Hungarian National Team: Szoboszlai, Balázs Tóth and Spandler are left out of the European Championship lineup

The Italian trainer invited 30 players, including four goalkeepers, to the pre-tournament training camp. Since a week and a half ago, it's known that Szilveszter Hangya won't participate at the Europeans due to an ankle injury. Rossi didn't invite another player to replace him, so only the two midfielders' and the goalkeepers' fate was in question at Tuesday's press conference... or would've been in question if Szoboszlai hadn't had that stubborn injury. It forced RB Leipzig's Legionnaire to miss the entire spring season and miss the European Championship as well.

"Everything worked out well, we were in a top-flight location with a great pitch and accommodation. You've seen from the movie clips the environment where we worked in. We were also lucky with the weather, maybe it only rained for two days so we were able to finish the planned work. Our primary goal was to keep those players' great condition who came directly from a very stressful season," Marco Rossi said at a training camp in Austria which ends on Wednesday.

Rossi presented the 26-member roster by post for the European Championship. Unlike Puskás Akadémia's Balázs Tóth, goalkeepers Ádám Bogdán, Dénes Dibusz, and Péter Gulácsi will continue their preparations for the continental tournament.

"In third place, I chose Bogdán because he had an excellent season finish. Tóth, on the other hand, was injured in the final rounds. I had to reconsider. Balázs has proved his skills, but he missed a week of training camp, and his performance is not 100 percent yet. All I can say about Ádám is that he's an exceptional man," the head coach said of his decision.

"Dénes Dibusz has made a full recovery; otherwise, he wouldn't be part of the squad. As far as the three players' situation is concerned, I consider myself an old-fashioned coach, and I define who stands in the gate based on a clear hierarchy. I'm only willing to deviate from that in extraordinary cases when someone isn't in his best shape or makes lots of mistakes. The situation is clear to me: the first is Péter Gulácsi, the second is Dénes Dibusz, and the third is Ádám Bogdán. Yes, if nothing happens, he (Gulácsi) will be the goalkeeper from the first to the last moment of the tournament,” he added.

Two left-footed backs, Szilveszter Hangya and Csaba Spandler didn't make the final team.

As expected after the news in the morning, Dominik Szoboszlai will be absent from the midfielders.

"He's not in a good shape. He's not even in the condition to play for a few minutes. As my grandfather used to saya live dog is better than a dead lion... It's downright painful for me that I won't be able to make him play at the European Championship matches. We and he would've needed more than anything to play at this tournament. But it's not possible because he's not well. I had to keep Hungary's, the national team's interests in mind. We weren't treated well by fate; besides Szoboszlai we lost our other talented organizer, Zsolt Kalmár. The other cruelty from fate is this group itself. Regardless, I have confidence in the quality and abilities of the players I've called in.”

"I was hoping until the last minute that Dominik would be in the final lineup. But it was more hope than certainty. But I was expecting it, I was prepared for the possibility that we would be left without him. It was clear after the first trainings, based not only on what the eyes saw but also on the physical parameters measured by doctors, that he was not in good condition. I couldn't invite him to the national team in this condition; it would've put his whole career in jeopardy, and I couldn't afford that as a head coach or as a man.”

He added that it's a possible alternative to make MOL Fehérvár FC player Loïc Nego play as a central midfielder instead of a winger at the European Championships to replace Szoboszlai and Kalmár, but restructuring the team might make up for the two missing players.

"In its Champions League group, Ferencváros played with three midfielders where there was no classic number 10. It's an opportunity we can also consider for the national team. We always have to consider the opponents' strength and style of play. There will be 20 players at the European Championship matches who have participated in the Champions League semi-finals."

Rossi told reporters that the absence of Kalmár and Szoboszlai from the current Hungarian national team is incomparable to the absence of any other two players from the German, Portuguese or French squads.

"Our opponents could reach the finals, semi-finals, and perhaps their greatest strength is that they are full of great individuals. I cannot single out two players whose relegation would be as much of a loss for them as the absence of Szoboszlai and Kalmár for us. Even if I tried, I'd feel unfair with the other squad members."

"It's about the tight core of the national team, whose members talk to each other a lot. I'm sure they saw right away that Dominik's situation is difficult, and they discussed it among themselves. But now we have to look ahead and have to find a way to replace him. That's partly my job, but I know I can count on my players as well.”

All seven of the attackers who received invitations remain in the squad. He added that the two relatively new faces, Szabolcs Schön and János Hahn, who remain in the national teamhaveboth proved to Rossi. The latter also showed during trainings after the national league that he is an excellent goal scorer, and both of whom add color to the national team's tactical repertoire.

"When I talked about the hierarchy, I was primarily talking about the goalkeepers. It's a separate world, a delicate area. I don't think that way about the rest of the team. I can't even let some people get petrified in the starting lineup. I've always kept in mind the players' current condition and tactical fit. There is no guarantee that Ádám Szalai and Roland Sallai will always start together, even if they have so far. We have 14 more days until the first group match, and we will have two preparation games until then. These will provide important clues as to how to settle into the group stage. But I also don't want our players to get tired too early; there will definitely be rotations," he added.

"Yes, I have highlighted the quality of our opponents, but we still have to strive to win. I've heard comments saying if Rossi doesn't believe we can beat the French, the Germans, and the Portuguese, then he should resign. We don't live on the Moon... But all Marco Rossi can say to that is that we will do everything we can to win against them - that's how we prepare ourselves."

THE 26-MEMBER HUNGARIAN LINEUP FOR THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

GOALKEEPERS: Ádám Bogdán(Ferencváros),Dénes Dibusz(Ferencváros),Péter Gulácsi(RB Leipzig – Germany)
DEFENDERS:Bendegúz Bolla(MOL Fehérvár FC),Endre Botka(Ferencváros),Attila Fiola(MOL Fehérvár),Ákos Kecskés(FC Lugano – Switzerland),Ádám Lang(Omonia – Cyprus),Gergő Lovrencsics(Ferencváros),Willi Orbán(RB Leipzig – Germany),Attila Szalai(Fenerbahce – Turkey)
MIDFIELDERS: Tamás Cseri (Mezőkövesd),Dániel Gazdag (Philadelphia Union – United States),Filip Holender(Partizan Beograd – Serbia),László Kleinheisler(NK Osijek – Croatia),Ádám Nagy(Bristol City – England),Loïc Nego(MOL Fehérvár),András Schäfer(DAC – Slovakia),Dávid Sigér(Ferencváros)
FORWARDS:János Hahn(Paksi FC),Nemanja Nikolic(MOL Fehérvár),Roland Sallai (Freiburg – Germany),Szabolcs Schön(FC Dallas – United States),Ádám Szalai(Mainz – Germany),Kevin Varga(Kasimpasa – Turkey),Roland Varga(MTK Budapest)
HEAD COACH: Marco Rossi(Italy)

Translated by Vanda Orosz