Soccer bosses to hear Storck after ‘historic loss’ to Andorra
The Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) will hear what Bernd Storck, the coach of the Hungarian national team, has to say after the team’s shocking loss to Andorra at the end of last week, according to reports. Hungarian news agency MTI tagged it a “historic loss.”
Bernd Storck (photo: mlsz.hu, official website of the Hungarian Football Federation).
Hungaryʼs national soccer team suffered a shock 1-0 defeat away to tiny Andorra in their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier last Friday. The defeat was a shattering return to earth after what many Hungarian football fans had described as the “EC euphoria” that followed the national teamʼs success in qualifying for the 2016 UEFA European Championship for the first time in 44 years.
According to on-field reports, the Hungarian team was devastated and their performance angered hundreds of Hungarian football fans who had traveled to Andorra to support their team.
Andorra’s national team, in a country with a tiny population of 85,470 (2014 estimate), won its first competitive international in 13 years, and only the second in its history. The country lies in 186th place in the world rankings, while Hungary is 33rd, according to Hungarian online news portal 444.hu.
Andorra won despite completing only 44 passes during the match, according to reports, while Hungary had 74% of possession. The loss leaves Hungary with little chance of progressing from their qualifying group, lying in third place but 8 points behind second-placed Portugal and 11 points behind leaders Switzerland, with just four matches to play.
Asking for forgiveness
“After this kind of match it is not possible to do anything else than to ask for forgiveness from the supporters,” Storck said, as quoted by the official MLSZ website. Storck did not give an interview to state-owned sports channel M4 after the match, according to reports. “The defeat hurts and frustrates me... Itʼs not possible to forgive this. Itʼs not possible to accept the defeat in these circumstances - everyone has to take responsibility and I will be the first to do this,” the coach said, according to mlsz.hu.
“I ask for forgiveness from the supporters who have seen the match in the stadium or on TV and from those who love Hungarian football,” said team captain Balázs Dzsudzsák after the match, according to mlsz.hu. “I take my share of the responsibility - there are no words and no forgiveness for this result,” he added.
‘Undeserving’ and ‘soulless’ attitude
After the Hungarian media widely circulated footage taken by mobile phones from the spectatorsʼ point of view, showing the team in shock facing supporters who appear to be demanding jerseys to be taken off, supporters who traveled to Andorra issued a press statement.
“What received us in Andorra carries no explanation. The attitude of many players was soulless and undeserving of wearing the national jersey,” the statement says. “Players did not deserve to wear the jerseys, therefore we made them take them off. We did not do it to collect artifacts but because with such a soulless attitude nobody deserves to wear the jersey of the national eleven.”
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