EXCLUSIVE: Hungary coach Rossi wants to avoid homeland Italy as he readies for Euro 2024

It is now almost 12 years since Rossi, Piedmontese by birth and Campania by adoption, changed his life and career by moving to Hungary. Having moved in June 2012 to Honved, who he would bring glory back to after 25 years, he is now coach of the Magyar national team. 

Although they are far from the iconic side that made football history in the 1950s, they are at their third European Championships in a row, the second with him in the dugout. 

In an exclusive interview with Flashscore, the Italian coach spoke about Hungary's adventure that will begin in June, before which his side will face two friendlies in March, the first of which is against fellow Italian Vincenzo Montella's Turkey.

FS: "You are already challenging an Italian in preparation for Euro 2024..."

MR: "Once we both achieved qualification I spoke to Vincenzo (Montella) and we thought it would be a good idea to organise this friendly. We will play in Budapest and it will be an important test to see how we are, four months after our last official match."

"In addition to the two of you, there will be two other Italian coaches at the Euros. Francesco Calzona of Slovakia and obviously Luciano Spalletti, the Azzurri coach. Have you spoken to them as well?"

"Calzona, I have heard from him several times, especially when he took over with the Slovak National Team. I must say with a lot of humility, he asked me for several pieces of advice. And I'm glad he did a good job, his team has good players like (Milan) Skriniar and (Stanislav) Lobotka."

"And Spalletti?"

"Luciano, I also saw him recently at the Euro draws. Now he's with Italy, but he's coming back from the excellent work he did at Napoli, a Serie A title in which they dominated, especially until the World Cup. I believe that in those first four/five months, they played the best football in Europe. What was done was unrepeatable. Spalletti probably realised this and that is why he thought of leaving."

"To repeat that would have been practically impossible..."

"Winning in Naples hadn't happened for 33 years and repeating it would certainly have been even more complicated. I myself, in my own small way, made a similar choice when I left Honved after winning the championship and from that moment on, Honved not only never won again but also never finished in the top three."

"Now it is Spalletti's turn to establish himself in the national team?"

"The victory with Napoli was the culmination of an outstanding job throughout his career. Luciano may not have won a lot but his Roma team was a spectacle, and then he still won in Russia, proving that with important players, he can triumph."

"Do you dream of a challenge with him at the European Championship?"

"I honestly dream of avoiding Italy (laughs)! If we have the luck and skill to pass the group stage, I would like to avoid the Azzurri, also because I think that the last game I lost was against them. That's it, I'd rather not cross Italy again."

"As far as the group draw is concerned, this time it went better than in 2020, when your team picked up two points in a group with Portugal, France and Germany..."

"On that occasion, we made a few mistakes that we paid for. In the end, luck and bad luck always balance each other out. This time it is easier on paper, but there will still be pitfalls. First of all, because Germany is the host and will have time to prepare for this tournament, and they can count on a top coach like Julian Nagelsmann.

"And also, Switzerland always arrives on the big stage - they have an important and solid framework. Scotland could be a surprise, they have strong players like (Scott) McTominay and (Andy) Robertson, and they are a very physical team. Our idea is to play on equal terms with all of them."

"So we can say that karma has given you a little something back by giving us a slightly easier qualifying group with Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Lithuania..."

"We can say that was the case, but in the end, we won the group ahead of Serbia, a team on paper that is superior to us. In the two matches, we were better, and a bit luckier, managing to win on both occasions.

"And for the first time, we advanced to the Euros without having to go through the playoffs, coming first, and that in itself is a great satisfaction. The journey over the last three years has been almost perfect, apart from the two defeats against Italy in the Nations League."

"In 2023, your team did not lose a game..."

"We were oe of the national teams that have had these results. There was also Argentina but they lost to Uruguay in the qualifiers. These are things that help us find more self-confidence."

"When did you realise it was going to be a triumphant qualifying campaign?"

"I think in September, when we came from behind against Serbia, against whom we also beat a few weeks later in Budapest. There we had the concrete realisation that we could qualify. As far as first place is concerned, I only had the definitive feeling when we went ahead on the last day against Montenegro after having been trailing."

"How do you prepare for such an important tournament with so many months without matches?"

"My staff and I are in constant contact with the boys. We know that, in addition to the friendly with Turkey, we will have to play another friendly match, which will be made official soon. We have a way to go. I know that we have improved a lot in various aspects and we have built on the experience of 2020.

"The important thing is to be aware of what we can do but never play with fear, because fear is the worst enemy in this type of match."

"Szoboszlai aside, this Hungary team have no 'superstars' at its disposal. Is this perhaps the secret to building a united group?"

"There is Dominik, who is number 10 at Liverpool and our star player. Then we have seven to eight players who play in the Bundesliga and have been playing at a high level for a long time. But nobody in my team, including Szoboszlai, has 'superstar' attitudes. They are all at the service of the team because they have understood that one of our best qualities is precisely the compactness of the team."

"What is your reflection on the great Hungary side of the 1950s?"

"I no longer feel a burden, especially lately. And not because we feel we are at that level of glory, but simply because we have managed to get the football fans back on our side. We managed to bring enthusiasm back to Hungary, and that is a great legacy that we will leave to those who come in the future."