After emergency
Ex-Bundesliga professional Szalai back with his family
Updated on November 18, 2024 – 4:55 p.m. Reading time: 2 min.
The Hungarian bench gathers around Ádám Szalai: the assistant coach collapsed during the game in Amsterdam. (Source: IMAGO/Revierfoto)
The former Bundesliga professional is still on the road to recovery, says national coach Rossi. His team wants “revenge” against the DFB team.
The great shock of Adam Szalai’s collapse was still visible to Marco Rossi days later. “What happened was shocking to me,” the Hungarian national team coach admitted on Monday, “it wasn’t easy to process.”
The Italian coach and the Hungarians are all the happier that the former Bundesliga professional has recovered before the duel with the DFB selection on Tuesday (8:45 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online). “We are glad that Adam is doing better, he is at home with his family,” said Rossi, adding: “We will certainly learn more about his condition when he deems it appropriate.”
Szalai collapsed last Saturday at the start of the Nations League game in the Netherlands (0:4). According to the Hungarian association, it remains to be seen whether national coach Julian Nagelsmann will be able to meet his former player from Hoffenheim’s times in the Budapest stadium as hoped.
Midfielder Adam Nagy confirmed that the incident had “left its mark” on the team. But Szalai “asked us not to answer any questions about him,” Nagy explained, “so I can only say that we are glad that he was able to travel home with us and that he is feeling better.”
The goal is to “correct the ugly defeat in September,” added the 29-year-old. He is “confident that we can get revenge on the Germans” for the 5-0 defeat in Düsseldorf.
But Rossi warned: “A very difficult game awaits us. I count the Germans among the three best teams in Europe.” The DFB team has been strong individually for a long time, but since Julian Nagelsmann has looked after them, they have also grown as a team.
Hungary, on the other hand, is going through a trough after a period of upswing with victories over England, and the European Championships ended in the preliminary round. “The year wasn’t rosy,” said Rossi, “we want to end it well.”
1. Can you tell us more about the details of Adam Szalai’s collapse during the Hungarian team’s match against the Netherlands in the Nations League? How has his family and the team been handling this situation, and how is his condition currently?
2. As the Hungarian coach, Marco Rossi, mentioned that he was still processing the shock of Adam Szalai’s collapse. How do you think this has affected the team emotionally and mentally, and how are you ensuring that they are mentally prepared for their upcoming match against the German team?
3. Despite the recent ups and downs, Hungary has shown significant improvement in their performances. Could you elaborate on the team’s strengths and weaknesses, and how they plan to counter the strong German team?
4. With the recent change in management, Germany has been performing exceptionally well as a team. How do you assess the German team’s current form and position in European football?
5. How important is this match against Germany for the Hungarian team, both in terms of their performance and the impact it could have on their psychological state going into the new year?