Hungary manager Marco Rossi has backtracked on comments made to Arne Slot regarding Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez‘s playing time.
Earlier this week, Rossi reacted angrily to Slot calling for Szoboszlai and Kerkez to be used sparingly during the international break, saying:
“I have never spoken to Arne Slot personally. Accordingly, I have never had a say in when the Liverpool head coach, for example, plays Dominik Szoboszlai as a defender.
“However, I would also expect him not to interfere in my work either. If Dominik wants to rest, of course I would let him, but everyone knows how important the national team jersey is to him as a team captain.
“What is important for us now is to end these two matches with a good result.”
But now, speaking to Nemzeti Sport, Rossi has played down any talk of a rift with Slot, praising Liverpool’s head coach.
“I read nonsense in the press,” Rossi said.
“You can’t imagine that I would be so arrogant, conceited and stupid as to compare myself to a coach who manages a team in the Premier League.
“I am not comparable to the Liverpool manager, I had no intention of doing so.
“Arne Slot said that he hoped that his players would not play two matches. I saved Dominik Szoboszlai ten minutes and Milos Kerkez twenty minutes.
BRIGHTON & HOVE, ENGLAND - Saturday, March 21, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot reacts during the FA Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Liverpool FC at the AMEX Community Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“Slot is a coach of a top club. He deserves maximum respect. I am nobody.
“But since I am the national team captain of the Hungarian national team, I think the Hungarian national team deserves respect too, at least because of its past.
“There is no dispute between us.”
Quite whether Rossi’s comments were misconstrued in the first place is up for debate, but a headache that Slot could have done without appears to have gone away.
That said, the Dutchman won’t necessarily be too pleased about how much Szoboszlai and Kerkez played over the weekend.
Szoboszlai was only replaced after 87 minutes in Hungary’s 1-0 win at home to Slovenia on Saturday, while Kerkez was on the pitch for 77 minutes. So not exactly rested!
Slot will now be hoping for a different story for Tuesday’s friendly clash with Greece, which comes four days prior to Liverpool’s trip to Man City in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Both Szoboszlai and Kerkez will likely start at the Etihad, so having them well-rested will only aid the Reds’ chances of reaching the semis.