Hungary boss Marco Rossi started both Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez in his side's friendly win over Slovenia
Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez in training prior to Hungary's friendly against Slovenia
Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez in training prior to Hungary's friendly against Slovenia(Image: Boglarka Bodnar/EPA/Shutterstock)
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Hungary boss Marco Rossi has played down talk of a rift with Liverpool head coach Arne Slot after Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez featured for the majority of Saturday's friendly win over Slovenia.
Slot had pleaded with international bosses to rest his Reds stars where possible during the current international break, with Szoboszlai and Kerkez two of his most important players.
Speaking after last weekend's defeat to Brighton, the Reds boss said: “Let’s hope that their national team coaches do understand that at Liverpool, a lot of players have played a lot of minutes.”
When those comments had been put to Rossi prior to his side's friendly matches against Slovenia and Greece, the Hungary boss told Slot not to "interfere" with his plans.
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“I have never spoken to Arne Slot personally,” he said. “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."
Those comments had been interpreted by some as a dig at the Reds boss, but after Saturday's 1-0 win over Slovenia in Budapest, in which Kerkez played for 76 minutes and Szoboszlai 87, Rossi hit back at claims that he was starting a feud with Slot.
"I've read nonsense in the press. 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," said Rossi after his side, who haven't qualified for this summer's World Cup, won courtesy of substitute Szabolcs Schon's late strike.
"I am not comparable to the Liverpool manager, I had no intention of that happening at all.
"Arne Slot said he hoped his players wouldn't play two games. I saved Dominik Szoboszlai ten minutes and Milos Kerkez twenty.
"Slot is a coach of a top club. He deserves maximum respect. I am nobody. But since I am the head coach of the Hungarian national team, I think the Hungarian national team also deserves respect, at least because of its past. There is no dispute between us."
Among Liverpool's other internationals in action on Saturday, Alexis Mac Allister played for 76 minute of Argentina's 2-1 win over Mauritania in Buenos Aires and Andy Robertson featured for 70 minutes of Scotland's 1-0 defeat to Japan at Hampden Park.