal and the Netherlands are probably considered dark horses even though they have strong squads. However, they both have a mix of players that may be a bit too old or a bit too young.

However, you can’t write off any team that has Cristiano Ronaldo in it, and considering Portugal did win the title last tournament with Ronaldo on the bench due to injury for the majority of it, prepare to possibly be surprised. We are still yet to see how Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo will combine in a tournament setting.

The biggest dark horses of the tournament have to be Italy. They are a team that went from not qualifying for the last World Cup, to now being on a 26 game unbeaten run under the leadership of Roberto Mancini.

They have seemingly been reborn, and while their squad is packed with world famous names, except for the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Verratti, Jorgino, and Ciro Immobile, they have been a team that has come together and performed like no other.

You would think that after not qualifying for the World Cup they would take some time to rebuild, but they have proven so many wrong and have put themselves in a position where they can beat the likes of Spain, England, France, and whoever else steps onto the pitch with them. Keep your eye on Italy this year.

With the first game about to take place in a matter of hours, the Euro’s are finally going forward, and there isn’t a single football fan who won’t be looking forward to this bumper tournament of Europe’s best.

Orbán: Kneeling on soccer field foreign to Hungarian culture

hungary kneeling

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Thursday said the practice of players kneeling on soccer fields to protest against racism was foreign to Hungarian culture.

“I don’t sympathise with this kneeling thing in the slightest,” Orbán told a press briefing.

The prime minister said there was no place for kneeling on sports grounds, “sports is about something else.”

Orbán said the act of kneeling in Hungary was reserved for prayer, showing patriotism and marriage proposals.

“In all other cases this is foreign to Hungarian culture,” he said.

He said the practice had been introduced in countries with a history of slavery, adding that “these burdens of the past should be processed by the nations they concern.” Countries that do not have a history of slavery cannot help them with that, he added.

mlsz hun team
Read alsoThe Hungarian football squad not to kneel before the Euro2020 matches to show solidarity?

The Hungarian football squad not to kneel before the Euro2020 matches to show solidarity?

mlsz hun team

The Hungarian national team will not express its condemnation of hatred by kneeling, according to a Twitter post published by the Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ).

Index wrote that the association also recalled that the rules of UEFA and FIFA do not allow politicization on the field and in the stadium, which the MLSZ not only accepts but also agrees with.

Therefore, the national team will “not condemn any form of hatred by kneeling before matches.”

Kneeling, as a form of a protest against the repression of blacks, dates back to the 2016 action of American footballer Colin Kaepernick, however, it spread last year with the Black Lives Matter movement. After that, it broke into the world of football. For example, in the English Premier League, kneeling before matches has become an almost mandatory part, and it is already known that the players of the national team will do the same at the European Championships.

The Hungarian audience booed at the Irish footballers for kneeling yesterday.

“The reaction from the audience was obviously disappointing and incomprehensible,” tema leader Kenny said. “Our players knelt down for a good cause, against racism, and that was greeted with whistles and puffs. All this is detrimental to the judgment of Hungary and does not shed good light on the country.”

Idah, the Black striker of Norwich colored battle, shared his opinion:

“Of course, it was disappointing to hear the audience whistling at the kneeling Irish players. We are doing this for a good cause, we want to put an end to racism. We want to kick racism out of society, and frankly, the reaction from the audience was very disappointing. That’s not what we hoped for. “

About yesterday’s match

Marco Rossi’s Hungary produced a better performance than they did in last Friday’s 1-0 victory against Cyprus, but had to settle for a goalless draw against Republic of Ireland on Tuesday night after both visiting goalkeepers made memorable saves.

There was an early scare for the hosts when John Egan’s header struck Péter Gulácsi’s crossbar in the sixth minute but from then Rossi’s team dominated most of the play. Ádám Szalai came closest to opening the scoring in the first half, his header from Attila Szalai’s left-wing cross palmed away well by Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu in the 36th minute.

The Mainz striker went close with another excellent header in the second period, this time from an Ákos Kecskés cross from the right, but Ireland’s substitute goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher tipped the ball over the crossbar, then made another similar save from the resulting corner when Ádám’s partial namesake, defender Attila Szalai, half-volleyed the ball towards goal from 12 metres.

There would be no winning goal for Hungary, but at least they posted another clean sheet and extend their unbeaten run to eleven matches stretching back to last autumn’s home loss against Russia. Marco Rossi’s team open their European Championship campaign against Portugal in the Puskás Aréna at 18:00 next Tuesday.

hungary cyprus
Read alsoHungarian success against Cyprus

Szoboszlai’s wait could be to Hungary’s long-term benefit

szoboszlai dominik hungary midfielder

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Dominik Szoboszlai was one of the most exciting prospects for Euro 2020 after starring for Hungary during their qualifying campaign and in his domestic exploits for Red Bull Salzburg. The 20-year-old notched a last-minute winner in his side’s play-off contest against Iceland to send his team to the competition for only the second time since 1972.

However, the Magyarok will not have Szoboszlai in their ranks for the tournament after he missed the second half of the season after struggling with an adductor injury. His absence dramatically affected Hungary’s hopes of winning the Euros in the online betting odds given his importance to the team in the middle of the park.

At the age of 20, the midfielder still has plenty of competitions left in his future to leave a mark and the target will be to usher Hungary towards their first World Cup finals since 1986 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. All eyes will be on the midfielder and his exploits in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig, who has yet to make an appearance since his move from Red Bull Salzburg. He reportedly turned down an opportunity to join Arsenal, opting to play in the heart of Europe.

In Germany’s topflight, Szoboszlai has the perfect platform to enhance his skills and become a leading light across Europe, which will include valuable experience against the elite sides in the Champions League.

Szoboszlai never had the chance to play under Julian Nagelsmann following his move to Leipzig. Nagelsmann will take charge of Bayern Munich in the next campaign, but Szoboszlai will have no fear of the unknown with his replacement. Jesse Marsch will take charge of Leipzig, becoming yet another man to make the transition from Salzburg to the Bundesliga outfit. In his 18 months under the tenure of the American, Szoboszlai thrived in the middle of the park by scoring 13 goals and notching 17 assists in 39 appearances. There will be a level of expectation for the Hungary international to take the next step forward in his development following his transfer.

 

Erling Haaland has set the standard for players making the transition from the Austrian Bundesliga to Germany’s topflight. Haaland has set the Bundesliga alight with his performances for Borussia Dortmund and is now the most-sought player in the world due to his scintillating prowess in the final third.

Szoboszlai has the talent comparable to Haaland, and is in an eerily similar position as the key cog of a less-heralded team on the international stage. The 20-year-old will set the standard for young players emerging from Hungary. A breakthrough for Szoboszlai may pave the way for more youngsters to follow, reaching the highest level.

It is a major disappointment that Szoboszlai has missed out on the Euros. But he now has time to regain his fitness before embarking on a crucial 18 months that could feature Hungary’s first appearance at the World Cup for 36 years. In that instance, the Magyorak will want their key man to be fit and firing, with the experience of top-quality domestic and European campaigns under his belt to lead their charge into the tournament.

Hungarian squad to play against France, Germany, Portugal on EURO2020 announced!

hungarian national team football

Hungary head coach Marco Rossi has omitted four names from the 30-man provisional squad announced last month, goalkeeper Balázs Tóth, defenders Szilveszter Hangya and Csaba Spandler and attacking midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai all missing out on the continental tournament. Meanwihle, Budapest’s new Bozsik Aréna will open with the first-division team of Honved hosting defending Europa League winner Villarreal of Spain in a friendly game on July 24.

Hangya, whose absence has been known since last Thursday, and Szoboszlai are both injured while Tóth has still not fully recovered from a recent ailment. On 15th June, Hungary will start its European Championship campaign against reigning champions Portugal in the Puskás Arena.

Four days later, Rossi’s men will take on reigning world champions France in the same stadium before travelling to Munich to face 2014 World Cup winners Germany in the Allianz Arena on 23rd June.

Hungary’s 26-man squad for the 2020 UEFA European Championship:

Goalkeepers:
Ádám Bogdán (Ferencváros)
Dénes Dibusz (Ferencváros)
Péter Gulácsi (RB Leipzig)

Defenders:
Bendegúz Bolla (MOL Fehérvár)
Endre Botka (Ferencváros)
Attila Fiola (MOL Fehérvár)
Ákos Kecskés (Lugano)
Ádám Lang (Omonia Nicosia)
Gergő Lovrencsics (Ferencváros)
Willi Orbán (RB Leipzig)
Attila Szalai (Fenerbahçe)

Midfielders:
Tamás Cseri (Mezőkövesd-Zsóry)
Dániel Gazdag (Budapest Honvéd)
Filip Holender (Partizan Belgrade)
László Kleinheisler (NK Osijek)
Ádám Nagy (Bristol City)
Loic Nego (MOL Fehérvár)
András Schäfer (DAC)
Dávid Sigér (Ferencváros)

Forwards:
János Hahn (Paks)
Nemanja Nikolic (MOL Fehérvár)
Roland Sallai (SC Freiburg)
Szabolcs Schön (FC Dallas)
Ádám Szalai (1.FSV Mainz 05)
Kevin Varga (Kasimpasa)
Roland Varga (MTK Budapest)

Meanwihle, Budapest’s new Bozsik Aréna will open with the first-division team of Honved hosting defending Europa League winner Villarreal of Spain in a friendly game on July 24. The 8,200-seat soccer stadium has been named after József Bozsik (1925-1978), a creative central midfielder and

key member of the legendary Mighty Magyars in the early 1950s,

who was capped 101 times.

Four Budapest baths already opened – football stadiums to open for fans within weeks?

Gellért Thermal Bath, Budapest, Hungary

According to the information of index.hu, Hungarian football fans might return to the stadiums before the start of the EURO 2020, during which Budapest will be the only venue organising matches ‘full house’. Meanwhile, four Budapest spas opened to provide treatment.

Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, said at the government info on Thursday that the government would decide about the further stages of reopening when the country reaches 3, 3.5, and 4 million inoculated people. Based on index.hu, fans might return to the stadiums in the 32nd round of the Hungarian Football League organised on May 1. It is not excluded that they will be able to take part in the matches even before, which

would mean next weekend (April 24-25). 

However, Mr Gulyás added that fans would need an immunity certificate to enjoy the matches at the scene.

Meanwhile, telex.hu reported yesterday that four Budapest baths would open on April 19 to offer treatment for patients. These will be 

  • the Széchenyi,
  • the Lukács,
  • the Paskál, and
  • the bath of Pesterzsébet.

According to the relevant government decree, pools have to remain closed, but all other facilities will open, including therapeutic massages or physiotherapy. However, because of the epidemic, the treatments can only be used following prior consultations.

The Budapest Gyógyfürdői és Hévízi Zrt. responsible for the operation of the baths

already inoculated their 200 employees in March

to make it easier to reopen. Furthermore, as Ildikó Szűts, CEO of the company, told telex.hu, they continue to sanitise, patients have to make an appointment, and they will probably test all their guests before they enter any of the facilities.

Baths had to close on November 11.

Yesterday, the operative body said that they prolonged

all border control measures until May 23,

hellomagyar.hu reported. That means that Hungarian citizens have to go into a 10-day-long quarantine after they arrive home. Meanwhile, foreign citizens cannot enter the country, except if they have to appear in court, study, receive medical treatment, or take part in family events (baptism, wedding, funeral) in Hungary. Furthermore, if they work in transportation, nurse their relatives, or attend international church events, they can likewise enter.

EURO 2020:’full house’ matches only in Budapest, foreigners need 2 negative tests

Hungary football fans

European football’s governing body UEFA has announced in an official press release that this summer’s European Championship will be held in front of spectators. Budapest’s aim is for the fans to be able to occupy 100% of the seats in the Puskás Arena during the three group matches and one knockout-stage match, but only if all of the strict entry requirements can be met.

In its communication, UEFA thanked the member associations and the national and local authorities which are working closely with the governing body to ensure the safe return of supporters to stadia. The World Health Organization (WHO) is also involved in order to reduce the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eight host cities have already confirmed

the projected, amended capacity of their stadium based on the pandemic situation and the foreseeable development of vaccinations in their countries by June and July.

Fans travelling abroad to matches must comply with the country’s border-crossing restrictions and rules (including quarantine rules). Host countries don’t typically exempt fans with tickets from these regulations, but four host cities, including Budapest, have announced that the authorities may put in place special procedures to facilitate entry into their countries.

Foreign citizens travelling to Budapest may enter the country with two negative COVID tests

taken in the five days prior to entry, or a document certifying recovery from COVID in the past six months.

Participation in the matches continues to still be optional, given that fans who wish to redeem the full price of their previously-purchased tickets can do so on UEFA’s official ticket-sales portal until 18:00 CET on 22 April.

Also concerning Hungary, the members of the Supporters’ Club have received news that

UEFA will hold another round of ticket sales in May

for the four national teams (Hungary, Northern Macedonia, Scotland and Slovakia) who successfully fought for qualification to this summer’s European Championship last November.

For more information in English, click here: https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/news/025b-0ef33753d7d0-100629325be2-1000/

Opposition asks how many fans will be allowed to see Euro 2020 matches in Budapest

Puskás Arena, grandstands, Budapest, Hungary

The opposition Democratic Coalition has asked in a letter to the Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ) how many fans will be allowed to see the four Euro 2020 soccer matches to be played in Budapest’s Puskas Stadium in June.

It is an “eerie coincidence” that the government announced the relaxation of epidemic rules would take place on the very day of the deadline set by the European federation UEFA for potential host cities to announce whether they would be able to accommodate fans during the championship, board member Judit Földi Rácz told an online news conference on Thursday.

UEFA announced earlier that matches can only be held in cities that allow fans to enter the stadiums, she said.

The government should make it clear whether the opening was announced on Wednesday just because of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s “hobby”.

MLSZ would prefer if the matches were seen by as many fans as possible in the stadium, depending on the epidemiological situation, MLSZ spokesman Jeno Sipos said.

“Of course, the security and epidemic rules should be observed to the utmost,” he added.

The spokesman said the relaxation of epidemic rules should not be conflated with fan attendance.

“If the deadline had been two weeks earlier or two weeks later, MLSZ would have given the same answer,” he said.

Budapest is scheduled to host three Group F matches on June 15, 19 and 23, and a round of 16 match on June 27.

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Read alsoHungary’s squad qualifies for EURO 2020! – Check out the goals!

Hungary to face Cyprus and Republic of Ireland ahead of Euro 2020

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The warm-up schedule for the Hungarian men’s national team ahead of this summer’s UEFA European Championship is progressing well, the squad now due to prepare for the continental tournament jointly hosted by Budapest at the national training centre in Telki and for a short time in Austria, before two friendly matches at home, on 4th June against in-form Cyprus and four days later against the Republic of Ireland.

The schedule is not yet final and its details may be adjusted according to events related to the coronavirus pandemic, but it is planned that the domestically-based members of Marco Rossi’s national squad will meet one week after the end of the OTP Bank Liga season on 8th May, and those based abroad will join as soon as their club seasons have finished.

The squad will then travel to Austria for a one-week training camp at the end of May, which is when Rossi’s final squad for Euro 2020 will be announced.

Two days after returning home on 2nd June, the team will play their first warm-up match on 4th June against Cyprus, a national team which, a few days ago, managed to draw with 2018 World Cup participants Slovakia and only lost by a single goal to 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia. They’ve also recently defeated Slovenia and are currently 100th in the FIFA world rankings.

That is in contrast to our opponents four days later, Republic of Ireland, who are just two places behind us on the same list.

The Irish national team fell out of contention to reach this year’s European Championship at the very last moment, losing the play-off final on penalties to Slovakia, who we’d faced in the qualifying group phase. In the Nations League of Nations, Ireland were, like us, in Division B, where they finished 3rd in Group 4 behind Wales and Finland and ahead of Bulgaria. More recently, the Republic of Ireland lost 3–2 against Serbia and 1-0 aginst Luxembourg in March’s World Cup qualifiers, then drew 1-1 against Qatar in Debrecen.

The venue for both matches is expected to be the Ferenc Szusza Stadium in Újpest. Both opponents insisted on the venue being in the capital city, and due to the European Championships, UEFA had already booked several stadia in Budapest for training purposes for this period. The planned kick-off time in both matches is 20:00 CET.

“Right now we’ve just played the World Cup qualifiers in March, so a detailed analysis of Cyprus and Ireland is still far away,” Hungary head coach Marco Rossi told mlsz.hu. “For a preparation period, it is important that one chooses opponents who are neither too strong nor too weak. Cyprus’ recent results are impressive and we also know from the Irish that they were only a hair’s breadth away from making it to the European Championship, so we’ll meet two teams that can prepare us well for our first European Championship fixture a week later.

It is also important to play against two opponents of different styles, but we didn’t want either to be too strong, because it would be especially bad for us to possibly suffer a more serious defeat before the European Championship, while one of the most important things in preparing for the tournament is to give all the team members the confidence to do so”.

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Read alsoHungary to face Cyprus and Republic of Ireland ahead of Euro 2020

In 2021, several international sports competitions will arrive in Hungary

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Next year, a lot of sports events will be organised in Hungary, especially in Budapest. As a result of the coronavirus epidemic, the sports world and the sports calendar have undergone a profound transformation. There were sporting events that took place in other locations, and some would be held later. The largest of the postponed events is the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which will be held in the summer of 2021. This is also important to note because the events of many sports are aligned with the Olympics.

In this article, we have gathered the Hungarian sporting events to be held next year with the help of turizmus.com. 

The women’s handball Olympic qualifying tournament would have been organised in March this year. At the beginning of the virus situation, the international organisation of the sport, IHF, discussed the postponement in a video conference. The men’s Hungarian national team will definitely not be there in Tokyo; they can fight for a medal at the World Championship in Egypt. The women’s national team will compete for participation in the Olympics between March 19-21, 2021. The fact that the qualifying series is held in Győr, Hungary, may help them achieve their goal. The Olympic qualification is also at stake in the wrestlers’ competition in Budapest in March.

Also in the spring, in April, the Fed Cup final for women’s tennis players will be replaced in Budapest. The new date is April 13-18, 2021. The venue is still the Papp László Sports Arena, where the best women’s teams in the world will play on the slag track.

May will be a crowded month. Budapest will host the European Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Open Water and Diving Championships. Furthermore, Budapest and Papp László Sports Arena is the venue again, this time for the final four of the women’s handball champion’s league. Hopefully, a Hungarian team will be among the top teams.

One of the main sporting events of the year is the European Men’s Football Championship in June and July. It is particularly noteworthy that, for the first time, the organisation of the European Championships will be shared among many cities. In the capital of Hungary, the Puskás Arena in Budapest, three group matches and a game from the Round of 16 will be held. During the group matches, the Hungarian team can be seen twice. Besides, the national team of the reigning European Champion Portugal and reigning World Champion France will be visible as well. Also, the European Championship for those under the age of 21 is partly held in Hungary alongside Slovenia.

In terms of individual sport, the Budapest World Juggling Championship stands out. In June, the Hungarian capital will host the World Equestrian Championships and the European Four-Wheel Drive Championships in September.

Several World Cup competition will take place in Hungary in 2021 in several sports, such as pentathlon in March and kayaking in May. The Gyulai István Memorial Athletics Hungarian Grand Prix will be held again in Székesfehérvár in July, and the Hungarian race will take place in Formula 1 on the first of August.

However, the race calendar for 2021 is far from complete, and due to the coronavirus epidemic, several sports do not yet have the dates and locations of many competitions. It is also questionable where and how many spectators there will be at sporting events.

Can Hungary return to their peak in World football?

Hungary-national-team

Since the 1970s, Hungary has been a diminishing force in the world of soccer, failing to compete in major tournaments. In the mid-20th century, the Magyars were a significant power in the game, finishing as runners-up in the FIFA World Cup on two occasions pre and post-World War Two. They also finished in third and fourth place in the European Championships in 1964 and 1972 respectively. Hungary also claimed three Olympic gold medals along with a silver and bronze between the 1952 and 1972 games.

Ferenc Puskás is arguably the most potent striker to have graced the field. However, Hungary had a production line of talent, including Sandor Kocsis, Lajos Tichy, Ferenc Bene, Nandor Hidegkuti, and Florian Albert, that allowed the country to remain at the top of the game for a significant period.

In the last 40 years, Hungary has not been able to sustain their levels of excellence. The talent emerging through the ranks has lacked the quality of past generations. As a result, Magyars have failed to qualify for the World Cup since 1986 and have competed in the European Championships only once since 1972. There are signs that Hungary is beginning to cultivate talent once more, but there is a long road ahead to become the outfit that was the envy of teams across the globe.

Signs of Encouragement

Hungary was pitted in Nations League C in the inaugural tournament against Greece, Finland, and Estonia in Group 2. Marco Rossi’s men were able to string together a promotion campaign to elevate themselves into Nations League B for the new campaign.

They saved their best performance until last on home soil, overcoming group leaders Finland by a 2-0 margin courtesy of goals from Adam Szalai and Adam Nagy. Since their promotion they have been excellent in Nations League B Group 3, defeating Turkey and Serbia, while only narrowly losing out to Russia on home soil. Rossi certainly has his side punching above their weight, however, they are still viewed as major underdogs as bookmakers like Betway have them at 151.00 to win Euro 2020. Ultimately, while there are signs that the team may be building momentum, the question as to how far this will take them is yet to be answered.

It’s a testament to solid coaching from Rossi, who has been extremely impressive since taking the reins in 2018, including a statement win over Bulgaria and Iceland in their Euro 2020 playoff-contest on the road. Hungary does not have a team of all-stars as they did in their heyday, but Rossi has the team well drilled and clinical against opponents of a similar caliber, lifting the Magyars back inside the top 50 in the FIFA World Rankings. However, it’s clear they need to improve the levels of their talent to mix it with the best outfits in the world once again.

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Read alsoHungary’s squad qualifies for EURO 2020! – Check out the goals!

Players with Potential

Captain Ádám Szalai has flown the flag for Hungary in European football due to his exploits in the Bundesliga for Mainz, Hoffenheim, and Schalke. The 32-year-old has been a solid operator for over 10 years at the club and international level, but the Magyars need a new star to take on the mantle to lead Hungary’s next generation.

Willi Orban has fared well during his career with RB Leipzig, leading the club into the Bundesliga and the Champions League. The 28-year-old is a good leader on the field and a stout defender. He seemingly is the man to take on the armband from Szalai after making his debut five years ago, although the defender does not possess the flair needed to capture the attention of the nation.

Dominik Szoboszlai appears to have the talent to become a superstar at the club and international level. He has already been a match-winner, scoring the decisive strike for Hungary in their win over Turkey in the Nations League with a stunning free-kick. The 20-year-old has already become a key cog in Rossi’s side, while he is also a regular at Red Bull Salzburg. He could well follow in the path of Erling Haaland or Sadio Mane to earn a move to a major European league – Arsenal are reportedly keeping tabs on his progress.

It would certainly put Hungarian football back on the map. Szoboszlai has the perfect attributes for an attacking midfielder, displaying skill and guile on the ball. He is also fiercely built at 6ft 1in, ensuring that he will not be bullied. There is plenty of scope for improvement, but he could be the best player that has emerged from Hungary in a long time.

Hungary’s status as a footballing nation has been on the decline, but there are signs that they could be slowly making their way back up the totem pole.

WOW! Hungarian footballer to continue his career in Real Madrid?

Romanian media says that their football team could have defeated Iceland since even Hungary could beat the Northern European team. Moreover, it seems that Real Madrid, one of the most successful Europan football teams, shows interest in the Hungarian Dominik Szoboszlai, who kicked the Hungarian team to the 2021 UEFA European Championships.

According to Index, Adevărul, one of the most well-known Romanian dailies, said that the Romanian team could have beaten Iceland, and so they could have taken part in the EURO2021. The paper states that the Hungarians are in extasis now since they managed to qualify for the European football championships for the second time since 1986. Meanwhile, Romania suffered a 2-1 defeat from Iceland at the previous stage of the qualification process.

The paper added that Iceland managed to defeat only Romania in 2020 and not only England and Belgium but also Denmark and Hungary defeated them. Interestingly,

Ziare.com says that the Hungarians avenged the Romanian team’s defeat in a very vivid match.

Index writes that it is rare that Hungarian football players appear on the front page of Spanish sports dailies, but on Friday, Dominik Szoboszlai was there. Furthermore, AS said that Real Madrid shows interest in the Hungarian player.

“Dominik Szoboszlai in the solar system of Real Madrid” – this sentence was on the title page of the AS, a Spanish sports daily. Tomás Roncero, the paper’s journalist specialised in football, said about the Hungarian midfielder that the professional team of Real Madrid

keeps an eye on the Red Bull Salzburg’s rising star 

who kicked Hungary into the EURO2020 (which will be in 2021 because of the coronavirus epidemic).

According to Roncero, the Spanish team follows a strict player recruitment strategy, during which they offer contracts to young but talented football players who they can buy cheaper. Afterwards, they train them, and those who are not able to become the best are sold in the Premier League or for the PSG. Thus, the recruiting team of Real Madrid follows many talented players all over the world. They are all “part of the Spanish team’s solar system.”

Roncero wrote that one of these potential stars is Mr Szoboszlai whose contract is due until 2022 in Salzburg, but 

Arsenal, Milan, and RB Leipzig already showed interest in offering him a place on their teams.

Based on the news, Real Madrid would like to sell Isco for EUR 30 million, and Szoboszlai would arrive to fill his place for EUR 25 million. Roncero also states that the Hungarian link is present in the Spanish team since the legendary Ferenc Puskás (Canoncito Pum) was Real Madrid’s most successful player in the ’50s and ’60s, scoring 242 goals in 262 matches.

Hungary’s squad qualifies for EURO 2020! – Check out the goals!

hungary qualify to euro 2020

Late goals from Loic Nego and Dominik Szoboszlai turned around an early deficit against Iceland in the Puskás Aréna tonight and ensured Hungary qualify for their second successive UEFA European Championship next summer.

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s 11th-minute free-kick had put the visitors ahead and although Hungary dominated possession almost from thereon, it looked as if Iceland would snatch victory, but substitute Nego latched on to a deflection and coolly equalised before Szoboszlai scored one of the greatest goals of his burgeoning career so far with a superb individual effort in added time.

Hungary head coach Marco Rossi, absent from the match due to a positive COVID test earlier in the day, opted for a three-man defence in front of goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi in Attila Szalai, Willi Orbán and Endre Botka, that trio lining up behind a five-man midfield of Filip Holender on the left, Zsolt Kalmár, Ádám Nagy and Dominik Szoboszlai in the centre and Attila Fiola patrolling the right side. As expected, Ádám Szalai and Roland Sallai led the forward line.

It was a fast start with the adrenalin clearly flowing in both teams, several wince-inducing challenges appearing to set a frenetic first-half tone.

The first goalscoring chance wasn’t long in coming either, visiting defender Victor Pálsson rising highest to meet a Sigurdsson left-wing corner but he could only connect with the top of his head and Gulácsi was perfectly placed to gather the Icelandic right-back’s downward effort in the centre of the six-yard box.

Sigurdsson, booked in only the fourth minute for a late challenge on Szoboszlai, was given another chance to display his set-piece prowess in the 11th minute when Holender was adjudged to have fouled Johan Gudmundsson in the right channel just outside the Hungary penalty area, and the Everton FC playmaker’s curling, right-footed free-kick was powerful enough to force its way through Gulácsi’s grasp just under the crossbar and into the centre of the goal to hand the visitors an early lead.

Other than the goal, there was little to separate the teams and if anything Hungary began to look the better side. Central defender Willie Orbán has proved dangerous in the opposition penalty area on many occasions in the past and he showcased his undoubted heading ability twice within a minute midway through the first period, first seeing his powerful effort from Sallai’s deep free-kick cleared over the bar and then, from Szoboszlai’s resulting corner, heading straight at Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldórsson from barely ten metres out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqXO0oLTjM4&t=368s

Iceland were not sitting on their slender lead just yet either, forward Alfred Finnbogason heading a right-wing cross at goal but his tame effort was easily collected by Gulácsi falling to his right. Still, it was the hosts who looked slightly the more dangerous, Szoboszlai going close with a whipped free-kick before Johann Gudmundsson broke clear, only for his attempted curler towards the far left of the goal to be too close to the waiting Gulácsi. Szoboszlai’s deflected free-kick from long range forced a full-length save from Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldórsson in the 44th minute and the half ended with Sigurdsson drawing a smart, low save from Gulácsi near his right post.

There’d been plenty of intent from Hungary in the first half and that continued after the break when Attila Szalai’s rasping, first-time drive from Sallai’s sweet back-heel was deflected agonisingly over the Iceland crossbar. The away team dropped further and further back into defence and managed to frustrate Hungary’s forwards despite ceding huge amounts of possession. Furthermore, substitute Albert Gudmundsson nearly sealed Hungary’s fate on the break, but contrived to miss an open goal when attepting to convert a low, right-wing cross.

Just when it seemed as if all was lost, the pressure finally told, substitute Nego sneaking in near the far, right post and capitalising on the opposing defence’s failure to clear the ball by slipping the ball into the bottom-left corner of Iceland’s net in the 88th minute.

Even better was to follow in added time when Szoboszlai finally delivered in style what he’d been threatening all game, the RB Salzburg playmaker collecting the ball out wide near the halfway line, cutting inside towards goal and firing an unstoppable low drive into the net off the far right post to seal a dramatic and ultimately deserved victory for his Hungary side, one which sees them take their place at next summer’s European Championship which will be hosted in part in Budapest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsCnlOCBEJc

European Championship qualifying play-off final

HUNGARY 2-1 ICELAND
Budapest, Puskás Aréna, 20:45, behind closed doors (TV: M4 Sport). Ref: Kuipers (Netherlands)

Goalscorers: HUN: Nego (88), Szoboszlai (90+2); ICE: G. Sigurdsson (11)

HUNGARY: Gulácsi – Botka, Orbán, Szalai A. – Fiola, Kalmár, Nagy Á., Szoboszlai, Holender – Szalai Á., Sallai.

Head coach: Marco Rossi (Cosimo Inguscio was caretaker head coach pitchside due to Rossi’s positive COVID test)

ICELAND: Halldórsson – Pálsson, R. Sigurdsson, Árnason, H. Magnússon – J. Gudmundsson, Sigurjónsson, A. Gunnarsson, B. Bjarnason – G. Sigurdsson, A. Finnbogason.

Head coach: Erik Hamrén

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Read alsoSzoboszlai: We want to leave the pitch as winners – EURO 2020 play-off final