Hungarian National Team: our portal got the Italian’s tactical analysis, and Marco Rossi has taken over it

– That’s a lot to browse through...
– It's not a thin piece of work – said Hungarian national team head coach Marco Rossi in his room at the training center in Telki when we handed him the tactical plan, which the Italians had forgotten in Budapest after the previous Nations League clash. But we now have in our possession, and there is a detailed analysis of the Hungarian national team and its players.– I'll read it as soon as I can. It will be fascinating to see what an opponent of such caliber as Italy thinks of us and how highly they regard us.
– We will want to hear it later!
– No problem on my part. In any case, it was probably no coincidence that we were in the first pot for the European Championship qualifiers’ draw, and we gave it our all in this particular game against Italy. Moreover, the analysis is written in Italian, my native language, so it will be even easier for me.
– The national team will play against Luxembourg on November 17, and three
days later, on the 20th, Greece is the opponent at the Puskás Aréna. What do you
ask of your players for the two matches?
– What I always do. Both matches are officially preparation matches "only", but for me and for us, they are more than that. We have to improve because we still have a lot to do. When should we move forward if not in these two matches?! Just like against Serbia and Northern Ireland at the beginning of the year, this time we have to prepare for the next matches against Luxembourg and Greece. There is no doubt that in our European Championship qualifying group we will have to prove ourselves against teams of a different quality than the last time we played in the Nations League. Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Lithuania can’t hold a candle to Germany, Italy, and England.
– Will the team use a different tactic?
– I won't hide the fact that I want to try different tactical variations this time. In the qualifiers ahead of us, we will probably have to possess the ball more, just like Luxembourg and Greece, our opponents in the qualifiers will not defend "deep" against us. We are also preparing for our opponents to attack openly and boldly, not just focusing on defense.
– What tactical variation are you thinking of?
– We have two options. Martin Ádám could replace Ádám Szalai, recently retired from the national team; he is a strong goal-scoring player with the skills for the position. But... I have watched many of his matches for his club team and, as in the national team, he was a real asset to the team in South Korea when he came off the bench. In Ulsan, he was a substitute most of the time and led the team to win the match and league title.
– The other option?
– If we play with a false nine. Roland Sallai has played in this position before, and he proved against England that he can play very dangerously in it. We're also looking at the youngsters: we'll have András Németh in the squad, so he's also an option. I’m curious to see how he will fit into our community. Last time, we threw Milos Kerkez into the deep water, and we could see how good a choice he was.
– Is it difficult to find young Hungarians at this level who are willing to fight?
– It's difficult because their performance is very erratic. They are great in three or four games in the first division, then they disappear for two or three games. That's not even enough for NBI, let alone the national team! But we are still watching all the youngsters, we know what our next step could be.
– For the first time in a long time, the national team is preparing without Ádám Szalai. What will the team be like without him?
– It's odd. Ever since I’m the head coach, he's almost always been at my disposal. In the dressing room and on the pitch, he was my extended arm, encouraging his teammates, even though in front of sixty to seventy thousand people, it's impossible to shout tactical instructions to the players, who are then on their own on the pitch. That's when Ádám Szalai was a great help to me as team captain.
– Will Balázs Dzsudzsák be the team captain against Greece?
– According to my plans, yes. Balázs Dzsudzsák will be in the starting line-up and will lead the national team out on the pitch. I didn';t invite him to the national team because of the record, not because he could be the only one to have 109 caps. But because he deserves it! I respect his career, and what he has done for this team. I'm not inviting him because of a favor – I'm paying tribute to a footballer who has put his heart and soul into this national team. Hungary is the only place in my career where people respect the past. This includes my native country, Italy... That is why I do not understand how someone can talk about Balázs Dzsudzsák without respect. You can dislike him, but what he has achieved is not by chance.

– In the absence of Péter Gulácsi due to injury, Balázs Tóth was called into the
squad. Why?
– Balázs Tóth has been with us several times before. He is fit again after his injury, and here is the opportunity to call him back. And the same goes for the other players recovering from injury: Zsolt Nagy, Roland Sallai and Zsolt Kalmár will be back.
– Will Roland Sallai be fit to play?
– I spoke to him, he came on as a substitute at the weekend, and before that, he played for Freiburg's second team. He's not afraid of clashing, he's recovered, so we're confident that he's ready for the next battles.
– Zsolt Kalmár?
– He missed a lot of time, more than half a year. It’s too much. He's not in top form yet, he certainly can't play ninety minutes, he doesn't have enough strength for a full match, but he can play for thirty minutes. The most important thing for him now is probably to be back with us. We want to win against Luxembourg and Greece, and then the footballers will have a relatively long winter break to relax.
– Are you heading to Italy for the winter break?
– My wife and I always talk about going away for a week after the last match, but so far it has always remained just a plan. I think we'll end up in Italy again this time as well. We don't see our kids much during the year, we rarely get the chance to get together. I want to spend December with my family. I think it's not where you travel, where you are, but who you travel with...

THE HUNGARIAN SQUAD MEMBERS FOR THE PREPARATION MATCHES IN
NOVEMBER
GOALKEEPERS: Dénes Dibusz (Ferencvárosi TC),Péter Szappanos (Budapest
Honvéd),Balázs Tóth (Puskás Akadémia)
DEFENDERS: Bendegúz Bolla (Grasshopper Club Zürich – Switzerland),Endre
Botka(Ferencvárosi TC),Attila Fiola (Mol Fehérvár FC),Ádám Lang(Omonia –
Cyprus),Attila Mocsi (ZTE FC),Zsolt Nagy (Puskás Akadémia FC),Willi Orbán(RB
Leipzig – Germany),Attila Szalai (Fenerbahce FK – Türkiye)
MIDFIELDERS: Péter Baráth (Debreceni VSC), Milos Kerkez (AZ –
Netherlands),László Kleinheisler(NK Osijek – Croatia),Ádám Nagy (AC Pisa –
Italy),Loïc Négo(Mol Fehérvár FC),Callum Styles(Millwall FC – England),Bálint
Vécsei (Ferencvárosi TC),Balázs Dzsudzsák* (Debreceni VSC)
FORWARDS: Martin Ádám(Ulsan Hyundai – South Korea),Dániel Gazdag
(Philadelphia Union – United States),Zsolt Kalmár(DAC 1904 – Slovakia),András
Németh(KRC Genk – Belgium),Roland Sallai(SC Freiburg – Germany),Dominik
Szoboszlai(RB Leipzig – Germany)
*Balázs Dzsudzsák will join the squad for the home game against Greece after the
match against Luxembourg.

PREPARATION MATCHES
Thursday, November 17
8pm:Luxembourg–Hungary

Sunday, November 20

8.15pm:Hungary–Greece

Translated by Vanda Orosz