Szeged idolizes Benfica and doesn’t want the ‘magic’ English to shine now
Budapest may be the capital of Hungary, but it is not the Hungarian capital of handball.
I mean, this January it will be. It is there that the final phase of the European Championship will be played, which the Magyars are organizing with Slovakia. And it’s also there that Portugal this Sunday gave its all in an attempt to qualify for the Main-Round, against the home team.
But to launch this game, the morefootball I head south. More specifically, Széged, the ‘capital’ of Hungarian handball (may the people of Veszprem not read us!).
Szeged, we said. From the beginning of the season, the small town began to be enchanted by a Portuguese name: ‘Martins’, they say. But we’ll get there.
The (now) Benfica fan who is a star in the ‘Museum’
Inside Lupo and Mugnaio, you can breathe handball. And this breath is felt even more due to the sharpness that invades the space when our newspaper enters the door of the small cafe, 50 meters from the brand new Pick Arena, in Szeged.
The silent tension is undisguised. Nobody talks. The few tables in the cafe are all occupied. Sometimes with Serbian fans… sometimes with Croatians.
Side by side, like two nations separated by a fratricidal war whose wounds insist on not healing, they tuck their stomachs a few hours before their teams face each other in the second round of the European Championship.
In the streets, as the day goes on, the tension will increase (also) because of a game that can eliminate the ‘favourite’ Croatia, in case of defeat.
But in little Lupo and Mugnaio, despite the undisguised tension, peace reigns.
And what you can breathe about handball in space has nothing to do with this contained rivalry between cappuccinos and a beer or two.
The walls of the small cafe are decorated with historic, framed, autographed Pick Szeged shirts. And in the corner, a small handball treasure displayed in a glass case.
Among other jerseys, from some of the best players in the club’s history, two medals also shine: one for the winner of the EHF Cup, in 2014, and another for the Hungarian title won in 1986.
And there it becomes clear the reason for the description of the friendly and Mugnaio showing himself clearly: ‘Mini Handball Museum’.
More unexpectedly, however, Molnár Nataniel can be heard pointing out without hesitation the most special object he has in the ‘Museum’, given to him by a (now) Benfica fan.
“What means the most to me is Jonas Kallman’s captain’s armband. The one he used in the last game he played for our club», he displays, he valued.
In Szeged, the Swedish left winger who switched from Pick to Benfica in the summer is a legend. During the eight years he represented the club, Kallman left such a strong mark that the club removed the number 8 shirt when the Swede left the club.
«He had an unbelievable career and was a leader who represented everything a captain should be», summarizes our interlocutor.
Under the ‘wing’ of a genius rumor to the ‘best in the world’
Nataniel doesn’t talk to us about Miguel Martins with the same charm as he does about Kallman or other idols in Pick Szeged. But he recognizes its enormous value. And he guarantees that all the fans of the club already love the player trained at FC Porto.
«This was the first café where ‘Martins’ came for a coffee when he arrived in Szeged. The first! He and his family came”, assured, acquired, before praising him.
“He is an incredible player: very intelligent and something magical, similar to Bombac. But Bombac. arrived and the whole city, is the most magical player there is Martins, with time will also get there», he believes.
Bomba Dean Bombac.
The name may say little to those less attentive to handball, but it is recognized by all those internationals who follow a sport.
The 32-year-old central Slovenian is a handball ‘genius’. Nathaniel’s words are not exaggerated, despite the fact that his name was not included in Slovenia’s call-up for the European Championship.
Taking advantage of the visit to the city, the morefootball tries to talk to Bombac… who agrees without hesitation. In about 10 minutes of praise for the player, the praise for the Portuguese who quickly became a friend, although ‘current’ in the Hungarian champion team.
«Me and Miguel are always in contact. Within today [sábado] We talked and when he went on vacation to Portugal we also talked regularly», integrated before pointing Miguel Martins to the top.
“He has everything to be one of the best centre-backs in the world: he has a lot of talent and he has to win, as well as being very young. I always tell him that he has everything in his hands. The career he will build will only depend on himself», he assures.
Companions for about half a year, there was already a substance of trust between the two that neither of them is. And when the club gets closer, the faster it gets stronger. To the point of Bombac assisting in guiding the Portuguese.
“I’m trying to help him and teach him what I know. I insist with him on the need to better control the game. Sometimes he still has decisions that do not benefit him or the team, and I try to show him that as central he is the one who has the team and the game in his hand and has to control everything. At this level, sometimes a millimeter makes all the difference and I talk a lot about the tactical issues that you must master», he explains.
At 32, the Slovenian admits to being a more cerebral player today. Although he recognizes in Portuguese 24 similarities with the ‘Bombac’.
“I was also very upset when I lost. In this we are very similar: the hunger to win is the same for both of us”, he admits.
As for the way of playing, organized to be both, above all, Bombac also points out differences.
“We are similar, but different in the way we play. In addition to being a centre-back, he does very well on the left and right side, has a good shot on the right and scores more goals than I do. He’s a player who seeks the goal more, who has good things and things», he underlines.
«Game with Hungary will be very difficult for Portugal»
The conversation with the central Slovenian takes place on the eve of the final Portugal-Hungary, in the second round of the group stage of the European Championship.
Both teams selected in their debut, Portugal with Iceland, and Hungary defeated in form by the Netherlands, in front of 20 thousand adherents.
And if everyone agreed before the organizing group of the European that Portugal, the results of the opening round only served to control clearly.
“To be honest, Portugal’s defeat in the first game didn’t surprise me. Iceland is a very strong team and with all the players, as it is at this European Championship, consider it the strongest team in the group», assumes Dean Bombac.
In this sense, the scenario for an equipment by Paulo Jorge Pereira is not easy, and Bombac is of the opinion that it will be very complicated to see the ‘Heroes of the Sea’ in the next phase.
“Miguel and I have talked a lot about this game in recent months. It will be even more difficult for Portugal. As Hungary lost the first game, now they really need to win. Both teams need to win, or go home. Hungary will have 20,000 fans pushing for them, so it will be even more difficult for Portugal. But if they play hard as they can now, of course they can win», he concedes.
And, as a result of the friendship with Miguel Martins, the Portuguese team can count on another supporter?
«In this game I will only support handball», he shoots between laughs.
“But it must be decided, and to be completely honest, I say that I support Hungary. It’s a country where I’ve been for five or six years and it’s always treated me very well. Of course with Miguel I hope I hope, I get richer, I get the best data»,
Less divided is, of course, the busy Nathaniel, between the trenches of his cafe.
Passionate about handball and a former practitioner, the young man clearly clarifies Hungary’s victory.
«Hungary is stronger than Portugal and will win. I mean, I hope you win. Our first game was catastrophic, but in the next we will be less nervous», he confides.
And to say goodbye to us, after apologizing before months, showing and showing nothing convincing, for not having shown the ‘Martins’ shirt exposed «because it has been sold out for months!», the young man pulls from the e-nos.
«See, I have a message from him guaranteeing that at the end of the season he will come here to offer me an autographed shirt», he displays.
We can’t help but smile with Nathaniel’s ‘can’. But we leave you the provocation: what would look good on those walls was a shirt from the Portuguese team. And even better if it was used by Miguel Martins after a certain victory that almost no one in Szeged wants to see Portugal smile.
Are you talking about that, ‘Martins’?