Szilveszter Hangya: I will never forget that I started out in Baja

Club

Published: 09/11/2026, 01:03 PMReading time: 2 min

Ahead of the cup match against Bajai LC, we spoke to our defender Szilveszter Hangya. Our player learned the basics of football in Baja and has maintained a strong bond with his hometown ever since.

Last Sunday we left the home of the defending champions empty-handed after an extremely tight match and a frantic finish, losing 3–2 to title-holders ETO FC Győr in Round 7 of the OTP Bank Liga. Although our side dominated for significant spells, the hosts took the lead twice. Substitute István Pekár equalised in the 93rd minute, before Miljan Krpic converted a penalty awarded to the home side. At the post-match press conference our head coach Maurizio Jacobacci stressed that despite the defeat, the team had produced a good performance that can provide a foundation for the coming matches. Szilveszter Hangya shares that view and believes the negative run will soon come to an end.

“I think everyone knows we are on the right path, but these last-minute goals have a big effect on a team. We had something similar against MTK, but we were able to come back with good football and we also managed to beat Zalaegerszeg. I do not think it will be a problem this time either, because we played a very even away match against the champions. I think this barrier will break, and if we can start a positive run it will become much easier to play,” – our player said.

Our first team are next in league action on September 18 in Felcsút, but before then there is a cup match to play: on Saturday we visit Baja in Round 3 of the Hungarian Cup. Our 32-year-old has special memories of and a strong bond with the city. Szilveszter Hangya began his career in Baja before joining the MTK academy at the age of 15 and making his NB I debut when he was 20.

“I have very good memories of my years in Baja. We won the league almost every time, and usually by a big margin. We also beat several big clubs in friendly matches, including MTK. I moved from Baja to MTK, to the Sándor Károly Football Academy. I left Baja with big hopes and always believed I would become a professional footballer; there was never really a Plan B for me. Many of my childhood friends still live in Baja and I keep in touch with them, we speak every day. My parents and my sibling also live there with their family, so you could say I am going home.”

Regarding the upcoming cup match, he stressed that the team are looking forward to the game with plenty of motivation. He sees it as a positive that players who have had fewer opportunities so far may also get game time.

“I think everyone is motivated, and there will also be players in the team who have had fewer chances to play so far and can show what they can do. That is absolutely a positive aspect of this cup competition, because a lot of players can get on the pitch. I am confident; obviously we do not underestimate them, but we play in the first division and they play in the county first division. We have to show that on the pitch and score goals.”

You can watch the full interview on our official YouTube channel: