The European Championship qualifier against the Germany national women’s team will be a special one for Hungary: "It’s a dream for us to be able to play against the Germany stars, who are one of the best teams in the world. It’s a big game, the game of our lives, one which we’ve waited a long time for," said the excited Hungary manager Edina Markó ahead of the opening game of the 2017 EUROs qualification Group 5. On Friday (16:00 CEST), the team currently 40th in the FIFA World Rankings face the team ranked second, and the team with the most European titles – Germany.
What will be a must-win competitive game for the title defenders will be an unforgettable experience for the visitors from Hungary. "It really would be a big achievement if we kept it tight, and it definitely gives us even more motivation coming up against an opponent like Germany. I hope to see a positive attitude from all my players," said Markó.
Jakabfi: "We’ll give our all in the game"
Zsanett Jakabfi, the Hungary women’s international star of VfL Wolfsburg, reiterates her manager’s assessment of the game. The 25-year-old midfielder has been a "Wolf" since 2009 – she has progressed with VfL to the European elite and found success in the league, the cup and the Champions League. "My manager is spot on with her assessment of the game. It really will be the experience of a lifetime to play against the Germans in a competitive fixture," said Jakabfi.
Given the expected gulf in class between the two sides, it is difficult for Hungary to be secretly dreaming of a point. "I would be more than happy if we simply and give our all in the game. Knowing that we’ve done that to the best of our ability will be enough for us to be pleased with ourselves."
Women’s football in Hungary is still treated shabbily, and this is not just the opinion of national team manager Markó. "The recognition of our sport in society is not great. Barely anyone watches," she said. Consequentially, it receives little funding, which makes it difficult to develop and as a result limits the quality potential. Nevertheless, there have been some positive signs of late, because the talent scouting seems to have better prospects lying ahead. "The success of our young talent almost totally depends on whether there is enough support from society – just having a good footballing education isn’t enough," said Markó. "We want to contribute to this development by putting in a good performance in our European qualification campaign."
The European Championship qualifier against the Germany national women’s team will be a special one for Hungary: "It’s a dream for us to be able to play against the Germany stars, who are one of the best teams in the world. It’s a big game, the game of our lives, one which we’ve waited a long time for," said the excited Hungary manager Edina Markó ahead of the opening game of the 2017 EUROs qualification Group 5. On Friday (16:00 CEST), the team currently 40th in the FIFA World Rankings face the team ranked second, and the team with the most European titles – Germany.
What will be a must-win competitive game for the title defenders will be an unforgettable experience for the visitors from Hungary. "It really would be a big achievement if we kept it tight, and it definitely gives us even more motivation coming up against an opponent like Germany. I hope to see a positive attitude from all my players," said Markó.
Jakabfi: "We’ll give our all in the game"
Zsanett Jakabfi, the Hungary women’s international star of VfL Wolfsburg, reiterates her manager’s assessment of the game. The 25-year-old midfielder has been a "Wolf" since 2009 – she has progressed with VfL to the European elite and found success in the league, the cup and the Champions League. "My manager is spot on with her assessment of the game. It really will be the experience of a lifetime to play against the Germans in a competitive fixture," said Jakabfi.
Given the expected gulf in class between the two sides, it is difficult for Hungary to be secretly dreaming of a point. "I would be more than happy if we simply and give our all in the game. Knowing that we’ve done that to the best of our ability will be enough for us to be pleased with ourselves."
Women’s football in Hungary is still treated shabbily, and this is not just the opinion of national team manager Markó. "The recognition of our sport in society is not great. Barely anyone watches," she said. Consequentially, it receives little funding, which makes it difficult to develop and as a result limits the quality potential. Nevertheless, there have been some positive signs of late, because the talent scouting seems to have better prospects lying ahead. "The success of our young talent almost totally depends on whether there is enough support from society – just having a good footballing education isn’t enough," said Markó. "We want to contribute to this development by putting in a good performance in our European qualification campaign."
