Zsolt Hornyák: “In Budapest, Hungary must beat Armenia”

Before the Hungary–Armenia match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which will take place on October 11 in Budapest, Sportaran.com spoke with the head coach of the Hungarian club Puskás Akadémia, Zsolt Hornyák.

Zsolt Hornyák is well known to Armenian fans — from 2013 to 2015 he led Banants (now Urartu), and earlier he worked with Mika. With Banants, Hornyák won the 2013/14 Armenian Championship and the 2014/15 Armenian Cup — the first trophies in the club’s history. The Slovak specialist also won the 2012/13 Armenian Cup with Mika.

Since 2019, Hornyák has been the head coach of Puskás Akadémia, where Armenia national team defender Georgi Harutyunyan currently plays.

In an exclusive interview with Sportaran.com, he shared his opinion about the upcoming match, spoke about the differences between Hungarian and Armenian footballers, and recalled his years in Armenia.

— Who do you think is the favorite in the Hungary–Armenia match?

Hungary is the favorite. In front of a great audience and in a full stadium, they will be facing the Armenian national team, and they cannot afford to miss their chances. If we want to see Hungary at the World Cup, then at home it is our duty to beat Armenia. Although they are an unpleasant opponent, we clearly expect victory from the Hungarian national team.

— Do you think that the current Hungarian national team is the strongest in recent years?

The Hungarian national team keeps improving every year. The squad is refreshed with new players, while the key figures remain: Dominik Szoboszlai, Roland Sallai in midfield, Barnabás Varga up front. In defense, Willi Orbán, Milos Kerkez, Zsolt Nagy, and more recently Dániel Lukács from our club – they are shaping a very strong team. I believe that when the Hungarian national team is in good form, it can be competitive against any opponent.

— In your opinion, what is the main difference between Hungarian and Armenian footballers?

In terms of mentality, the big advantage now is that more Hungarian players are competing in stronger leagues, in quality teams abroad, and they can bring that experience into the national side. If Hungary plays in an organized way, they can be very dangerous. We have already seen this in the past, against Germany, against England, and even recently against Portugal – they are capable of good matches and solid performances against top teams. At this moment, I think the Hungarian team has more experience. Players like Szoboszlai, Kerkez, Orbán in the German league, Sallai in Galatasaray – they are all stable starters in their clubs. This spine of the team is very strong, and the others who are selected from good Hungarian clubs can rely on it. So I think this is Hungary’s main strength now.

— Barnabás Varga and Roland Sallai won’t play in the upcoming match. Does Hungary have worthy replacements? Could your player Daniel Lukács appear on the field?

Can we replace Roland Sallai and Barnabás Varga if needed? I hope so. I believe the Hungarian league is at least on the same level, if not stronger than the Armenian league. Many Hungarian players who move abroad also return to the national team, or represent Hungarian clubs in international competitions. So whoever replaces Sallai or Varga will be at least at the Armenian level, if not better. Of course, this is for coach Marco Rossi to decide. Will we see Dániel Lukács in a position? I hope so, since he is my player at Puskás, just like Zsolt Nagy. I also hope to see both of them, and even Péter Szappanos, although the goalkeeper spot is more uncertain – perhaps Dénes Dibusz or Balázs Tóth will be chosen ahead of him. That’s still open.

(It became known today that Hungary’s first-choice goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz is injured and will miss the match.)

— You entered Urartu’s (then Banants) history as the first coach to win a trophy. Armenia was your first foreign experience. Do you still maintain ties with Armenian football?

Yes, in Armenia I worked with many young players, both locals and non-homegrown. That was the priority, and at Puskás Academy the focus is similar: alongside good foreign players, we try to integrate homegrown talents every year. For example, Zsolt Nagy is truly our own product – since 2019 he developed into a Hungarian international and a stable member of both the national team and Puskás Academy. Over the years, we raised many youngsters who went on to other clubs: Ármin Pécsi, who signed with Liverpool; Zsombor Gruber at Ferencváros; Marius Corbu at APOEL Nicosia; György Komáromi at Maribor, now at Debrecen. Many young players started here and later moved abroad to strong teams. This is our philosophy: to build a balanced mix of homegrown and foreign players.

— Which Armenian footballer you worked with impressed you the most?

In Armenia, the players I worked with are mostly retired now, but one key figure for many years was Hovhannes Hambardzumyan, a right-back at Noah, who was a cornerstone of the Armenian national team. From the younger generation, I follow them less now, but from my own players, he was the one who went furthest. I also had colleagues like Artur Voskanyan, who continues to support Armenian football at club and national level.

— After one of Banants’ matches you said that for the first time in your life you conceded a goal scored by a goalkeeper. Is that still the only time?

I still keep some connections – for example, when we played in Yerevan last year, I met with old friends. I also remember a match in European competition when, incredibly, we conceded a goal from a goalkeeper’s header in the last seconds – that was the only time in my career that ever happened.

In 2024, Puskas Akademia beat Ararat-Armenia in the Conference League qualification (4:3).

— Are there similarities between Urartu and Puskás Akadémia?

As for Puskás Academy compared to Banants, both are built on national sports school foundations. Both provide the best conditions for young players in their country. Puskás, however, is on a European level – with larger facilities, more pitches, and an extensive infrastructure. Banants, in its own context, was one of the best in Armenia, but Puskás is bigger.

— In recent years, more Armenian players have moved to Hungarian clubs. How much demand is there for Armenians in Hungary?

Armenia is an open market. Armenian clubs compete in European competitions, so scouts and national teams also watch them. Currently, we also have an Armenian player in our team – Georgi Harutyunyan, who joined us from Krasnodar, though he has Armenian roots and plays for the Armenian national team. I always liked Armenian players, even in the past.

— Do you follow the Armenian Premier League now? How has it changed since your time there?

Armenian football has grown: new stadiums, better infrastructure, stronger finances, more quality foreign players. Compared to 2013–14, things have changed a lot in the last 10–15 years. Of course, I cannot judge it deeply now, since I work in Hungary.

— In Armenia you often trusted young players. In Hungary you are also known for this approach. Is that part of your coaching philosophy?

I believe the secret to my success at Puskás Academy, where I have been for over 6 years, is first of all the atmosphere in the locker room. A clean, honest locker room always shows on the pitch. With the support of the management, we try to build a competitive team of players with good personalities, family-oriented and cohesive. We also focus on tactical preparation and teamwork. This was my philosophy in Armenia too.

— Recently Hungary introduced a new foreign players rules. What is your opinion on that?

The new Hungarian rules help the future of Hungarian players. Of course, it makes coaching more challenging if there are many foreign players, but overall it creates great opportunities, especially for young Hungarians. If they use this well, it will have a positive impact on Hungarian football.

— Could a similar rules help Armenian football?

Probably yes, but only if young Armenian players truly value the opportunity and don’t waste it. It would be a big help for youth development.

— Georgi Harutyunyan often plays as a midfielder in Puskás Akadémia, but as a defender in the national team. Do you think he’s better suited to midfield, or is it due to lack of options?

He is versatile, he can play as a central defender, left-back, or defensive midfielder. He has very good football culture and passing, he came from Krasnodar’s academy, which is excellent. He was chosen because he fits our team’s needs.

— How do you assess his progress?

He is developing well, working hard every day, even when he is not always in the starting eleven.

— If you could invite any Armenian player to Puskás Akadémia, who would it be?

Without a doubt — Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Week after week he shows in Serie A what a great player he still is. He is universal, can play in attack, midfield, and I think even in defensive roles if needed. He is the Armenian football icon of recent years. If someone asked me now, I would say without hesitation – even if you woke me up at night – I would accept him immediately.

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