Hungary in Europe 2016
Monday, June 13th, 2016Hungarian pundits are overwhelmed by football fever, as Hungary makes it into the European Championships for the first time in 44 years. READ MORE
Controversies over investments in the PM’s birthplace
Monday, May 9th, 2016The poor performance this season of Puskás Akadémia FC is burdened with heavy political undertones. This prompts several Hungarian weeklies to add their pennyworth to the debate. READ MORE
New football stadium, PM whistled
Wednesday, August 13th, 2014A conservative writes that those who whistled during the Prime Minister’s speech at the opening ceremony of the new Ferencváros stadium can only make news for a few days, while the stadium is a long term investment. READ MORE
The PM’s son withdraws, tired of media attention
Saturday, July 19th, 2014The stepdaughter of a former Socialist Prime Minister lambasts journalists for “ruining a young man’s dream”, as the media buzzes with comments on the younger Orbán’s presence at his father’s side in the VIP box of the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, watching the World Cup final. READ MORE
Germany’s World Cup victory – the lessons
Wednesday, July 16th, 2014Political commentators think there is a lesson to be learnt from the way Germany goes about football. They agree in finding the German approach something more than just a game. It is also long term planning, tact, business and political marketing. READ MORE
Felcsút stadium under the microscope
Monday, April 28th, 2014The Prime Minister is mocked and criticised by left-liberal pundits for having a football stadium built in his native Felcsút. The project is also criticised by a moderate right-wing commentator. READ MORE
Football’s role in politics
Monday, October 21st, 2013A liberal writer describes Viktor Orbán’s interest in and support for Hungarian football as symbolic elements of a mafia-style leadership, while a libertarian commentator thinks the Premier sincerely believes that his favourite game is an essential part of nation-building which was destroyed by the Communists. A conservative columnist writes that liberal commentators try to discredit Orbán’s government with various references to history, instead of trying to understand its nature. READ MORE
OTP Ceo’s row with Fidesz politicians over football debacle
Friday, October 18th, 2013Several left-wing and liberal commentators suspect that the harsh words addressed to Sándor Csányi, as president of the Hungarian Football Association by important Fidesz politicians may be due to to his main job as CEO of Hungary’s number one Bank. READ MORE
The Netherlands 8, Hungary 1
Monday, October 14th, 2013Hungary’s number one football commentator believes the crushing defeat of the selected team in Amsterdam faithfully reflects the poor quality of Hungarian football. READ MORE
Romania 3, Hungary 0 – the political overtones
Monday, September 9th, 2013A pro-government paper criticizes The New York Times for overemphasizing the tension caused by extremist Hungarian fans, or ultras, without reporting on similar incidents on the Romanian side. The leading left-wing Hungarian daily reminds readers that no one outside Hungary expected the national team to win and the government was rather late in warning Hungarian fans to abstain from wrongdoing. A transborder Hungarian writer describes how harmful the ultra’s behaviour will be for Hungarians in Transylvania. READ MORE