they didn’t see any progress, so they decided to change –

According to the Blue and White management, Junior Tallo, who arrived in the summer, performed well (Photo: Károly Árvai)

– Why did you decide to change your coach?
– Not mainly because of the results, but because of the game shown. Responded to our newspaper Berta Csaba, General Director of Újpest FC. – We didn’t see any progress in the band’s play, the team parts didn’t come together. Sadly in the league so far we have scored more goals and in most matches the offensive game has also stalled. When we returned to the field at the end of November after a forced break by Covid-19, we were not satisfied with the results and the game we showed, we felt that we had to move on.

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“What was expected of Predrag Rogan before the season?”
– Above all, to compete for international cup places. Also, we wanted to see offensive football based on attack and fast wing play in Újpest. In addition, we consider it important that young players play an increasingly important role. The latter has been implemented quite well, we can say that at this point Áron Csongvai and Zsolt Máté have also become basic people, but we have a feeling of lack in terms of the game and the results.

– What role could the summer player movement and the coronavirus epidemic play in the worst results?
“It certainly did not alleviate the situation that half the team left in the summer and the same number of new players arrived, although it is not legal for this to negatively affect the team. In August, after a long time, we started the season with victory again for the first time, but we could not continue with the initial momentum and favorable mood that we brought from the end of the previous tournament. The coronavirus is a global problem, affecting some more and others less, unfortunately, which has set us back considerably in autumn. Of course, the points that can be obtained for the match against MTK and Diósgyőr – we ignored the latter, we also forcibly sent U-17 players to the field – are very absent now, it will not be different in the final arrangement. But we can’t catch any of that just because, as I mentioned, the virus has affected other computers as well, and unfortunately you may have to deal with it in the spring as well.

– When did you decide to change your coach?
– The decision is ripe in mid-December.

“When did they tell Predrag Rogan that they were separating?”
– Two days before the last champion of the year.

– How did you feel about each other?
– We met a very good person, the club and the public also liked it, so we said goodbye with a heavy heart. We cannot emphasize enough how grateful we are to get the guard out of the pits last season, and we finished in sixth place. It also shows his human greatness that he accepted the club’s decision and also led the match against ZTE in full force.

– What is the responsibility of the management in the current change of coach? At the moment, it is not yet possible to see the qualitative reinforcements between the summer transfers and the individuals in the frame.
– In any event that affects the club, be it positive or negative, the management also has its own responsibility. At the same time, I do not agree with not seeing quality improvements, because despite difficult circumstances – several only joined us in the second half of September – several summer comps performed well. Suffice it to mention Giorgi Beridze, Junior Tallo or the Greek interior defender, Georgos Kutrumpis. Of course, there are those who are indebted to the good game, but we are sure that this will change this spring.

– From the outside the professional concept is not seen either. The club mainly hires dozens of legions, making it difficult to compete for podium spots.
– This number touches on various topics. Let’s nail it again: Újpest FC belongs to the second half of the field in terms of budget and possibilities. This limits the soccer players that we can certify. Those who, when given the opportunity, draw attention to themselves and can show that they are not dozens of players. Also, of course, we want to get to the international cup stage, but this is more difficult year after year, because the competitors are starting to start the new season with increasingly higher budgets. Of course, this is when the question always arises: so why don’t we employ more Hungarian footballers? We have spoken several times about the fact that the demand for Hungarian footballers has increased in recent years, and Újpest FC cannot and does not want to serve them. The third way could be to incorporate self-taught young people, which is our clear objective now. Áron Csongvai and Zsolt Máté can now be considered as basic people on the Újpest FC academy, which has been operating for five years, Mátyás Katona and Márk Mucsányi are constantly members of the framework, which is a good result. We want to constantly expand the staff and since the academy has a good professional job, we have every opportunity to do so. If we work well, in the future even more self-taught Hungarian players will be able to play in Újpest.

Managing Director Csaba Berta wants more and more self-taught players in the team (Photo: Attila Török)

– What is the guarantee that, under the leadership of Michael Oenning, footballers who have shown little so far will perform better?
– There is no guarantee of anything, of course, but we are sure that the players will perform better after the arrival of the new coach.

– Why did you choose the German coach?
– We knew him before, as he has worked in Hungary as Vasas coach. Plus, the work he did for his former teams was compelling. The perception it represents is easily reconciled with the philosophy of the club.

– What do you expect from the new coach in terms of classification and play?
– The goal is still to get to one of the international venues, although our situation is more difficult now than at the beginning of the tournament. As for the game, there is no change, as I mentioned earlier, we want to see effective offensive football based on attack.

– When will the new head coach start working?
– On January 3, the preparation with the Covid tests begins, Michael Oenning is already participating, the next day he will carry out the first training.