According to Attila Szalai, who started his career in Gödön, his new team, Freiburg, which also employs Roland Sallai, has everything for the footballers to get the most out of themselves.
The Hungarian national team defender, who joined Freiburg on loan from Honffenheim, recalled at the club’s online press conference: Saturday, the day of the signing, was special for him “with a lot of stress and strange feelings”. The two teams played against each other that day, Freiburg triumphed 3-2 with Sallai’s winning goal, but the 26-year-old Szalai did not play for Hoffenheim, whose contract runs until July 2027. He revealed: he already knew before the match that the clubs had reached an agreement and that he would stay in Freiburg after the match. However, he didn’t tell his teammates the news, which was made even more special by the fact that he celebrated his 26th birthday on the same day.
“Our sports director also stated that this was an unusual event, as I arrived here in Hoffenheim’s kit and then left in Freiburg’s kit. That’s football, sometimes such special stories happen.”
Szalai revealed: he was able to give the motivational speech in the dressing room, but at the same time he had to face strange emotions during the match, he was happy about his good friend Sallai’s goal, but not because Hoffenheim lost the match.
“It was a strange and emotional day, it was not easy to live.”
The defender has been training with his new team since Sunday and according to his words, fitting in is easy, he is progressing well, he is in a “good dressing room” and among players with a very good attitude. It helps that even though they are opponents, they know each other, and what is even more important is the presence of Sallai, with whom they are good friends, so they are both happy that they can prepare together every day. As he said, they talked immediately when Freiburg was contacted.
“He was only able to confirm my decision, he said a lot of positive and good things about the club, be it the squad, the coaching staff or the conditions. I think that everything is top here, everything is given so that the players get the most out of themselves.”
He explained that he was approached by the club because several people in the position of interior defender are struggling with injuries and problems.
Answering a question, he emphasized: he is happy that more and more Hungarian football players are playing in good leagues and teams, because all this means strengthening the Hungarian national team.
“I’m happy that Marci Dárdai finally decided to strengthen the Hungarian national team, and also that Antal Yaakobishvili regularly gets a role in a Spanish first-class team, I think these are fantastic things.”
In connection with this and in the light of the summer European Championship in Germany, he said: he sees the future very positively as the vice-captain of the Hungarian national team.
Source: MTI
Photo: Attila Szalai sat on the Hoffenheim bench, signed for Freiburg the next day (Photo: Freiburg)
