'We don't need such a person' - Hungary boss hits out after Szmodics inquiry rejected
Hungary boss Marco Rossi insists his team doesn’t need Sammie Szmodics for the Euro finals after expressing his dismay about how his approach to the Championship’s top scorer became public.
As revealed by the Irish Examiner in January, the Blackburn Rovers attacking midfielder, who was in the Irish squad under Stephen Kenny without being capped, was sounded out about his interest in declaring for the Magyars.
The country he’s eligible for through his grandfather are grouped with Scotland, Switzerland and hosts Germany at the summer extravaganza in June and Rossi was interested in enlisting the free-scoring talent to complement Liverpool playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai.
Szmodics has hauled 27 goals for a struggling Blackburn side so far this term and Ireland’s interim boss John O’Shea saw one of them against Millwall last week, managing to have a chat with the player this week linked with a £15m summer move to Brentford.
O’Shea will be in Dublin on Thursday to name the squad for the upcoming home friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland on March 23 and 26.
Judging by Rossi’s cutting remarks on Szmodics, their dealings only helped, rather than hindered, his place in the Ireland set-up being solidified under the new permanent boss the FAI intend on revealing in early April.
Rossi succeeded in enticing former Germany U21 defender Márton Dárdai into his camp for the first time but dealt with the question of Szmodics’ availability when naming his squad for the friendlies against Turkey and Kosovo next week.
“In Szmodics's case, it was very unpleasant to know who could tell the Irish media about his invitation, after I inquired with him about whether he would be included in the Hungarian national team,” he said.
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