We have played eight matches in the league so far this season, which included the big derby match against FTC. The team have won 4 and draw the remaining 4 matches to sit in second place in the league table. Please can you give us a summary of the last few months and the results.

Of course, our aim was to beat Ferencvaros in the last round and to be in the first place after the match. Based on the picture of the game, we would have deserved a victory, but unfortunately they don’t get points for that. We are in the same place that we were before the big game, but I don’t think Fradi will get all the points from the remaining matches, all teams will be making mistakes, not even a third of the league has passed, we will be there at the end. What we have achieved so far is only a partial result, quite a few teams have missed matches, including us. For the moment, it doesn’t matter what position we currently occupy in the table. In order to be more effective, we still have a long way to go. Our current game may be suitable for further success, but I still see the shortcomings, as do the fans. In the summer, we started building a new playing system with the team. We’re still at the beginning of the road, there are parts I’m happy with, but of course I hear legitimate criticism too. Currently, we have scored the most goals in the league, which can certainly give cause for optimism. We’re trying to reduce the number of goals we concede, the real thing would be to play matches without letting goals in, but anyone who has a bit of a knack for football knows that this can’t be a realistic expectation in all matches.

We have not spoken in detail about our extended run in the Europa League, which brought your biggest managerial challenge in August and September. 

As an inexperienced coach internationally, I embarked on the Europa League adventure. There was a lot of fluctuation in the team in the summer and the Covid situation didn’t help us either, it wasn’t easy to pull the team together, we had to produce results. In the Europa League, it was expected that we would go through the first two rounds successfully. The victory against Reims is already in the good result category, we managed to knock out a team belonging to one of European top league. Appetite comes while eating and that’s why we were very happy to advance to the playoffs. We wanted to take another step and join the group stage, but unfortunately it didn’t work out, even though we led at half time and were close to reaping another feat. All in all, I am proud to have reached the playoffs in the Europa League after two months of working together, but to this day I am annoyed that we have not been able to take the final step that would have led to the group stage. For Vidi’s goals, the real success would have been if we were on the main stage. At first, maybe it wasn’t such a bad performance, but going out was definitely a sore point.

Your very first interview, which you gave back in July to molfehervarfc.hu included the fact that you would be living in Szekesfehervar. You commented: "The place for the manager of Vidi is in Szekesfehervar while I work for the club." Have you managed to settle into the city?

Absolutely. I really like Szekesfehervar, the city centre is beautiful, we have pretty much managed to walk around. I knew Fehervar a bit before, but I have never lived here, now we are feeling more and more at home in the city with my girlfriend, with whom I have been dating for 9 years. I have never felt really good in the big cities, Budapest never became my home either, I like smaller, more cosy, historical cities much more, and Szekesfehervar is just like that. By the way, we rent a house in Oreghegy, which is a calm, quiet area.

Szekesfehervar has a long history in several sports, are there any of them that you follow?

I will honestly say that only football exists for me. There are some other sports that I watch on TV sometimes, but for me football is everything. I also respect other sports, I recognise those who work in their own field and achieve results. I watch basketball from time to time, so if I have the opportunity, I will be happy to go to a basketball match in Szekesfehervar as well.

How do you relax after a match or at the end of a tiring day? How do you recharge before the next tasks?

Since football has been my life since I was 3-4, I would say of course with football (laughter). But that’s not entirely true, since I’ve played a little football lately, I feel like it would be illusion-destroying against myself. Nowadays, I prefer to run or try to keep myself fit in the gym. I try to pay attention to healthy eating, in addition, if I have some free time, my partner and I will go travel a bit. When I run 5-6 kilometres, things get a little clearer, but at the same time I come up with a lot of new ideas, but if I want to be honest, I still play football (laughter).

Which team(s) do you watch? Whether for personal sympathy or professional development?

I’ve never been there especially for a big team. As a child, I liked Ujpest because of Andras Torocsik, he was my big favourite. If I have to choose from foreign teams, I would call myself a Real Madrid fan, partly because I had a very good relationship with Ferenc Puskas, and partly, while Ronaldo was playing there, I sympathised with him. But at the same time, because of Brazil’s Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, I also watched Barcelona. These players really confirm what football is all about, they did fun things on the pitch that were fantastic to watch. It also shows that I preferred to always follow a particular team for one player at a time. I love watching Liverpool’s matches because the game that Jürgen Klopp operates is very close to me. I’ve also tried to profit from Guardiola’s football organisation, and maybe I’ve already benefited to some degree from my teams already. Obviously, these things work in a certain medium, with specific players, but you can still find solutions, which I then try to transfer to the conditions here.

You have already mentioned Ferenc Puskas, who have had the greatest influence on you? 

He was, but there were a few more. I played in the Honved side when he returned home to Hungary in the early 1990s. He visited our matches many times, and he was national team manager in four matches I played in, I talked to him a lot, as I said, we had a very good relationship. But outside of that, I was lucky enough to work with a lot of great coaches. Jozsef Garami, Gyorgy Mezey, Jozsef Verebes or Luis Fernández abroad was one of the great professionals who made a deep impression on me. Players and coaches also shaped my style and personality, but I didn’t want to imitate or copy anyone, I always worked to have my own style, which can be said to be that of Gabor Marton. Who knows, maybe I’ve managed to achieve this on some level as a player, and now I’m trying to accomplish that as a coach as well. However, if I had to name a role model, I would say my father. Although he did not play at the highest level, he would have had the opportunity. I learned a lot from him, he was an excellent player.

Do you have any habits, maybe superstitions before or after a match?

Everyone has certain habits, but that doesn’t mean I’m superstitious. I believe in the feedback we get from players after a workout or a match. This includes doing your workouts in a good mood, enjoying what the guys are doing, and doing more demanding tasks in that spirit. What works in practice should come out in matches as well. I believe that the work done will have results.

You’ve been managing Vidi for four months now, how do you feel at the club?

From the first minute, when the target floated before my eyes, I have been working with my colleagues to make Vidi the most successful team possible. I got a new impetus as the head coach of Vidi, I can lead one, if not the best team in Hungary. This is a very honourable task, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. From the first moment, it felt like the team and the players. I’m aware that it’s my responsibility if we play badly and lose, but I hope it won’t, or at least hasn't happened lately. The harder task is on the players as they have to show on the pitch everything they practice in training. Maybe it is a little harder than expected, but I think we’re evolving. That is why I would not be satisfied if the OTP Bank League table did not have our name at the top at Christmas. Of course, I also know that it is only a partial result and in the long run it only matters what position the team occupies in the final week.

In conclusion, please finish the sentence that begins: "Gabor Marton is the man who…”

He who is never satisfied, who is outspoken (though he constantly tries to keep it under control) and who undertakes himself with all his positive and negative qualities. You can only move forward if you always want more and more, because football is like that. It is constantly evolving, which is why anyone who works in this field, be it a coach or a player, also needs continuous development. And one more important thought to the end: the importance of the fans, since without them there is no football. I know they love Vidi very much, I ask them to persevere even if the team is going to have a weaker period because together we are really strong, together it is much easier to go down the road.