“We have to be realistic,” says Dzsudzák [Hungarian pronounciation: bala:sh ‘juja:k]. “We are doing really well, but our group is really young - some of our guys only have five or six caps and most of them are playing in the Hungarian competition. Holland are one of the best teams in the world, with superstar players who play for the world’s top clubs like Barcelona, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.”

Taking on a “top-rated” team like Oranje will be “a great experience” for the young Hungarian team, who’re currently trailing the Euro 2012 Group E leaders by three points. The first match is scheduled in Budapest on Friday 25 March, the second in Amsterdam on Tuesday 29 March.

Dutch winning streak
Hungary’s 24-year-old Footballer of the Year admits that recent results between the two nations don’t bode well: Holland won the last five encounters convincingly, trouncing Hungary 6-1 in a pre-World Cup warm-up fixture last June.

“In Hungarian football, we haven’t gone anywhere for almost 20 years,” Dzsudzák sighs. “We’ve tried several trainers, we’ve tried to qualify for major events like the World Cup or the European Championships. But every time we’ve had to say ‘Ok, let’s try again next year’.”

“But now, we have a good team and a promising second position in group E. So, for us, the two games against Holland are not that important. For us the two crucial games are against Sweden and Finland at home. That’s our level and those can be our games."

Love-hate relationship
After extending his contract with Dutch League leaders PSV Eindhoven earlier this year, Dzsudszák told reporters he felt at at home in the Netherlands and in the Dutch competition, where his exceptional technical skills and elegant playing style have been widely appreciated.

Nevertheless, his relationship with Dutch crowds has been troublesome at times, particularly when playing away from home. After scoring in a recent match against NEC Nijmegen, Dzsudszák put his index finger to his lips to silence the persistent torrent of abuse from the Nijmegen fans.

“Don’t get me wrong: I don’t hate supporters. It’s just that when we started the warming up, they shouted and swore at me. And for me the easiest response is to score a goal and then I can tell them to be quiet.”

Of course, Dzsudszák is hoping to do the same against Holland. “Especially when we play in Amsterdam…”

 

UEFA EURO 2012 Group E standings

	Teams	P	W	D	L	Pts
1	Netherlands	4	4	0	0	12
2	Hungary	4	3	0	1	9
3	Sweden	3	2	0	1	6
4	Moldova	4	2	0	2	6
5	Finland	4	1	0	3	3
6	San Marino	5	0	0	5	0