Dusan Lagator is leaving DVSC and will continue his career at the Indian Kerala Blasters FC for a transfer fee. The 30-year-old Montenegrin defensive midfielder arrived in Debrecen in the summer of 2022 and quickly became a regular player of Loki. He was a real warrior, who fought for the team until the very end and could always be counted on. He scored a memorable goal in 2023 during the 2-0 win against Újpest, which secured the bronze medal for the team.
All in all, Dusan Lagator played in 68 matches in NB I in the colours of Loki, scoring 2 goals and giving 3 assists. We would like to thank Dusan for everything he did for the team and wish him good luck!

DVSC signed Krisztián Hegyi on loan until June 30. The 196 cm tall, 22-year-old goalkeeper has saved the goal of the Hungarian U21 national team 25 times. Since 2019, he has been a player of West Ham United, having moved to London from the youth academy of Haladás. The promising goalkeeper has spent the recent years on loan at the English third-division Stevenage and the Dutch second-division Den Bosch. He has spent the last few months at the Scottish first-division Motherwell.

Krisztián Hegyi was a member of the Hungarian national team that competed in 2019 in the U17 European Championship and U17 World Cup. In 2023, he was called up to the senior national team by head coach Marco Rossi. He is considered to be one of the greatest talents of his generation. Welcome to Loki!

“I’ve been through a tough period, possibly the hardest six months of my career so far, which didn’t go according to my plans at all. After a series of illnesses, I had to undergo an unplanned and complicated tonsil surgery, which thankfully brought an end to a long mysery. Over the past half year, I’ve had meaningful matches only with the national team, however, the U21 national team matches against Spain and Belgium went very well. In fact, the Belgium match might have been my best performance ever in the goal, which gave me a bit of confidence. I was determined to make a move during the winter break, but finding a club for a loan was challenging. West Ham insisted that any club taking me on loan could not have a purchase option and a few clubs were willing to accept that condition. I’m grateful to Debrecen for seeing potential in me despite these terms and allowing me to spend this half year here. I know that the team is in a difficult situation. Obviously, I’ve been following the Hungarian championship and I’ve also played with some of the guys in the U21 national team, so I’m familiar with the case. We’ve found common ground: just as these last six months were not the best for me, it hasn’t been an easy time for Loki either. Everyone wants to improve, so we share the same motivation and goals. I don’t want to make big promises or use grand words, but everyone can rest assured that if I get the chance, I’ll step into the goal with a burning desire to prove myself. I have a lot to make up for, as the past half year didn’t go as planned. My focus is on ensuring that the coming months are about success, so that when we look back, both the club and I can be proud of this collaboration.
I’m also grateful to West Ham. Their long-term contract and unwavering trust mean a lot to me, as does their flexibility. They didn’t insist on the typical lower-league loan in England, but instead supported me in spending this half year at a European first-division club” – said Krisztián Hegyi.

DVSC signed the Austrian Maximilian Hofmann. The 31-year-old, former U21 centre-back arrived in Debrecen from Rapid Wien. He may be familiar to our fans as he has already played at Nagyerdei Stadium during the second leg of the Conference League qualifier against Rapid.

Maximilian Hofmann was born in Vienna, where he was raised at the academy of Rapid Wien. In this season, he played in 16 matches in the Austrian Bundesliga, the Conference League, the Europa League qualifier as well as the Austrian Cup. Over the course of his senior career, he has made 191 appearances for Rapid in the Austrian first division. His experience is highlighted by the fact that he has played in 23 matches in the Europa League group stage, scoring 3 goals in those games.

Thus, an excellent player has joined our team. Welcome to Loki!

Zhirayr Shaghoyan is leaving DVSC by mutual agreement with the club. The 23-year-old Armenian winger arrived in Debrecen last summer on loan and played in 11 matches in the colours of Loki. We wish him good luck in his future career!

Victor Braga is leaving DVSC by mutual agreement with the club. The 23-year-old Brazilian midfielder arrived in Debrecen in the summer of 2024. Since then, he played in 11 matches in the ranks of Loki. We wish him good luck in his future career!

DVSC signed the Bulgarian Kristiyan Malinov. The 30-year-old 30-time capped defensive midfielder was raised at Litex Lovech, then signed for CSKA Sofia. All in all, he played in 116 matches in the Bulgarian first division, during which he scored 7 goals and gave 13 assists.

In 2020, he joined a Belgian first division team, Leuven. Last year, he transferred to Kortrijk, another team competing in the Jupiter League. He has made 84 appearances in the high-level Belgian league, scoring 2 goals. He is capable of outstanding work in the midfield, and our head coach knows him well, having previously coached him at CSKA Sofia. Welcome to Loki!

Loki played away against their direct rival Zalaegerszeg in the last championship game of this year. Our team was missing Erik Kusnyir, who was on rehabilitation after his surgery, Bence Batik, Neven Djurasek, Thor Úlfarsson and Yacouba Silue, as well as Gergő Kocsis, who was struggling with an injury and Brandon Domingues, who was suspended for one match due to a red card in the game against Újpest. Among the starting XI was Dominik Kocsis.

DVSC started the match offensively and well, our team had several corners and after one of them, Dusan Lagator shot just wide off the goal. Loki’s superiority was obvious and in the 10^th minute, Márk Szécsi unleashed a powerful shot from 16 meters, but it went over the goal. Gundel-Takács saved Tamás Szűcs’ attempt as well as Balázs Dzsudzsák’s shot in the 17^th minute.

Even though our team played well, ZTE took the lead in the 22^nd minute: Mim curled the ball into the far corner from the right side at a sharp angle, approximately 16 meters out (1-0). The game continued at a quick pace, with both teams creating chances. In the 29^th minute, János Ferenczi’s shot was brilliantly tipped away for a corner by the goalkeeper of ZTE. No more goals were scored until the break and Loki went on halftime with a disadvantage.

At the beginning of the second half, Loki was dominating and had some attempts, but could not create bigger chances. In the 57^th minute, Jorgo Pellumbi had to be substituted due to an injury and Arandjel Stojkovic came on. In the 63^rd minute, Gundel-Takács made a brilliant save to deny Balázs Dzsudzsák’s free-kick. However, we managed to equalize after a corner as Meldin Dreskovic headed the ball into the right side of the goal from 8 meters (1-1).

During the last 30 minutes, the fight became sharper and both teams had chances. In the 79^th minute, the referee sent off Dusan Lagator with a second yellow card. Victor Braga and Zhirayr Shaghoyan came off the bench for the final minutes. In the 81^st minute, Várkonyi headed home from 5 meters, following a free-kick (2-1).

Playing with one man down in the endgame, our team could not secure a point. The next championship game will be in February.

According to the coach

Gábor Márton: Congratulations to my team, we played well and could have killed the game earlier. I can say only positive things about the guys.

Nestor El Maestro: We did not deserve to lose this match, and thus, we appeared to be in a very difficult situation. I hope that we will improve and fight to avoid relegation.

OTP Bank Liga, round 17.

ZTE-DVSC 2-1 (1-0).

Zalaegerszeg, 1623 spectators. Referee: Antal P.

ZTE: Gundel-Takács – Várkonyi, Nyíri, Evangelou, Medgyes – Ipalibo (Sajbán, 80.), Kiss B. (Bakti, 80.), Sankovic – Dénes (Németh, 89.), Croizet, Mim (Vogyicska, 92.). Head coach:Gábor Márton.

DVSC: Megyeri – Szécsi, Dreskovic, Pellumbi (Stojkovic, 57.), Ferenczi – Kocsis D. (Shaghoyan, 80.), Lagator, Szűcs T. (Victor Braga, 80.) Szuhodovszki (Shedrach, 88.) – Dzsudzsák, Bárány. Head coach: Nestor El Maestro.

Goal: Mim (22.), Várkonyi (81.) as well as Dreskovic (63.).

Yellow card: Mim (24.), Bakti (83.) as well as Lagator (27., 79.), Dzsudzsák (63.), Szécsi (85.), Shedrach (93.), Megyeri (94.).

Dismissal: Lagator (79.).

After the 5-4 victory against Ferencváros on Thursday, DVSC hosted Újpest at Nagyerdei Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Nestor El Maestro head coach could not count on Erik Kusnyir, who is on rehabilitation after his surgery, as well as Bence Batik, Neven Djurasek, Thor Úlfarsson, Yacouba Silue, Botond Vajda and Gergő Kocsis due to injury and Soma Szuhodovszki, who has been suspended because of his yellow cards. Among the starting XI was Donát Bárány in a special mask as he suffered a zygomatic fracture against Ferencváros. On behalf of the club, our players greeted the 30-year-old SZUD (Szívtiprók Ultras Debrecen), one of the main fan groups of DVSC, which celebrated its birthday with spectacular choreography during the match.

In the 2^nd minute of the match, Balázs Megyeri saved Tajti’s free kick, and in the meantime, Loki was more active at the beginning of the game. Overall, the play was even, however, in the 13^th minute, Újpest took the lead: after an individual action, Brodic shot the ball into the bottom right corner from 20 meters (0-1). Our team had to continue from a disadvantage, which seemed to be a difficult task. In the 25^th minute, Donát Bárány headed just over the goal and until the break, our team could not equalize.

Dominik Kocsis came on for the second half instead of Victor Braga and DVSC tried everything to equalize. In the 51^st minute, Márk Szécsi shot wide off the goal and our team was dominating. Then came the equalizer! In the 53^rd minute, Balázs Dzsudzsák made a great cross and Márk Szécsi shot the ball into the right side of the net from 17 meters (1-1).

In the 56^th minute, the goalkeeper of Újpest just managed to save Balázs Dzsudzsák’s powerful shot. Loki played very dynamically, but in the 57^th minute, the referee sent off Brandon Domingues because of a foul. Thus, Loki fought with one man down in the last 30 minutes and the players gave their all.

In the 67^th minute, Újpest took the lead again: Lacoux, who came off the bench, shot into the right corner of the goal from 14 meters (1-2). From this moment on, it was extremely hard for our team (in the meantime, Piscitelli had to be substituted after a collision, so Banai came on) as our opponent were leading with one man up.

During the endgame, we haven’t had a chance to equalize, so the match ended with a defeat for us. This year’s last game will be away against Zalaegerszeg on Saturday.

According to the coach

Nestor El Maestro: We started slowly and tired, but as the match progressed, we found our rhythm. I think that we did not deserve to lose this game. Unfortunately, we got the red card when we started to dominate. We tried everything even with one man down, but it was not enough.

Bartosz Grzelak: I’m glad for the victory, we delivered a reasonable performance, but we can do even better. We controlled the match, but we made a mistake at the beginning of the second half, which I didn’t like. We should have scored a third goal, but luckily, we won.

OTP Bank Liga, round 16.

DVSC-Újpest 1-2 (0-1).

Nagyerdei Stadium, 4332 spectators. Referee: Bogár G.

DVSC: Megyeri – Szécsi, Dreskovic, Pellumbi, Ferenczi – Lagator, Victor Braga (Kocsis D., 46.) – Szűcs T. (Shaghoyan, 89.), Dzsudzsák, Domingues – Bárány (Shedrach, 89.). Head coach: Nestor El Maestro.

Újpest: Piscitelli (Banai, 73.) – Fiola, Nunes, Duarte, Kobouri (Gergényi, 58.) – Tajti, Onovo (Lacoux, 58.) – Mucsányi, Brodic, Horváth K. – Dénes (Dékei, 64.). Head coach: Bartosz Grzelak.

Goal: Szécsi (53.) as well as Brodic (13.), Lacoux (67.).

Yellow card: Lagator (18.) as well as Nunes (32.), Onovo (37.), Gergényi (60.), Brodic (74.).

Dismissal: Domingues (57.).

DVSC signed the 32-year-old Amos Youga, who is a citizen of France and Central Africa. The player has 26 caps in the national team of the Central African Republic. He has played in the youth teams of Lyon, then made his debut in the first team of Vannes. In 2014, he signed for Ajaccio and contributed to the team’s promotion to Ligue 1. Amos Youga played in 18 matches in the French first division, after which he proved himself in the ranks of Le Havre. Overall, he made 121 appearances in the French second division.

In 2020, he signed for the Bulgarian first division team, CSKA Sofia, in the ranks of which he was the captain and a regular player. In CSKA Sofia, he scored 6 goals and gave 18 assists in 147 matches, playing as a defensive midfielder. DVSC’s head coach, Nestor El Maestro, was his trainer in Bulgaria, so he knows how Youga can help the team with his experience and strength.

Amos Youga will join the team for the pre-season at the beginning of January.

Welcome to Loki!

On Thursday evening, the fifth of December, the teams made up for Loki-Fradi match, postponed from the first round of summer, in temperatures of around 0 degrees at Nagyerdei Stadium. Before the game, the title defender Ferencváros, who is also performing well in the Europa League, was the favourite, but our team also prepared a lot for the match. Nestor El Maestro head coach could not count on Erik Kusnyir, who had a surgery and now he is on rehabilitation, as well as Bence Batik, Neven Djurasek, Thor Úlfarsson, Yacouba Silue and Botond Vajda, who had a smaller injury. Among the starting XI were Márk Szécsi and Tamás Szűcs this time.

In the 2^nd minute of the match, Loki already took the lead! János Ferenczi passed to Donát Bárány, who skilfully turned past two defenders, drove the ball towards Dibusz and confidently converted the one-on-one opportunity (1-0). Then came the second goal!  In the 5^th minute, Dibusz could punch out János Ferenczi’s long-range shot, then Donát Bárány fired the rebound into the net, scoring his 6^th goal in the championship (2-0). Thus, Loki made a dream start!

In the following minutes, Loki pushed on, however, Ferencváros also pulled themselves together, so it was a good match. In the 12^th minute, Balázs Megyeri confidently saved Saldanha’s shot, then in the 17^th minute, our team scored a 3^rd goal. Brandon Domingues passed to Donát Bárány, who broke free from the defenders within the box and shot the ball into the bottom right corner, scoring a classic hat trick and taking the lead on the list of top scorers as well (3-0).

After 25 minutes, Loki had to make a substitution. Due to injury, Jorgo Pellumbi came off the bench instead of Gergő Kocsis. Our team played great football with great will, but in the 28^th minute, the ball bounced on Pellumbi’s hand inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty.  Barnabás Varga converted the penalty (3-1). However, another turning point came soon. In the 32^nd minute, Szalai fouled Bárány in the midfield, for which he received his second yellow card and a red card. Thus, FTC had to continue with one man down. After the eventful thirty minutes, Ferencváros scored another goal: after a defensive blunder, Barnabás Varga had a clear-cut chance, which he did not miss (3-2). Before the break, Donát Bárány also had to be substituted, so Kaye Shedrach came on. Ferencváros managed to equalize before halftime: Saldanha’s close-range curl found its way into the goal (3-3).

At the beginning of the second half, DVSC scored again. In the 50^th minute, Balázs Dzsudzsák made a great left-sided cross and Brandon Domingues made a beautiful header into the left side of the goal from 5 meters (4-3). Moreover, the show went on! In the 59^th minute, Brandon Domingues fired a shot at the goal from 21 meters, the ball slightly deflected, but it went into the left side of the net (5-3). Loki played brilliantly!

During the last 30 minutes, our team was dominating and could have scored another goal, but after a corner, Ferencváros pulled one back in the 82^nd minute, due to Cisse (5-4). All in all, it was a fantastic, forever memorable and historic victory for our team against the title defender.

The next match will be on Sunday against Újpest at Nagyerdei Stadium.

According to the coach

Nestor El Maestro: I have never played such a game as a coach, it was a real emotional rollercoaster. We started brilliantly, so I have huge respect for my players. We also made a lot of mistakes after the good start, we conceded easy goals, but we showed our character and showed a great attacking flair after 3-3. I am very happy.

Pascal Jansen: It was a crazy match. It was one of our worst matches in this season and what happened in the first 20 minutes is incomprehensible. We could make a comeback, but at the beginning of the second, we conceded easy goals again. I have never experienced such a game during my coaching career and I don’t want to live through another one.

OTP Bank Liga, match postponed from round 1.

DVSC-FTC 5-4 (3-3).

Nagyerdei Stadium, 5011 spectators. Referee: Csonka B.

DVSC: Megyeri – Szécsi, Dreskovic, Kocsis G. (Pellumbi, 26.), Ferenczi – Lagator – Szűcs T., Szuhodovszki, Domingues (Victor Braga, 90.) – Dzsudzsák, Bárány (Shedrach, 45+2.). Head coach: Nestor El Maestro.

FTC: Dibusz – Makreckis, Cisse, Szalai, Ramirez (Ben Romdhan, 85.) – Maiga, Abu Fani (Gruber, 72.) – Saldanha (Zachariassen, 65.), Kady, Traore (Misidjan, 65.) – Varga B. (Pesic, 72.) Head coach: Pascal Jansen.

Goal: Bárány (2., 5., 17.), Domngues (50., 59.) as well as Varga B. (30., 42., the first one from penalty), Saldanha (45+2.), Cisse (82.).

Yellow card: Ferenczi (45+3.), Szuhodovszki (53.), Dreskovic (73.), Shedrach (87.) as well as Szalai (4., 32.), Varga B. (45.)., Kady (83.), Ben Romdhan, 86.).

Dismissal: Szalai (32.).

On Saturday afternoon, Loki played at the home of Diósgyőr, which has been performing well recently. Our head coach, Nestor El Maestro, could not count on Erik Kusnyir, Bence Batik, Neven Djurasek, Thor Úlfarsson and Yacouba Silue, who are injured and doing their rehabilitation. Among the starting eleven were Balázs Dzsudzsák and Soma Szuhodovszki.

At the very beginning of the match, Loki had more possession. In the 5^th minute, it seemed that Donát Bárány was fouled near the edge of the penalty area, but according to the referee and VAR, the defender of Diósgyőr got the ball first. Later, the home team was dominating, but the first chance came only in the 13^th minute, in front of the goal of Diósgyőr. Soma Szuhodovszki passed the ball to Arandjel Stojkovic, who shot wide off the goal from 10 meters.

At times, DVSC played well during this period. In the 18^th minute, Soma Szuhodovszki attempted a long-range shot, and his powerful strike narrowly missed the goal. However, in the 25^th minute, Diósgyőr took the lead. Acolatse broke through on the right wing, he crossed the ball and Klimovich fired it into the goal from six meters (1-0).

This goal was against the run of play, so that’s why it was so painful. Until the break, Loki tried to equalize, and after a great attack in the 30^th minute, Balázs Dzsudzsák shot wide off the goal with his right leg. In the 43^rd minute, the home team doubled their advantage: following a left-sided cross, Gera headed the ball into the right side of the goal from 9 meters (2-0). Thus, the teams went on a break with a significant advantage of Diósgyőr.

Tamás Szűcs and Márk Szécsi came on for the second half, so Loki tried to play more offensively. In the meantime, Balázs Megyeri had to save Edomwonyi’s one-on-one opportunity, while on the other side, the defenders blocked Dzsudzsák’s shot. In the 62^nd minute, Loki pulled one back: Balázs Dzsudzsák crossed the ball within the box and Brandon Domingues slotted it into the net from near the goal area (2-1).

DVSC led impulsive attacks in order to equalize, and in the 71^st minute, Gergő Kocsis shot wide off the goal. In the final minutes, the home goalkeeper saved Brandon Domingues’ shot then in the 84^th minute, the match was decided as Rakonjec headed home from close-range after a corner-kick (3-1).

The next match will be against FTC at Nagyerdei Stadium.

According to the coach

Vladimir Radenkovic: It was a tough match. Debrecen is a good team and they were fighting for their life. We had to show our quality, in which we succeeded.  

Nestor El Maestro: We were not the favourites in today’s game, but we came with high ambitions and prepared a lot for this match. Thus, we are disappointed to go home without any points.

OTP Bank Liga, round 15.

Diósgyőr-DVSC 3-1 (2-0).

DVTK Stadium, 5518 spectators. Referee: Pintér Cs.

Diósgyőr: Odincov – Gera, Szatmári, Lund, Bárdos – Varga Z. (Feuillassier, 60.), Klimovich (Komlósi, 80.), Vallejo, Huszár (Jurek, 60.) – Acolatse (Sáreczki, 86.), Edomwonyi (Rakonjac, 80.). Head coach: Vladimir Radenkovic.

DVSC: Megyeri – Stojkovic (Szécsi, 46.) , Dreskovic, Kocsis G., Pellumbi (Szűcs T., 46.), Ferenczi – Szuhodovszki (Shedrach, 80.), Lagator, Domingues – Dzsudzsák, Bárány. Head coach: Nestor El Maestro.

Goal: Klimovich (25.), Gera (43.), Rakonjac (84.) as well as Domingues (62.).

Yellow card: Gera (67.), Acolatse (70.), Rakonjac (85.) as well as Dreskovic (19.), Lagator (69.), Szuhodovszki (73.).

DVSC hosted Kecskemét on Sunday in a crucial match for closing the gap, which also marked the first official game for the new head coach, Nestor El Maestro, with Loki. The trainer could not count on many players due to injuries. Among them were Erik Kusnyir, Neven Djurasek, Bence Batik and Yacouba Silue, who had a surgery this week. The starting XI has changed compared to the previous period, including, for example, Zhirayr Shaghoyan in the starting line-up.

The match started with midfield play in a cold weather, and our team tried to play organized football. In the 12^th minute, the goalkeeper of Kecskemét saved the 18-meter curl of Tamás Szűcs, but in the 17^th minute, Loki took the lead. János Ferenczi passed the ball to Donát Bárány, who stood with his back to the goal inside the penalty area. Bárány made a nice turn past his defender and fired the ball into the net from about 7 meters out (1-0). It was Bárány’s third goal in a row, and overall, he scored his fourth goal in this season.

In the following minutes, Kecskemét tried to equalize, but in the 26^th minute, Balázs Megyeri made a brilliant save to deny Lukács’s shot. However, the guests could score in the 29^th minute: following one more attempt from Lukács, the ball bounced off the left post, and Pálinkás shot it into the net from close-range (1-1). After the equalizer, none of the teams took much risk, so they went on a break with a 1-1 score.

The play was balanced in the second haf as well, yet Kecskemét had more possession of the ball. In the 55^th minute, Lukács scored, which was slightly unexpected. He dribbled the ball through the edge of the penalty box and then from the right side, he fired it into the far corner of the goal from 14 meters (1-2). Thus, Kecskemét had an advantage and Loki started the last 30 minutes from a difficult position.

In the 60^th minute, Balázs Dzsudzsák and Soma Szuhodovszki came on (later Botond Vajda and Kaye Shedrach also came off the bench), so Loki tried to increase the pressure. In the 63^rd minute, Kersák saved the header of Meldin Dreskovic as well as Balázs Dzsudzsák’s shot from a free-kick.

At the beginning of the final minutes, our captain’s shot was blocked, but in the 80^th minute, the equalizer came! János Ferenczi made a left-sided cross and Soma Szuhodovszki headed the ball into the right side of the goal from around 10 meters (2-2). It was the first goal of Soma, who has transferred from Kecskemét, in the ranks of Loki. During the endgame, both teams had some attempts, but it stayed a draw.

The next match will be on Sunday in Diósgyőr.

According to the coach

Nestor el Maestro: We hoped to win the three points, but we could not succeed and maybe, we did not deserve it. A long and difficult season is in front of us. We will improve, but it will happen in 2-3 weeks. We will fight until the end.

Zoltán Gera: It would have been important to get three points, but in our current situation and the way the game was going, the draw is a bit disappointing. Overall, we played a good game and one point is realistic.

OTP Bank Liga, round 14.

DVSC-Kecskemét 2-2 (1-1).

Nagyerdei Stadium, 2612 spectators. Referee: Bognár T.

DVSC: Megyeri – Stojkovic (Vajda, 73.), Dreskovic (Shedrach, 83.), Kocsis G., Pellumbi, Ferenczi – Szűcs T. (Dzsudzsák, 60.), Lagator, Domngues – Shaghoyan (Szuhodovszki, 60.), Bárány. Head coach: Nestor El Maestro.

Kecskemét: Kersák – Nagy K. (Berki, 81.), Szabó A. (Riaskó, 81.), Belényesi, Katona L., Zeke – Lukács, Bocskay, Nikitscher, Kovács B. (Meskhi, 73.) – Pálinkás. Head coach: Zoltán Gera.

Goal: Bárány (17.), Szuhodovszki (80.) as well as Pálinkás (29.), Lukács (55.).

Yellow card: Szűcs T. (14.), illetve Belényesi (3.), Kovács B. (51.), Nikitscher (90.), Berki (91.), Bocskay (92.), Lukács (93.).