Ferencvaros Head Coach Balazs Nyeki: “We Wish to be the Finest”
A number of days after its historic match in New York Metropolis towards Professional Recco, Ferencvaros coach Balazs Nyeki was nonetheless excited by his group’s win in addition to their go to to the U.S. Talking on the pool deck at Princeton College, the place his group has been coaching on and off over a two-week interval, Nyeki—who led his squad to back-to-back Champions League titles, a primary for Hungarian group—was blunt about his aim in taking part in essentially the most world’s most recognizable polo group: win anyplace, anytime.
The Ferencvaros coach additionally spoke how European groups’ go to supplied alternatives for US collegiate packages to lift their degree, in the event that they’re up for the problem, and the way New York Metropolis is a tremendous place to go to… ideally greater than as soon as.
The next interview has been edited for brevity and readability.
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[Michael Randazzo] The match on Wednesday with Professional Recco was something however “pleasant. One may think about Ferencvaros agreeing to hitch Recco within the US, coaching collectively then scrimmaging…and ensuring no person obtained damage! Then Stylianos Argyropoulos-Kanakakis will get a brutality early within the match. Clearly you and your gamers didn’t take it straightforward on Recco.
[Balazs Nyeki] In fact it wasn’t a pleasant recreation. Sure, it was an exhibition match, however we had been eager about this as an opportunity to play towards Recco and enhance our play… we’ll meet them within the Tremendous Cup, and need to give an indication that we are able to win the match. It doesn’t matter that it’s only a coaching or referred to as “exhibition” or “pleasant” match.
We wished to win. For this group, a very powerful factor that each one the gamers need [is] to be higher. And I feel that is our power.
Ferencvaros gained the final two Champions League titles. Recco gained the three earlier than. Clearly you benefit from these alternatives to play Professional Recco, which traditionally has been the perfect group in Europe.
Sure, we wished to indicate this. We would like additionally to be the perfect in historical past, however we’d like time for positive as a result of they gained 11 occasions.
We have now [won] three [Champions League titles]. [B]efore COVID we gained the final Champions League.
We need to accumulate titles… Ferencvaros is [a] massive group, massive membership in Europe in all sports activities, we need to be the perfect. For instance, we have now a ladies’s handball group. They need to win the Champions League.
Let’s return to the water polo. We need to construct a dynasty. That’s why we’re enhancing our play and our group step-by-step, yr by yr. That’s why two years in the past we signed Dusan Mandic, afterwards [Vogel] Soma and different necessary Hungarian gamers. Our motto is: We need to be the perfect.
Mandic is wonderful! I feel what’s nice for Individuals who care about polo is that you just’re bringing the perfect gamers in Europe, the perfect gamers who’re Olympians they usually’re right here in New York Metropolis.
But it surely’s not simply you and Professional Recco; there are 4 groups in america proper now who compete within the Champions League. Barceloneta and Marseille are on the West Coast at Cal. May it’s that the highest European golf equipment are saying: After we have a look at the longer term, the longer term for us may very well be in America?
It was an amazing probability for us, and I feel for water polo too, as a result of once we heard this chance to return to the US, I used to be very comfortable. Not simply to find the town. I like [New York] … prior to now few days it’s wonderful.
However for me we wished to convey water polo to the US. I take into consideration this like [an] NFL or NBA group involves Europe and present their character. These are the perfect gamers in [their] sport—that’s why it’s an honor to be right here.
We will promote water polo as a result of—it’s tough to say—however [people] say water polo is dying. I don’t agree with this [and] we should do one thing. Perhaps we aren’t the most well-liked sport, so we should work for it day-after-day. That’s why in case you watch the Tremendous Cup in Hungary, in Budapest towards Recco, it’ll be an enormous group, an enormous present [just] like NBA present.
I feel the US [national] group is all the time developing, rising up in Los Angeles… they are often good.
You convey up the NBA. Within the eighties and the nineties, the league made a concerted effort to ship their groups over to Europe. And guess what? Now a number of the NBA’s finest gamers are European. Why can’t that occur right here? Why can’t American gamers play on your group or for Professional Recco?
USA is developing. But when I be trustworthy, I’m a bit bit disenchanted as a result of we wished to play towards UCLA. They’re top-of-the-line group within the US, however they didn’t need to play towards us. for them some sort of factors had been necessary within the [NCAAs]. I don’t understand how the system is working …[but] I feel they’ve to alter their mindset. If they will [realize] it’s an enormous factor to play towards Ferencvaros and Recco, they may perceive water polo can [improve]. In the event that they don’t perceive simply to [focus on] the native championship. I don’t assume it’s extra necessary, nevertheless it’s okay. We’re right here to advertise water polo.
I’m okay that we play towards Fordham however actually wished to play towards UCLA. They’ve good gamers from the nationwide group [Chase and Ryder Dodd].
That’s why I feel they need to change within the US. I take into consideration this, the coaches, the leaders should change their mindset that water polo is necessary or not. I feel it’s necessary for the game.
I hope it’ll change within the subsequent [few] years… if we have now probability to return again once more, we’ll come again.
What is going to it take so that you can come again? Is that one thing that your possession would assist?
Sure, after all. We wish to come again. I’ve an excellent relationship with Merrill Moses, coach of Pepperdine. I performed with him in Italy. We’ve been all the time eager about how we enhance water polo, how one can develop water polo. I informed him subsequent yr we’ll come to Pepperdine, anyplace, California… it’s not about New York; it’s about water polo.
However you probably did come to New York. How was your journey?
Superb. Superb. Actually wonderful. The one tough factor was that day-after-day the gamers need to go to The Massive Apple! It was good factor, however okay, we got here right here to coach, to have widespread coaching with Recco and the native groups.
However I do know it’s an enormous probability to find the town. That’s why I gave them two extra free nights to go to [New York City], to test it, to take pleasure in it. However a number of days, that’s not sufficient in New York. It’s a lovely metropolis and there’s a lot occurring there. All people has to return one time to go to New York as a result of it’s one of the crucial attention-grabbing cities on the planet.
Michael Randazzo (the Man with a Hat) is a swimming & water polo fanatic in New York Metropolis. He’s the chief director of Inclusive Group Wellness, a Brooklyn-based NPO that gives well being and wellness alternatives to New Yorkers. When he’s not on a pool deck serving to youngsters and adults be taught to swim, Randazzo often writes about water polo, a sport he by no means performed and barely understands.
