European Championship

The French national football team skipped their stay at their Gárdony accommodation

The defending champion French national football team is capable of tricks not only on the field but also off the field. Hungary reached a brilliant 1-1 draw against the defending world champion in the Puskás Arena, but the French team played a trick on Hungary outside of the field.

The French national football team caused great annoyance to the city management, the local sports association providing the training ground and the Vital Hotel Nautis by staying at the Marriott Hotel in Budapest from the time of their arrival in Hungary until the end of the group round, disrupting the preliminary plans. Although the French federation will pay the extra costs of the last-minute cancellation, in Gardony they can rightly be annoyed by situation with the star team that eventually advanced from our group.

Last Friday, the day before the match against us, the hotel manager called to say that the French had canceled their booking a few minutes earlier. Federal Captain Didier Deschamps decided to stay at the Marriott and not go anywhere,
Mayor István Tóth told Blikk.hu newspaper, who on Thursday hoisted the French flag in the square in front of the town hall, which was in the end flown for just one day.

It was an unpleasant situation, because no one even got an explanation. Maybe when they arrived in the capital, they saw that the traffic was cumbersome and decided not to move out in the heat anymore. They may have been right, but the work of many was wasted.

They have been preparing to receive world stars in Gárdony for weeks.

Everyone thought that they would arrive on Friday and then go to Budapest from here, for Saturday’s match against the Hungarian national team. […] The entire hotel was booked, which was also decorated according to their needs, the lawn was changed on the football field for their sake. There were redeployments at the county and district police stations, no more could be released on leave, as the area around the hotel and training ground had to be closed so that they could not be approached. We wanted to make a good impression on the world-famous guests
Tóth said.

The extra costs under the contract are paid by the French association to the hotel, it has already paid part of the debt to the association, but of course everyone is disappointed with what happened.

During the U21 European Championship, which was partly organized in Hungary, the German national team visited Gárdony.

The Germans had a great time in Nautis, and the football center in Gárdony fully met their needs. Everything happened exactly as the parties agreed in the contract, while the French constantly changed their needs
– said Mayor István Tóth.

Read alsoWill there be another wave of the epidemic in Hungary after a free summer?

June 28, 2021

The world press celebrates the heroic Hungarian national team

One day after the Germany vs. Hungary match, it is perhaps safe to say that the Hungarian national squad has become the favourite of everyone who follows this year’s European Championship. After Marco Rossi’s team was drawn into the “death group”, the national team not only did well but took the lead until the 84th minute of the last match. It was then, however, that Goretzka saved Germany.

Hungary already felt that the 1-1 draw against the French was a minor miracle, so the performance against the Germans was the icing on the cake, despite the final result. Index looked at how the most prestigious newspapers and portals reported on the events in Munich on Wednesday night.

Let’s start with the German press. Bild opened with a rather provocative title (“We are through – and no one knows why”) and then mentioned that the German team barely survived another burn (referring to the 2018 World Cup).

Kicker did not praise the Nationalelf either but praised the Hungarian national team instead.

“The Germans were nowhere near the form we saw against the Portuguese, they were clueless against the highly organised opponent. According to the expectations, the Hungarian team finished in the last place of the group.

These are mere facts, which by no means reflect a complete picture of this team.”

The leading English, Italian, and Spanish portals also framed the story as the escape of the German national team. The Guardian writes that the Germans were six minutes from the group’s last place, the Daily Mail cites the match as the toughest battle, the Sun calls Goretzka’s hit downright heartbreaking, and the paper says that Team England has nothing to fear against this “stumbling team”.

The Spanish Marca applied perhaps the most striking approach:

“The Germans avoided the catastrophe against the heroic Hungarians. The death group became almost deadly to Germany.”

Both AS and Mundo Deportivo wrote about Hungarians who were fighting till the end, defending well, but missed the miracle.

In Italy, due to Marco Rossi, special attention was paid to the performance of the Hungarian national team. La Gazzetta dello Sport described the events as a fairy tale.

A detailed analysis was published on ESPN in the United States, where the author stated:

Germany survived despite the fact that the Hungarian national team played better and smarter, fought harder.

The Romanian media also praised the Hungarian national team. Eurosport Romania called the Hungarian national team “magical”, which played “sensationally” despite the fact that no one gave them a chance in the death group.

According to the author, Marco Rossi has shown that even a small country without stars can stand a chance against the big ones if it fights as a united and organised team.

June 25, 2021

Will 11 thousand rainbow-coloured flags await Hungarians in Munich today?

As we reported before, a petition started to rainbow colour the football stadium of Munich today protesting against the Hungarian homophobic law accepted last week by the parliament. The UEFA decided yesterday not to allow such action even though the city council of Munich backed it. It seems that some German cities would like to protest all the same, which provoked Hungarian reactions. Meanwhile, Hungarian fans travelling to Munich are afraid of provocation. Our summary below about the latest events in the issue.

According to szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu, provided the UEFA does not allow to rainbow colour the stadium in Munich, the stadiums of Frankfurt and Köln will do so. That is how they want to protest against the Hungarian homophobic law accepted last Tuesday.

Everything you need to know about the new Hungarian “homophobic” law

The VP of Eintracht Frankfurt (a member of the Bundesliga) even called his colleagues to join their initiative. Based on Kicker magazine, there is a chance that Köln will do the same.

Interestingly, based on the relevant rules of the UEFA,

stadiums can be coloured only with the colours of the football association and the host country.

A counter-initiative started yesterday in Hungary. According to borsonline.hu, Gábor Kubatov, president of the Ferencváros and party director of Fidesz, decided yesterday to cover the Groupama Aréna in Budapest with the colours of the Hungarian national flag, red-white-green. He also asked other club presidents to join his initiative, and Tamás Deutch, the president of the MTK and MEP of Fidesz, cleared that he would join Kubatov.

Carpathian Brigade, one of the biggest Hungarian fan groups, said on their Facebook page that they expect provocation in Munich today. Therefore, they advised all the supporters to keep the German rules completely to avoid fines worth hundreds of EUR.

What is behind the menacing march of Hungarian football fans?

Based on index.hu, Budapest Pride told on their Facebook page that they would distribute

11 thousand rainbow-coloured flags with the help of local LGBTQ organisations in the stadium of Munich before the German-Hungarian match today.

According to MTI, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said after the meeting that the EC was looking into the Hungarian law to determine whether it breaches EU law. “Freedom of expression needs to be protected, and no one should be discriminated [against] based on sexual orientation,” she said.

If the Hungarian team wins today against Germany, they will emerge to the round of 16.

EURO2020: can the Hungarian team defeat the Germans today?

June 23, 2021

EURO2020: can the Hungarian team defeat the Germans today?

Roland Sallai and Willi Orbán believe it’s already a great success that as Hungary approaches the last round of group fixtures, the team still has a chance to progress from the most difficult group of this summer’s European Championship. However, such a feat will require perfect concentration on Wednesday.

“The match against Germany is, of course, special to me, as I was born and raised there“, Orbán explained. “The great thing is that before our last match, we still have a chance to qualify from the most difficult group at this European Championship“.

“I know the German players, some from Leipzig, others from the Bundesliga. I no longer have any contact with the members of the German U21 team, only with the Leipzig squad members.

When we reached the European Championship, we joked with each other about whose country would win“.

The Hungarian national team has already had to contend with huge challenges, having already faced the European championship’s defending champion Portugal and the reigning world champion France.

In this regard, defender Orbán summed up the situation by saying that after thorough preparation, everyone has arrived at the tournament in good condition:

“The backroom staff is still making sure we’re in good shape before every match, so I’m not worried. I’m sure we’ll have the strength to fight through the next 90 minutes. Germany is perhaps the most complete team in the group, as

it represents an outstanding level in terms of mentality, organisation and individual quality.

Against the Germans we need to be aware they defend as a team and high up the pitch, so our forwards need to open up the spaces behind them“.

The other participant in the press conference, forward Roland Sallai, was first asked about his assist for Attila Fiola’s goal against France:

“We practised the move leading up to the goal, but we mustn’t look beyond the fact that the whole team did a tremendous job and that resulted in us scoring. We’re very happy that everything is open before the third match and we have a chance to advance from such a group“.

The 24 year-old, who plies his trade for German Bundesliga club Freiburg, also reiterated that the players had arrived at the European Championship following a great preparation period, so there had been no problem with stamina in the first two matches, and now regeneration was the focus so that their third match wouldn’t cause any difficulty at any point during the 90 minutes.

Sallai then spoke about his fellow strikers Ádám Szalai and Nikolics Nemanja:

“They’re strikers of similar character and I really like to play with both of them. Ádi prefers to keep the ball, Niko prefers to receive it in space. We’ll see who makes up the striker pairing, but if perhaps we’re not the strongest on an individual level, we can be as a team, so we need to take advantage of that. I think the most important thing is to go out to play the match with the same effort as before; you need to pay maximum attention and follow the tactical instructions. It will take brave football, as we’ve already seen, but sometimes we were able to play attacking football against the world champions too.

Anything can happen in a match, so we’ll travel there with the intention to win the match and we can promise we’ll give it our all in Munich too“.

EURO2020 Hungary-France aftermath: How fans cheered for Hungary – PHOTOS, VIDEOS

June 23, 2021

6 super places to watch the European Football Championship in Hungary — PHOTOS

We are in the middle of the European Football Championship. All the teams are already past two matches, but there are still many matches left. Hungary also has some chance to qualify to the round of 16 as they drew against the world champion French national football team.

We have collected some places in Budapest earlier where you can watch the European Football Championship in a great atmosphere. We will continue this list, but now we assembled the list from places in cities other than the capital.

Mol Arena — Székesfehérvár

Football Székesfehérvár — Photo: https://www.facebook.com/varosgondnoksagfehervar/

The Mol Arena’s terrace next to Sóstó awaits visitors with a thirty-square-metre LED wall. Thanks to this, all the matches can be viewed during the day. The venue awaits fans every afternoon from 2 p.m. You do not need an immunity certificate to visit the terrace.

Plázs — Siófok

Siófok football — Photo: https://www.facebook.com/plazssiofok/

The screen here is 12 square metres. However, it is guaranteed that you will not get warm during the match as, in addition to ice-cold drinks, Lake Balaton is also close by. Admission is free, but a beach ticket must be purchased during the beach’s opening hours. You can leave your immunity certificate home as you can enjoy the excitement of the water and the matches without it.

Lupa Beach — Budakalász

Lupa football — Photo: https://www.facebook.com/lupabeachofficial/

The popular Lupa Beach is located in Budakalász, close to Budapest. Lupa Beach is the best choice if you want to escape from the heat but you do not want to miss the matches either. There are many programs, as well as sports and entertainment opportunities awaiting visitors. On the afternoon of a match, the entry is free, and you do not even need an immunity certificate.

Badacsonytomaj

Balaton football — Photo: https://www.facebook.com/LaposaBirtok/

In Badacsonytomaj, Laposa Birtok is also welcoming football fans. Throughout the European Championship, visitors will be greeted by a giant screen and wine terrace in the Móló Park. In addition to the matches and drinks, the free terrace offers various programs, such as teqball, water football, and a beer tent.

Szurkolói Zóna — Eger

The fan zone is also available in Eger during every match. The organisers await visitors with a festival atmosphere, decorations, and a giant ball. Polyfoam in the auditorium and beer benches in the square take care of comfort. In addition, a LED wall, wine terrace, beer, food trucks, and snacks complete the experiences.

Széchenyi Square — Esztergom

Esztergom football — Photo: https://www.facebook.com/fociebesztergom/

After the 2016 European Championship, Széchenyi Square may once again be filled with fans. Cold beer and wine are available. Drinks and food are served by a variety of local eateries. A 40-square-metre LED screen completes the experience.

Read alsoCristiano Ronaldo: “I wish every location would be like Budapest”

June 22, 2021

What is behind the menacing march of Hungarian football fans?

Budapest has been paralysed by the parade which consisted of fans marching for EURO 2020 matches. Thousands of people were marching through the city, from Heroes’ Square to Puskás Arena. But who is behind the spectacular marches?

According to Telex, members of the Carpathian Brigade fan group were organising and leading the marches in black t-shirts, carrying a huge poster labelled “Hungary,” firing red, white, and green smoke bombs.

The Carpathian Brigade is the national team’s “official”, united fan base. Deutsche Welle called them “a neo-Nazi ultra group made up of members of extreme-right groups from across Hungarian football, united behind the national team” in a recent article about the proposal of illuminating the Munich arena in rainbow colours for the Hungarian match.

HVG claims that despite their often harsh or radical expressions and actions, the Carpathian Brigade has greatly improved the mental state of the Hungarian stands.

The Carpathian Brigade was formed in 2009. It is not a team of committed fans from different clubs but is made up of people who are specifically fans of the national team. They are responsible for the flags and posters, the chanting, and the general atmosphere at matches. Although they do not have a specific political background, there are many right-wingers among them.

EURO2020 Hungary-France aftermath: How fans cheered for Hungary – PHOTOS, VIDEOS

According to HVG, while it is characteristic of Hungarian football fans that they hate the other teams and their fan base, the goal of the Carpathian Brigade, with its 50-100 core members, was to gather all Hungarian football fans and show a united Hungarian support base.

However, HVG says the scene is changing.

The big turn in the perception of supporters came at a time when, after a long period of failure, the national team began to perform well. It was at the 2016 European Championships that tens of thousands of people found themselves marching along the streets of Marseille with the ultras when people realised everyone had a place in the stands, regardless of political views.

The Brigade now not only pays attention to the uniform appearance (black t-shirt with the white inscription of ‘Hungary’), but they also emphasise that no one should be unacceptably drunk, everyone should bring enough water and “behave worthy of the occasion” at matches.

Read also5 best places in Budapest to watch EURO 2020 matches — PHOTOS

June 21, 2021

This is how Budapest Transport Centre describes the fan trams

“Experience the atmosphere of the European Championship while travelling!” – this is how BKK (Budapest Transport Centre) describes the fan trams. On the day of the matches of the Hungarian national team, a familiar atmosphere will be created in the city for those who choose public transport.

The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) prepared travel restrictions for this Saturday’s Hungarian-French football match, and in their Friday announcement, they also warned that significant closures are expected in the vicinity of the Puskás Arena.

It is worth travelling to the match mainly by metro number 2 and 4, which travel significantly more often than usual, and by tram 1, as there were closures on the main roads. The arena can be reached on foot from Keleti Railway Station and Ferenc Puskás Stadium.

Anyone who chooses public transport during the European Football Championship can have this special experience. On the day of the matches of the Hungarian national team, the downtown routes will ensure the well-desired atmosphere, and until the end of the European Championship, the passengers can also meet the Volkswagen tram for fans, BKK reported in a statement sent to our editorial office.

“With the start of the European Football Championship, Volkswagen’s tram was decorated to join fans and will be on its way on tram lines 4 and 6,”
writes BKV Zrt.

Volkswagen’s tram for fans is on its way, which can be seen by those using public transport on tram lines 4 and 6. You can travel on the decorated tram of BKV Zrt. until July 11, the end of the European Championship. The 2040 Combino is not just special from the outside, your trip will be even more colourful because of the unique announcement of sports commentator Gábor Méhes on board the vehicle.

On the days of the Hungarian matches, the messages of sports commentator Richárd Faragó can be heard on the downtown routes. In addition, the Budapest Transport Centre intends to further enhance the excitement of the European Championship with vehicle signs, public area courier display signs, and audio announcements.

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

June 21, 2021

EURO2020 Hungary-France aftermath: How fans cheered for Hungary – PHOTOS, VIDEOS

Yesterday the Hungarian team has played a wonderful match against the reigning world champions France in the Puskás Aréna. Attila Fiola’s sensational first-half run and finish gave a superb hope for Hungary but Antoine Griezmann equalised from close range midway through the second period resulting in a 1-1 draw.

Didier Deschamps, France coach told UEFA: “I’m satisfied – I’m not overjoyed with the result, but I’m satisfied.

We didn’t lose, we do have a point to add to the three we have in the bag already. I think this still leaves the door open for us to have a little bit of leeway for the third game.”

https://www.facebook.com/568066993228876/videos/4031513476886167

Hungarian Fans marching to the Puskás Aréna to cheer for their team.

Hungarian Fans Vs France 1 — Photo: MTI/Zoltán Máthé

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=870726160190380

Hungarians singing the National Anthem along with their team

Hungary’s 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.

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.

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

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

Hungarian Fans Vs France 5 — Photo: MTI/Tamás Vasvári

Hungarian Fans Vs France 3 — Photo: MTI/EPA/Pool/Tibor Illyés

Hungarian Fans Vs France 6 — Photo: MTI/Zsolt Szigetváry

Didier Deschamps, France coach said: “We had a lot of opportunities in the first half but unfortunately weren’t able to find the back of the net.

We had a lot of shots – a couple of them were on target and we hit the post. I think there very good pieces of play, especially in the first half.”

The France captain said the following about the match to TF1: “In this sort of match, it’s difficult when your opponents go ahead.

They [Hungarians] were well organised and put their hearts into it with the help of the crowd.

We’re disappointed, we wanted three points, but we have to stay positive.”

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.

Budapest to host Euro 2020 final?

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=596575987987702

Hungarian fans are celebrating after Hungary took the lead with the first goal

France finally managed to breach Hungary’s 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 had been baking for more than an hour.

Loïc Négo, Hungary wing-back told UEFA: “We worked hard. After the defeat to Portugal, we knew that we had to pick ourselves up, and do it against the best.

We worked, we analysed the details, big and small. We’re happy, but there’s a little frustration because we felt the three points were within our reach.”

Hungarian Fans Vs France 7 — Photo: MTI/Tamás Kovács

The Hungarian team has put up a valiant fight against the reigning world champions and the match ended in a famous draw for Hungary with a chance to win in their final group match against Germany on Wednesday.

Marco Rossi also spoke to M4 Sport, saying: “When I first met the squad, I told the guys that whoever is in the national team should bust a gut.

Heart is the most important thing in football. If someone plays for the national team, it’s even more true.”

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

June 20, 2021

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

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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

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

June 19, 2021

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

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.

Read alsoBudapest to host Euro 2020 final?

June 19, 2021

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

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.

Hungary held EURO 2016 champion Portugal for 84 minutes – PHOTOS, VIDEO

June 19, 2021

Budapest to host Euro 2020 final?

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.

June 18, 2021

C. Ronaldo and Budapest made Coca Cola shares drop?

Cristiano Ronaldo’s little antics the other day could cost Coca Cola even more in the future.

It is natural that the whole world talks about the European Championship since football is one of the most popular sports. We are interested in the games, the results, who suffers an injury and which national team has the biggest chance to win the tournament. Of course, technical details are not the only thing we want to hear about. Supporters want to know everything that happens to their favourites, for instance, when one of them makes a small declaration about drinking water and as a consequence makes one of the biggest companies lose an enormous amount of money from its market value.

Cristiano Ronaldo: “I wish every location would be like Budapest”

That is exactly what happened on Monday at the online press conference held ahead of the Hungary-Portugal game. Portuguese star and captain of his national team Cristiano Ronaldo made some very simple moves: he sat down, looked at two Coca Cola bottles in front of him, made an angry face, put the bottles away, and grabbed the water bottle he brought with himself accompanied with the word “agua”, making it clear that he prefers the pure drink nature gives us instead of a produced soft drink.

There is nothing really surprising about this; we have known since the beginning of his career that one of the biggest and best footballers in the world leads an extremely healthy lifestyle where junk food and processed products do not have a place.

Normally, this 10-second-long action would not cause any surprise, only some laughs, but when we talk about a celebrity and icon like Cristiano, everything he does will have an impact. And not always in the sports world itself. This case is exceptional for three reasons. First of all,

Coca Cola is one of the official partners of the tournament.

Moreover, Ronaldo himself also used to belong to a big group of sportspeople, actors, singers, and celebrities who were supported by the biggest soft drink company. However, the most important and maybe shocking aspect of the press conference’s opening act is the actual outcome of it.

As a consequence, the drink giant’s share price dropped by 1.6% in just a matter of minutes.

Moreover,

his decision to remove the bottles resulted in a 4-billion-dollar market value drop in the next two days.

It may not cause a lot of headache to the company right now since, compared to its complete revenue and the amount of money they produce and move every year, it is only a small percentage. Nevertheless, it is still a lot of money considering that it is the outcome of only some seconds and the word “water”.

Furthermore, according to the financial analyst asked by index.hu,

Ronaldo’s action could very easily have a negative impact on the company in the long run.

A 1% drop under 24 hours in the shares of such a huge company is nothing extremely surprising. On the other hand, if we consider the past years’ profits of the company, there is a downward trend. It is probably due to the fact that many around the world are already becoming advocates of a healthy lifestyle. Ronaldo’s contribution can further accelerate this process and motivate more and more people to turn to healthier alternatives.

Even though the objective of Coca Cola is not necessarily growing the business year by year but rather that people drink the drink because they like it, with the growing trend of living a healthier lifestyle right now and with millions of people talking about literally everything that happens around these players, Coca Cola might face some difficulties in the future.

Read alsoC. Ronaldo and Budapest made Coca Cola shares drop?

June 17, 2021

EURO 2020 – the Irish are still mad about the kneeling issue, Budapest is misspelled

Yesterday the Hungarian national football team also started its participation in the European Championship, partly organised in Budapest. The program series has been going on for some time now, and since the beginning, scandals have already appeared, a few of them focusing on Hungary, of course.

Last Tuesday, the Hungarian national team played a preparatory match with the Irish, before the kick-off of which ours refused to kneel to protest racism – unlike the Irish. In addition, the Hungarian fan camp whistled at the Irish, which thoroughly and not surprisingly shocked them.

Hungary held EURO 2016 champion Portugal for 84 minutes – PHOTOS, VIDEO

Speaking to the Irish press and making his debut on Tuesday, Nigerian Chiedozie Ogbene made a powerful statement and demanded that UEFA take action against similar cases. The statement read as follows:

We all have different histories, but I was disappointed nonetheless. Black people have been fighting oppression for years, and racism has no place in any field. I hope that UEFA will take tougher action and find a solution to similar cases.

The42.ie portal goes even further. It is said that it was disgraceful that the Hungarians whistled to the Irish, and although it was good to see how many fans there are in the Puskás Arena, such cases make them miss empty stadiums.

In other news, it seems to be very difficult to remember the difference of two letters between the Hungarian and Romanian capitals because mixing them up now feels like a common occurrence. This time, the European Football Association (UEFA) is responsible for the misstep on Facebook – according to hvg.hu.

According to the text of the original post, it is the first match of today

the Hungary-Portugal meeting will take place in Bucharest.

The post publisher quickly noticed the typo and corrected it, although it is possible that the Hungarian commentators helped them, who indicated the hit very promptly as usual. Since then, it seems that the whole post has been deleted because the given post is no longer visible. Still, a recent post with similar content was recently published, where you can also see pictures of the training of the Hungarian and Portuguese national teams.

https://www.facebook.com/EURO2020/posts/4348940015158811

One does not have to go back too long searching for a similar mishap; it’s pretty much enough to have a look at any form of Hungarian participation in a big international football tournament. Last year, during the performance of the Ferencváros Champions League, FC Barcelona managed to mix Budapest with Bucharest; the Hungarian team signalled to them through their official Facebook page.

Read alsoHungary held EURO 2016 champion Portugal for 84 minutes – PHOTOS, VIDEO

June 16, 2021

Hungary held EURO 2016 champion Portugal for 84 minutes – PHOTOS, VIDEO

However, in the last ten minutes, the Hungarian squad suffered a 3-0 defeat from the current European champion, Portugal. We collected some photos about how fans marched to the Puskás Aréna, the venue of today’s match and videos, as well.

In 2016, the two teams played a 3-3 draw in France, and Hungary won its group. Therefore, many thought that at least a draw can be reached with Portugal even today.

Not surprisingly, huge crowds gathered at the Heroes’ Square to march together to the venue of the match, the Ferenc Puskás Aréna in Budapest.

This is how the fans marched to the stadium from the Heroes’ Square today:

https://www.facebook.com/dailynewshungary/videos/779709019405410/?__cft__[0]=AZWyEEFqe75jWZJbtEHABdeWwhZxKhuKp5KDqeiwUN79tAnRYQU7j9qR7saWRe_Q-9YkZkBnJ-F2s6OAP94m9q4RpjjQJK1AEKTATw30qeKlXu2zAh59s1puqTvJS98mKgF51ix9eX0vzKiuk3HquZdKKudHXeIhOpSBHgslrbB3giacIgglfwZQ4LDU1r-MF8o&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Marco Rossi, head coach of the Hungarian national eleven said in a press conference yesterday that “everything is fine in terms of motivation; there would not be a place in the national team for anyone who would have to be

especially motivated for a European championship tournament.”

“The players are very much looking forward to taking part in the tournament and representing Hungary. On the question of whom we should fear in tomorrow’s match, I could list the whole Portuguese team, the whole squad, as we are talking about the reigning European champion and the winner of the Nations League.

All their players pose danger to us, but above all, their amazing forward line could fill us with concern, with even the substitutes’ bench featuring world-class players.

This is how the Hungarian national anthem sounded in the Puskás Aréna today:

https://www.facebook.com/dailynewshungary/posts/4024508877584653?__cft__[0]=AZWq2jT-aKd4Whq3ijRKNDVqcXe3ih8VjsC6JjUSv5a4g6_DbUquCOqDrgDgtlIlBqQUSETg4pZuCong531MzgzC9V0okM4SDMSZVGjWafqveG0U4u_lmCzi4cDme_oDhj4uOjQrrLO8ww8eaNOxtbZLul2nQMqVJc7sUeKGwocYXgxpKRS_Egk5FFECu0nWFlU&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

We will have to compete with them as a team, play football in an organised way, help each other on the pitch and close down the space, as well as hoping for some luck, in order to gain a good result”.

Portugal played in ball possession superiority during the whole match, but they could not score a goal until the 84th minute. The Hungarian defence was strong, and Péter Gulácsi, the Hungarian goalkeeper, saved the team many times.

The ice broke in the 84th minute when the ball got into the net after two twists and turns on Hungarian legs.

Afterwards, the Portuguese team got a penalty and the final goal was scored by Ronaldo after some quick passes inside the penalty area.

Cristiano Ronaldo: “I wish every location would be like Budapest”

The Hungarian squad will meet the world champion, French, on Saturday at 3 pm.

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

June 15, 2021

Portugal fans were not let in the Budapest fan zone!

The Hungarian and the Portuguese team meets today at 6 pm on their first EURO 2020 match in the Budapest Puskás Aréna. In 2016, Portugal won the European championship, but in the group stage, Christiano Ronaldo and his team played a 3-3 draw with the Hungarian national 11.

As we reported before, the fan zone of Budapest opened on the first day of the European Championships, June 11. Based on the plans, the place will be open for 31 days from 11 am. Furthermore, it will close one hour after the final whistle blow of the given day’s last match. Meanwhile, on those days when there will be no matches, it will close at 10 pm. 10 pm

Fans can follow the duels on screens, but they can also play teqball, there is a mini football pitch, you can score goals to a robot goalkeeper, and, of course, you can eat and drink, as well.

The prerequisite of entering the fan zone is to obtain an immunity certificate, any ID, and pass a body temperature measurement. Interestingly, the government said before that an immunity certificate was not needed for the terraces and watching matches outdoors does not fall into the organised events category, so the same rules apply as for sitting on a terrace. Even so, an immunity certificate is still required for admittance to the Budapest fan zone – Magyar Hang reported.

The newspaper said they managed to talk with some Portuguese fans who were not let into the Budapest fan zone yesterday even though they have a valid ticket for today’s Hungary-Portugal match. That is strange because, based on a government decision, those foreigners who have valid EURO2020 access would be granted the same rights as those who got their vaccine. For example, they can go to hotels, restaurants, baths, which means that

their ticket is equal to the Hungarian immunity certificate.

However, it seems that the staff of the Budapest Fan Zone near the Vajdahunyad Castle (City Park) were not told this information, and they did not let them in because of the lack of the immunity card.

Anyway, this is how Portuguese fans supported their team yesterday in Budapest:

Portugal supporters in Budapest before the match against Hungary tomorrow! 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/gY2jGt7asA
— 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 (@thecasualultra) June 14, 2021

June 15, 2021

Cristiano Ronaldo: “I wish every location would be like Budapest”

The Portugal star is pleased about the conditions welcoming his national team in the Hungarian capital.

The European Championship postponed for this year started last Friday. The whole world discussing the games is not a novelty. However, the most talked-about incident was not related to a move or a goal, but to Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen, who suffered a heart attack at half-time against Finland. He is stable now; nevertheless, let’s hope his accident was the last one of this kind.

Hungary will play its first match against Portugal this afternoon at 18:00.

The tiny country finds itself in a powerful group, among UEFA EURO 2016 champion Portugal, World Cup 2018 winner France and World Cup 2014 winner Germany.

If this encounter gets just a little close to the one that the two national teams played in the EURO 2016, we are in for a treat, as the

Hungary-Portugal match of the last Championship was named one of UEFA’s 5 best games.

The manager of the Portugal national team Fernando Santos and captain Cristiano Ronaldo, answered the journalists’ questions at yesterday’s press conference held online.

He started answering the questions in a somewhat disturbed mood after receiving two Coca Cola bottles when he prefers water. He even advised the world by saying “Drink water!”

https://twitter.com/FutbolBible/status/1404522910107291650

Nevertheless, he had a good opinion of the Hungarian national team.

Ronaldo and Santos talked about the coronavirus situation, their previous performance in the EURO tournaments and the strengths of the Hungarian national team.

“It is perfect, and I wish all locations were able to be completely filled with fans.

This is a very good thing, both for the spectators and for the players, but unfortunately, we do not decide. We know the pandemic situation and that it influences every decision” – said the Portugal captain upon asking him about the total capacity of the Puskás Arena.

He talked about winning as being the most important thing when it comes to a tournament of such grandeur and how he does not care about the position he has to play in, to achieve his goals. He also mentioned that to do so, a player’s most important quality is his ability to adapt.

When he was asked whether the EURO 2016 winner Portugal or the current team is stronger, he preferred not to answer the question directly.

“We will see after the game. We keep on concentrating strongly. We have been focusing on this game for the past 10-12 days. It is not the same team as back in 2016 but a younger line-up. There is a huge potential in us, but we will only know it after the game, whether we are better or worse now.”

“We know that the Hungarian team is very prepared,

but we are ready, too. We will be focused, and we want a good start.”

Manager Fernando Santos highlighted that underestimating the Hungarian national team would be a mistake.

As index writes, he has been studying their past games, and he thinks that the primary weapon of the Hungarian team is the attacks driven from the back, for which he recognised the midfielders. He does not think the Hungarian players would concentrate on defence but take advantage of an offensive tactic.

Santos also highlighted the role of the fans, as according to him,

the Hungarian national team has an outstanding and strong team of supporters behind it that cheers on the players from the first minute until the last.

It is enough to remember the last EURO games when a massive group of Hungarian supporters amazed Europe with their synchronised chants on the streets of Marseille, ahead of the game against Iceland.

15.000 Hungarians rooting for the national team in Marseille

Even though both Santos and Cristiano have a high opinion of the Hungarian national team, saying it is competent, the Portugal manager thinks that they have every chance to win the tournament, maybe even more than the last time. However, he knows that there are at least seven or eight teams that have the potential to win, without mentioning those lesser-known line-ups that always cause huge surprises.

Read also5 best places in Budapest to watch EURO 2020 matches — PHOTOS

June 15, 2021

5 best places in Budapest to watch EURO 2020 matches — PHOTOS

One of the biggest sporting events of the year is this summer’s European Football Championship postponed from 2020. This year’s tournament is also special because it is not hosted by a single country but by cities in several countries which share the role of the host. One of the host cities is Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Three group matches and one in the round of sixteen will be held in the Puskás Arena of Budapest.

However, those who did not get a ticket should not give up on the experience of watching a match in great company. There are plenty of places to be found in Budapest where you can get excited about the matches of the national teams and watch on a giant projector, in a large company, with delicious food and drinks.

Városligeti Műjégpálya — Fan Zone

Budapest football — Photo: https://www.facebook.com/mujegpalya.varosligeti

The Városliget Ice Rink awaits visitors in a wonderful green environment in the 14th district. The Fan Zone is welcoming those who want to have fun during the European Championship. It opens at 11 a.m. each day and closes 1 hour after the last match. The free site offers fans a giant screen, good food and beverage facilities, an e-sports corner, and teqball.

Westend Tetőkert

The Westend Plaza at the Western Railway Station is also being prepared for football lovers. Admission to the Westend roof garden is free, but an immunity certificate is required. After that, we can enjoy the comfort provided by giant screens and blankets. Czech and Bavarian beer specialities take the experience of watching the games to a new level.

Belvárosi Foci Mozi

In the city centre of Budapest, close to St. Stephen’s Basilica and Deák Ferenc Square, there is the Downtown Football Cinema. This venue is known for having fans here from almost every country. The giant screen and cold beers are, of course, a given here as well. The Downtown Football Cinema is recommended for those who would combine a program in the city with watching a game. If you relax here, whether you had been walking, had just finished dinner, come with an ice cream in hand, come from a cafe, are alone or with company, you are guaranteed not to miss anything.

Várkert Bazár

The matches can be followed not only in Pest but also in Buda. The Castle Garden Bazaar at the bottom of the Buda Castle is an elegant environment for cheering on your team. They open one hour before the start of each match. It is worth arriving on time, as limited seats can be booked on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to the matches, they also provide interesting programs and conversations. If you visit here, do not forget your immunity certificate.

Arena Garden

In addition to Westend, the Arena Plaza also takes care of football fans. A huge 30-square-foot screen awaits football lovers. An enormous selection of drinks and a covered terrace guarantee a nice atmosphere. Arena Garden is only 5 minutes away from the Hungarian EC venue, the Puskás Arena. You should book a table if you do not want to miss out.

June 14, 2021