After a short break, our OTP Bank Liga campaign resumes. In Matchday 6, we welcome ZTE FC to the Bozsik Arena. The two teams have collected the same number of points so far, although with fewer points dropped, we are better placed than several sides, including our rivals from Zala. We also met ZTE not long ago, though we do not have fond memories of that encounter. In last season’s Hungarian Cup semi-final, we were just 80 seconds away from victory, qualification and a place at the Puskás Arena when João Victor equalised with an overhead kick in added time to force extra time. The visitors then prevailed in the penalty shoot-out.
Supporter information:
- The match kicks off at the Bozsik Arena at 5 p.m. on Saturday, 29 August.
- Tickets can be purchased online here: https://honved.csakjegyek.hu/
- On matchdays, the Honvéd Shop opens three and a half hours before kick-off, but tickets will only be sold at the Bozsik Arena ticket offices. Our ticket offices open three hours before the start of the game.
- The sides last met in front of an almost full stadium, and there is again considerable interest in the match. We encourage everyone to purchase tickets and season tickets online for easier entry and because it is a much more economical option.
- M4 Sport will broadcast the match live.
Sector information:
Following the withdrawal of temporary energy-saving measures, the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) ended, with effect from 24 August 2026, the option that had allowed NB I clubs to postpone the enforcement of sector closures and behind-closed-doors sanctions for the duration of those measures.
Accordingly, under an earlier decision by the MLSZ Disciplinary Committee, at our home match against ZTE FC, certain sectors in the central part of the Kanyar (B3, B4 and B5) will be closed. Supporters holding valid season tickets for the affected sectors may take their seats in sector B6.
Squads:
ZTE experienced enormous turnover in their squad last year and this year, although for different reasons. Following last summer’s change of ownership, they made a slow start but emerged as one of the leading teams by mid-autumn. Portuguese coach Nuno Campos took charge, and the management brought a large number of South American players into both the first and second-team squads. This summer, their players were in high demand precisely because of those good results, and a great many arrived and departed. Campos moved to Romanian club Dinamo Bucharest, although the management’s philosophy did not change: the 'Latin approach' remained, with fellow Portuguese coach Filipe Celikkaya taking his place. Several key players also left, including Akpe Victory, João Victor, Bence Várkonyi, Alen Skribek, Dániel Csóka and Norbert Szendrei, bringing in significant transfer income for the club. Most of the departed overseas players were replaced by other foreign signings: Tiago Penalba, Danylo Krevsun, Moises Richards, Tahir Maigana, Arthur Enrique, Beckaye Haidara, Jude Madaki, Marlon Santos and Bence Babos all moved to Zalaegerszeg.
As for our team, seven players have arrived so far: Deian Boldor, Pablo García, Asier García, Osman Hadzikic, Adi Alic, and Aleksandr Safronov and Reda Eddarraj, who joined us during the 'enforced break'. Alic scored his first goal against Vasas, while Hadzikic made a debut full of outstanding saves and was one of our best performers against the Angyalföld side. We currently have no suspended or injured players, so Maurizio Jacobacci appears to have a full squad available.
What you need to know about ZTE FC
Founded: 1910
Club colours: red and white
Division: NB I
League position: 11th
Away record in the league: 2 defeats
Form: L-W-L-L-L
Top scorer in the league: Jose Calderon (2 goals)
Head coach: Filipe Celikkaya (Portuguese)
Previous match: Győri ETO–ZTE FC 3–0
Hungarian Cup winners: 2023
Hungarian champions: 2001–02
Players who have represented both clubs:
Until Thursday, Zalaegerszeg’s squad included two former Honvéd players. Norbert Szendrei came through Honvéd’s youth system and also won the Hungarian Cup with us in 2020, while Viktor Petrók made his first-team debut for us last year and signed for Zalaegerszeg in the winter. The club has, however, announced that their captain Szendrei is leaving to continue his career at Újpest.
Nobody in our squad has played a competitive match for Zalaegerszeg, although Ákos Baki, who was born in the city, played for ZTE’s U15 team early in his career. Dominik Csontos was a ZTE player for half a year in the autumn of 2024 but did not appear in a competitive match.
Head-to-head:
The two clubs have a long history together: this will be their 95th competitive meeting, with 85 encounters in the top division. Our record is strongly positive: we have won 42 times, drawn 18 and lost 25 against ZTE. Interestingly, though, we have won just two of our last ten home league matches against them, while ZTE have celebrated six victories in Kispest – plenty of reason to seek revenge.
We last hosted the blue-and-whites in a league match at the Bozsik Arena in the autumn of 2023, when Dominik Kocsis’s goal secured the win for Honvéd. The two sides have met four times at the new Bozsik Arena; in regulation time our record stands at one win, two draws and one defeat.
Our record against ZTE FC:
NB I: 85 matches, 42 wins, 18 draws, 25 defeats
Hungarian Cup: 9 matches, 5 wins, 2 draws, 2 defeats
Friendlies: 6 matches, 4 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat
Our last five matches against Zalaegerszeg:
2025–26, Hungarian Cup: Honvéd–Zalaegerszeg 2–2 (after penalties: 4–5)
2024–25, friendly: Zalaegerszeg–Honvéd 1–2 (Our scorers: Klassz, and Keresztes and Krajcsovics)
2022–23, NB I: Honvéd–Zalaegerszeg 1–0 (Our scorer: Kocsis D.)
2022–23, NB I: Zalaegerszeg–Honvéd 0–2 (Our scorer: Samperio, twice)
2022–23, NB I: Honvéd–Zalaegerszeg 0–1
Kispest–Honvéd FC’s recent matches:
OTP BANK Liga, Matchday 4: Honvéd–Vasas 1–2
OTP BANK Liga, Matchday 3: Paks–Honvéd 2–2
OTP BANK Liga, Matchday 2: Honvéd–MTK 3–3
OTP BANK Liga, Matchday 1: Kisvárda–Honvéd 1–1
OTP BANK LIGA, MATCHDAY 6
29 August (Saturday), 5 p.m.
KISPEST–HONVÉD FC–ZTE FC
Bozsik Arena
TV: M4 Sport
Ákos Baki: We want revenge for the Hungarian Cup semi-final
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