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The last time we played in a Puskás-Suzuki Cup final was in 2016. U17 head coach Marci Bogdánfi said he had not seen this kind of unity around a youth event for ten years. How would you assess the tournament?
I had never taken part in the PSK before, but even several weeks earlier, during preparations for the event, it was clear from the management, the club's various operational departments and the people working here that something big was being prepared. It was extremely inspiring because I had never before experienced this level of organisation and preparation. I was not alone in feeling this way, either: we received many messages from Topolya, Košice, Belgrade and other foreign academies saying how impressed they were by the organisation our club delivered. In the best possible sense, it gave them goosebumps. That includes the presence of our mascot and the participation of academy players who were not playing in the tournament as supporters. Later they were joined by fans who also attend the senior team's matches. This is a self-organising club, meaning that whatever happens in the world or in the country, it will always exist.
What is needed most for that?
Above all, the passion of the people working here and of the supporters. This kind of commitment has to come from within people. The love for the club and for football in Kispest is quite extraordinary.
And the team was successful as well. Can the success at the tournament have a community-building effect for the club as a whole in the future?
A very good community has already formed, but it may well be that this frees many people from serious inhibitions and that this success will bring the club even closer together. It is important to have a 'pyramid system' with the senior team at the top, because that sets the example for the youth players.
What positives did you see from our team at the PSK?
This is a very good age group. I think at least six or seven players could reach NB I. Of course there may be players who regress and others who progress, but based on their potential that is roughly how we calculate. The organisation I mentioned earlier was visible on the pitch as well, and although some players were dealing with illness or minor injuries, they replaced one another perfectly. I don't think this could have happened without fighting spirit. One sign of that was the way the players communicated with the supporters. We were not relying on just 11 players, but on 22.
You watched many matches. Which one did you like most?
I had the opportunity to speak to several club officials, and they brought the best players in their age groups to the tournament. I went to the Sporting–Real Madrid match with high expectations, but it did not really grab me. I did, however, really like the way Slavia Praha played. They were also very well organised, athletic and dynamic, although less technically gifted on the ball than the players arriving from the Iberian Peninsula. Technique and spectacle are not everything; with fighting spirit and physical qualities we can offset those differences. Several classic football schools clashed with one another, which I think was one of the tournament's great positives. The PSK can be extremely effective for development because we can play against much higher-quality teams than at home. It would be perfect if there were another three or four tournaments like this during the year in which every age group could participate.
How much is the tournament on the international radar?
We do not know exactly how many scouts came, but by having Real Madrid, Sporting and other major teams here, you enter a circle you normally have no chance of entering. News of this result will spread, there will certainly be video-based analyses, and that can also help our club achieve its goals.
Where do we need to improve to become even more successful?
I would first point out that we were missing two players from central midfield – including Viktor Petrók, who is capable of setting the tempo and has an important role in building from the back. I think the Western European teams are ahead of us in cognitive abilities; mentally they do not tire in the same way because they are accustomed to this kind of load. Our players can play fewer high-intensity matches at home. Even so, we were able to cause them problems several times. We are close to them and are working to make progress in this area as well. For that, we need even more international-level matches in youth football.
