Marco Rossi: “We must play patiently against Armenia and not lose our heads”

Hungary national team head coach Marco Rossi shared his expectations ahead of the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifier against Armenia during a press conference at the training center in Telki. The match will take place on October 11 in Budapest.

The Italian specialist, who also holds Hungarian citizenship, said that he has not yet decided on one of the attacking positions:

“The guys have worked well all week, but there are still a few issues I haven’t made a final decision on. I need to decide who will be left out of the squad and also choose one attacker — I’ll make that decision after the final training session,” said Rossi.

The coach emphasized that his team will take the field without two key forwards — Barnabás Varga and Roland Sallai — who are missing the match due to suspension. Of the team’s three top scorers, only captain Dominik Szoboszlai will play.

“There’s no point looking back at previous matches. If we want to reach the playoffs, we must win this one. We need to control the ball, dictate the tempo, but play patiently. The main thing is not to lose our heads and to strictly follow the plan. If we attack and defend as one unit, we can win,” Rossi said.

Speaking about the opponent, the coach noted that the Armenian team has several high-level players, but Hungary has studied their game well and knows how to counter them.

Defender Callum Styles, who also took part in the press conference, said that he has no problem playing in an unfamiliar position used by Rossi:

“I consider myself a versatile player. I’ve often played as a defensive midfielder during my career. Armenia is a strong team, which they proved by beating Ireland. But at home, we must control the game and not let the opponent feel comfortable,” said Styles.

The Hungary vs. Armenia match will take place on October 11 at 8:00 PM Yerevan time at the Puskás Aréna.

Press conference of Vahan Bichakhchyan and Yeghishe Melikyan before the Hungary – Armenia match.