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Thanks to a last-minute goal from Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary will be in the 2021 European Championship, and defending champions Portugal and world champions France will be in Budapest. Then a childhood dream will come true for the Salzburg legionnaire.
Budapest. There are goals that you just don’t forget. And Salzburg Legionnaire Dominik Szoboszlai shot one of these in injury time in the playoff final for Hungary. The 20-year-old caught the ball at the center line, ran, took it to the middle of the field and shot through Iceland’s defense. He threw from 20 meters, pulled off his right foot, specially trained for shots, free throws and corners, and hit the inside bar to make it 2-1.
This made a dream come true for Hungarian football: the next participation in the European Championship after 2016 with home games in Budapest. And against the crème de la crème of European football: the defending champions Portugal, the world champions France and Germany.
Almost 20 months after the start of qualification for the European Championship, the draw that has been carried out for a long time and further doubts whether the event in the planned pan-European squad whether the pandemic can take place in the summer of 2021, all 24 participants have been determined. At the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Szoboszlai became a hero, with a nation and RB Salzburg cheering him on. Each international success increases its market value, the interested parties would have to transfer more than 20 million euros for the jewel. The group’s internal promotion to Leipzig is already under consideration, but it depends on Salzburg’s stay in the European Cup beyond the winter break.
Szoboszlai was far from his future at the time. The 1.86-meter tall Hungarian, hailing from the youth of FC Videoton in Fehervar, has played in Salzburg since 2017. With each title and each Champions League appearance, he became more aware of himself, but overwhelmed by rumors. Of new clubs, the left midfielder remained in the realm of reality. This prudence also helped now, with six positive tests in the club that ran the risk of missing the most important match for the Magyars. When negative explanations followed, a burden fell from his heart. His dream comes true: “As a child, I always wanted to play against Ronaldo. That is now becoming a reality. “
The Scottish Jubilee Grape
Not only Hungary, but also Scotland celebrates the appearance as host in the MS. There, goalkeeper David Marshall (Derby County) was the man who saved the day, stopping the Serbs’ fifth attempt on a penalty shoot-out. The 5: 4 ended with a “curse”, wrote “The Herald”: “Six coaches have tried, ten tournaments have passed. 23 years of pain. “The Scots had not qualified for any major event since the 1998 World Cup in France. In the summer of 2021 they will host the Czech Republic and Croatia in Glasgow, and the island derby against England will take place at Wembley Stadium.
Slovakia secured their fourth berth to MS with a 2-1 win in Northern Ireland. (fin)
(“Die Presse”, print edition, November 14, 2020)
