Marco Rossi: We had dreams before, and now we have goals

– I'm looking for the coach of the year...
– This is he – Marco Rossi, who received the trophy for the best coach of 2022 at the Athlete of the Year Gala at the Opera House on Monday. – All joking aside, when you are in the company of successful coaches in a poll like the one I was in, you can never be sure that you will get the most votes. I started out with a thirty-three percent chance of winning, so I was lucky to win. At the same time, I would like to thank all those who voted for me, and I am very proud that they found me worthy of this award. I would have been proud even if I hadn't won the trophy - it was an uplifting feeling to spend the evening among so many great athletes and coaches.

– Why do you think sports journalists ultimately chose you?
– Maybe because I work in the world of football. Football is popular almost everywhere in the world, especially in Hungary. I sat on the Opera House stage with Olympic, World and European champions and their coaches, the coach of the year nominees. The pair of Lina Zhang Jing and Ákos Bánhidi, and Attila Bíró have achieved amazing success with the short-track speed skating and women's water polo teams they coach. I didn't win any titles with my team, yet I was awarded the prize. I think it was also down to the power of football.

– You can win once thanks to the 'power of football,' but twice...
– It's true, it's the second time I've been awarded the Coach of the Year prize. I can only repeat myself: I'm very proud to be recognized this way. For me, it proves that my staff and players are doing a good job. After this, there is nothing else we can do this year but continue where we left off in 2022.

– Can you differentiate between the award you earned in 2020 and the one you won in 2022?
– Both are equally dear to me. It's a different matter that two years ago, I got the most votes because we won the right to participate in the European Championship with the national team. We didn't qualify for anywhere now, but at the same time, we were great in the Nations League, with fantastic victories. We won twice against England, and our 4-0 win in Wolverhampton is historic. Indeed, that game can claim a place in the history books of English football, as England lost 4-0 at home 94 years before this one.

– On Monday, you quoted an Italian saying: two is not worth anything without three.

– I was referring to the fact that I would like to win the trophy for the third time. Don't misunderstand me, it is not arrogance that speaks, but rather hope: if we finish this year's European Championship qualifiers in the top three, I think we would get nominated again. Although I can't complain about last year, I hope that this year will be even more successful because that would mean that we have achieved our goal: we have qualified for the European Championship! It's not an easy task, three of our four opponents are Balkan nations, which are difficult to play against, especially away from home, but if we prepare properly, if everyone is healthy and fit, and if Fortuna is on our side in crucial situations, we can achieve what we want. I think that's the next step the Hungarian national team has to take, and I'm reassured to know that they can do it.

– Going back to Monday's gala. What does this award mean to you?
– A lot! Although the credit is not mine alone! In fact, I would like to share it with my colleagues, from whom I get a lot of help. I know that I could not do anything on my own, and I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to them. And to the players too, because let's not forget that without the footballers, the best coach in the world would not be successful either. And I would like to dedicate my award to the Hungarian Football Federation, and Sándor Csányi in particular because the President has supported me from the very first moment. He has never put any pressure on me, he always had confidence in me. If he hadn't believed in me four and a half years ago, I wouldn't be here now.

– Your compatriot Fabio Capello, a legend among Italian professionals, presented you with the award. I assume this was worthy of special recognition.
– That's right! Fabio also presented me with the award two years ago, but only virtually due to the virus situation. So, I'm glad he could come to Budapest this time. Unfortunately, we didn't have the chance to talk for a long time, but at least we could have a few words on stage. I heard that he said good things about me in his interview with Nemzeti Sport, and I am happy about that too.

– If I'm not mistaken, you were even happier that the Hungarian national team you coach was named Team of the Year.
– You're right, I'm even prouder of that than my own recognition! I was reminded of the mood that surrounded the national team when the fans were extremely disappointed with the results at the time. That atmosphere is a thing of the past now, and we are surrounded by an incredible passion. It is true that we have not won any titles in the last year or two, but we have won the love and trust of the fans, and that is perhaps more important than the various trophies. I have learned from Hungarian fans that results are not everything. If they see that the players give their all on the pitch, if they fight together, they will accept it even if we don't win. After that, we can only be guided by the need to keep that passion alive. Some things can be lost, but not this!

– Is that right that Attila Bíró surprised you with a bottle of wine?
– That was very kind of him! As it turned out, he is a winemaker and asked me if I liked wine. I do, of course, since I'm Italian... After I received the award, I had a chance to say a few words, but I didn't want to make it long, so what I didn't have the chance to say on stage, I'll say now: congratulations to Attila and Ákos Bánhidi for the fantastic work they have done and are doing. Although I was voted Coach of the Year, they deserved it just as much. And my sincere congratulations to all the winners and nominees!

– It is well known that you have strong links with water polo, as your son Simone is a first-division player and Tamás Märcz, former head coach of the men's national team, is a good friend of yours.
– Yes, indeed. When I have time, I like to attend matches, let they be national team or club ones. Simone says that Hungary is the pinnacle of water polo regardless of looking at the past or the present. Since he knows the sport, I have no reason to argue with him...

– There is no doubt that the national football team had a really good year last year. Can this year be any better?
– I think we have more in us than we have shown so far. As I said, I think the team is capable of qualifying for the European Championship, and I'm looking forward to seeing how we cope with the pressure. Because while we played in the Nations League with nothing to lose, we will have something to lose in the European qualifying series. In other words: we had dreams before, and now we have goals.

– After the gala was over, you couldn't leave for a long time. How many photos were you asked to take?
– Thank goodness, a lot. I was happy to be at everyone's disposal, I admit it was good for my soul that many people approached me saying they would like to take photos with me. It confirmed to me that Hungarians love me as much as I love them - and maybe not only as a coach but also as a person. As for the Opera House, I was amazed! One of the most beautiful theaters in the world! I had never been there before, and my first visit was memorable in every way. I would happily return next year...