Several players of DVSC are currently struggling with minor injuries. On Thursday’s training, Márk Szécsi and Dusan Lagator accidentally collided with their heads and both had to have their wounds stitched up. They are feeling better now, but will have to miss a few training sessions. Botond Vajda and Arandjel Stojkovic are also missing because of some minor problems, but hopefully, they can join the team next week.
Bence Batik, who delievered an outstanding performance during the 3-1 victory against ZTE, suffered a plantar fascia injury in one of the training sessions. His recovery is expected to take a few weeks. Erik Kusnyir and Thor Úlfarsson are still doing the rehabilitation.
DVSC introduced the new head coach Csaba Máté during a press conference on Tuesday. His contract is valid until the end of season 2025/2026 with an option of a one-year prolongation.
The 54-year-old professional, who was born in Szekszárd, played in teams, such as Tatabánya and the Belgian KV Kortrijk. He started his coaching career in Szekszárd. From 2008 to 2010, he was an assistant coach next to Erwin Koeman at the national team, then worked for Haladás and Paks, also as a caretaker manager in the latter one. From 2012 to 2023, he was a staff member at Ferencváros and worked together with coaches like Ricardo Moniz, Thomas Doll, Peter Stöger and Stanislav Cherchesov. He has been appointed as a head coach on an interim basis several times and last year, he led the team to the group stage of the Conference League.
Roland Máté, who had been working earlier with youth teams at Ferencváros, is going to be a member of Csaba Máté’s staff, together with the legendary former player of DVSC, László Éger, who became champion with Loki in 2005 and 2006.
At the press conference, Balázs Makray, the managing director of DVSC Futball Zrt., emphasized that all decisions are made in accordance with the interests of the club. That’s how it happened this time as well.
“The last 2 years are considered to be a successful period in the life of DVSC. Based on the points earned, Srdjan Blagojevic was one of the most successful foreign coaches in the club’s history, and we thank him for everything. However, in recent times, we could feel that we were not moving forward and felt a need for change on the bench. We believe that it is time for the team to have a Hungarian coach again, someone, who is also experienced on the international stage. Csaba Máté was the first on our list and we were glad that he accepted our offer. We believe that he is an excellent choice, who aligns with our goals,” said Balázs Makray.
Csaba Máté mentioned that events unfolded quite quickly, and at the time of being approached by DVSC, he had an offer from abroad as well, but he is glad that an agreement was reached with Loki.
“It is an honour to work in Debrecen, a city with a team that has won multiple championships, a true stronghold of football. I understand the importance of featuring homegrown players, but results are also crucial. Debrecen is a place with strong local pride, and we arrived here bearing this in mind, along with my staff, including the Debrecen legend László Éger and my son, Roland Máté, who has been working with the youth teams at FTC for a long time. Tibor Dombi and János Balogh will ceirtanly remain with the staff, ensuring continuity. I hope that we will be successful,” stated Csaba Máté.
Bence Batik, who had been missing because of an injury, played his first game in the colours of DVSC. The summer signing of Loki was among the starting XI against Zalaegerszeg and contributed to the 3-1 victory of the team with his great play.
“The previous week was the first week, when I could fully train with the team, so it was questionable whether I will play or not. After all, I got an opportunity to be among the starting XI and I’m very glad to have made my debut in DVSC in such a match,” said Bence Batik, who was out for almost two and a half months.
“I felt bad because I couldn’t help my teammates, but I tried to support them both mentally and physically. Obviously, it feels completely different to put on my boots and go onto the pitch as a member of the starting line-up, so I’m really happy that my career in Debrecen started with a victory. In spite of the early goal, we dominated and had more chances. The opponent’s goalkeeper performed several feats, for example, when he saved my header or Szecska’s shot . I’m proud of the team because during the whole 90 minutes, everybody could feel what we want to achieve. It was a memorable moment, when Tibi Dombi sent a message saying that he threw me in at the deep end. How did I react? Thank you Tibi, fortunately, I can swim,” ended Batik with a smile.
After the successful Match Day Festival and family day, DVSC played a special game against Zalaegerszeg at Nagyerdei Stadium. Srdjan Blagojevic has already left the club, while the new coach, Csaba Máté hasn’t been on the bench yet, so Tibor Dombi and his staff led the team. Although many players suffered from injuries, everyone was part of the squad, except Erik Kusnyir and Thor Úlfarsson, who were still doing the rehabilitation. Eight Hungarian players were among the starting XI, including Bence Batik, who debuted in Loki, Soma Szuhodovszki, Márk Szécsi and Donát Bárány, who had recovered from his injury.
The match was preceded by festive moments. Fifteen years ago, DVSC won the Hungarian Cup, the first big trophy in the life of the club. In 1999, Loki won 2-1 against Tatabánya in the cup final, which took place in Vác. There were 12,000 fans on site, most of them Debrecen supporters, who created an incredible atmosphere. The heroes of Loki from 25 years ago were honoured by our club management before the match. On behalf of the team, the legendary players of Loki, the multiple-champion and cup winner Zoltán Böőr, and Zsolt Vadicska, who scored the winning goal in the cup final, took the kick-off. Meldin Dreskovic, our Montenegrin defender, was also greeted at the beginning of the match on the occasion of his 50th appearance in the colours of DVSC.
At the beginning of the match, DVSC quickly took control of the game. In the 2nd minute, the goalkeeper of ZTE saved Arandjel Stojkovic’s shot. However, in the 5th minute, ZTE took the lead: after a headed pass, Dénes shot the ball under the crossbar from the edge of the goal area (0-1). In the 13th minute, Dénes had one more dangerous situation, but he headed just wide off the goal. It was followed by several home attacks, but no bigger chances were created.
After the water break, Loki still dominated. In the 29th minute, after Balázs Dzsudzsák’s shot, the goalkeeper could only punch the ball away, but our team could not convert the rebound. In the 37th minute, Gundel-Takács made a brilliant save to deny the header of Bence Batik, then in the 39th minute, he performed another feat and saved Márk Szécsi’s powerful shot. The score stayed 0-1 until half-time.
At the beginning of the second half, our team maintained its dominance, while ZTE scored an offside goal. In the 50th minute, Dusan Lagator hit the crossbar from long-range. The equalizer came in the 54th minute: Donát Bárány was fouled within the box and Balázs Dzsudzsák converted the justifiable penalty (1-1).
In the 56th minute, Tamás Szűcs shot just wide off the goal and Loki led several attacks. Finally, we took the lead! In the 65th minute, Balázs Dzsudzsák gave a nice pass to János Ferenczi, who scored a goal from 7 meters (2-1).
DVSC could have scored several goals during the final minutes. After all, Loki scored one more: after another great pass of Balázs Dzsudzsák, Brandon Domingues, who came on as a substitute, dribbled out everyone and used the clear-cut chance. Thus, the match ended with a beautiful and memorable victory for Loki. The next match will be a cup game next week in Békéscsaba.
Reactions of the coaches
Tibor Dombi: We didn’t play bad in the first half, maybe we were a bit too excited. The goal that we conceded was against the run of play, but we equalized after the break. Our opponent broke and we did a comeback. I was expecting a dynamic play, which I got, so we did everything.
Gábor Márton: Congratulations to Debrecen on the victory.
OTP Bank Liga, round 6.
DVSC-ZTE 3-1 (0-1).
Nagyerdei Stadium, 5072 spectators. Referee: Rúsz M.
From September 1, Csaba Máté is going to be the head coach of DVSC. The 54-year-old professional, who was born in Szekszárd, played in teams, such as Tatabánya and the Belgian KV Kortrijk. He started his coaching career in Szekszárd. From 2008 to 2010, he was an assistant coach next to Erwin Koeman at the national team, then worked for Haladás and Paks, also as a caretaker manager in the latter one. From 2012 to 2023, he was a staff member at Ferencváros and worked together with coaches like Ricardo Moniz, Thomas Doll, Peter Stöger and Stanislav Cherchesov.
He has been appointed as a head coach on an interim basis several times and last year led the team to the group stage of the Conference League.
The new head coach of DVSC will be introduced during a press conference at the beginning of next week.
DVSC will host Zalaegerszeg at Nagyerdei Stadium, starting from 17.45 on Saturday. Tibor Dombi will lead the team in this match, so he gave an interview as the caretaker manager of Loki.
– The most important thing is to win on Saturday. After a managerial change, this is the best medication. We’ve been trying to shake up the guys up with fewer restrictions this week. We’ve had one-on-one conversations with several players, focusing on encouraging them to enjoy the game. I told them that they’re living the best time of their lives as long as they are actively playing, so they have to appreciate it every day. Two years ago, I already had to take charge of the team as the caretaker manager. Then, we won 1-0 against Fehérvár and now I would be again satisfied with such a result – said Tibor Dombi.
The Hungarian U21 national team will play an international preparation match and one European Championship qualifier at the beginning of September. The outstanding player of DVSC, Botond Vajda received a call-up to the national team as well as the talented Tamás Szűcs, who will be a backup player.
International preparation match 5 September 2024, 17:45 Hungary – Slovakia Új Hidegkuti Nándor Stadium
UEFA European Championship qualifier 10 September 2024, 17:45 Hungary-Spain Széktói Stadium, Kecskemét
As it is known, there was a managerial change in the football club of DVSC at the beginning of this week. After Srdjan Blagojevic’s departure, Tibor Dombi is going to lead the team during the match against ZTE. Our captain Balázs Dzsudzsák talked about the recent period.
“Unfortunately, we went through an eventful week. There is no good time for a managerial change, but after a basically good start of the season, our performance against Újpest culminated in something that cannot be accepted neither by the team nor the fans. Immediately after the final whistle, we had a straightforward conversation with the ultras, who asked for nothing more than a Debrecen that fights tooth and nail and does everything for success,” said Balázs Dzsudzsák, who also addressed the news that appeared in the press.
“Usually, both parties are to blame in case of a managerial change, so it was not the decision of Balázs Dzsudzsák. I don’t owe an explanation, but we are talking about a more than 120-year-old club, which deserves respect. Probably, this article was written by someone, who has never been to a Loki match and just wanted to kick the team that is already down. We have a serious club management that understands the weight of a such a decision. I could say somewhat cynically that I appreciate it that someone thinks I’m the one who decides about the coach, but it’s obviously not the case. I feel like I have done much more for Loki than to deserve such attacks. For nearly 14 years, almost always as a captain, I’ve always been trying to help all of the coaches for the sake of the team’s performance and success. The club also deserves respect and no one should start an avalanche like this.”
Finally, Balázs Dzsudzsák added that mentally the team is getting better from day to day.
“During the past two years, we’ve been practicing tactical elements that are hard to change now. Neither the players nor Tibi Dombi is in an easy situation, but I can feel that everyone wants to put aside our failure against Újpest. It has been mentioned a lot of times that our dressing room is strong and sticks together, so now we have to move a step forward and hold together even more. We are the only ones, who can solve this. We are working to ensure that the fans see a team on Saturday that gives it their all, fighting with complete humility and heart.”
The U19 national team of Hungary will play in a prestigious Serbian tournament, the Stevan Vilotic cup between September 2 and 10.
Two talented players of DVSC, namely Csaba Hornyák, who had already made his debut in the first division, and the goalkeeper Márk Engedi received a call-up to the national team.
A torna programja.
September 5, 2024 16:30 Serbia-Hungary Subotica, Serbia
September 7, 2024 16:30 Portugal-Hungary Zenta, Serbia
September 10, 2024 15:00 Hungary-Montenegro Backa Topola, Serbia
I’m extremely honoured to have had the opportunity to be part of the history of such a great club as DVSC. During the past two years, I have enjoyed every day that I spent in Debrecen, while being surrounded by great people. I am very proud of our common work with the players and the coaching staff and proud of what we have achieved since we have been here. We have come a long way since the arrival of this coaching staff. We reached distances, which may have seemed not achievable at the beginning. Loki has returned to the top of Hungarian football and I’m sure that the team will be at the top this year as well. Moreover, in some point in the future, the club can reach the heights at which it stood 15 years ago. They have a foundation for that: great players, fans and management. I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and attitude towards me and my coaching staff. I’m grateful to every member of the staff and all the people working in the club as we have had some unforgettable moments together. Thanks to the club management for the opportunity to be part of the history of DVSC. I hope that with my work, attitude and behaviour, I have justified for their trust and contributed to raising the club to a higher level in a difficult period. Perhaps, certain time has to pass in order to see things more clearly and objectively. Thanks to the fans for supporting the team in the good and bad moments as well. Thanks to everyone, who supported us in this journey and recognized the effort and passion that we’ve put in our work. Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to the players, with whom we grew together, had a lot of joy and enjoyed every step on the way. I’m extremely proud of our work together! Thanks to the city of Debrecen for a pleasant life, which I will always remember. Hajrá, Loki!
DVSC terminated the contract of Srdjan Blagojevic by mutual consent. The 51-year-old coach and his staff members, including Dejan Fijala, Sasa Semeredi and Nikola Stankovic, took over Loki nearly two years ago, in September 2022. They led the team, which had been previously winless, until the podium, finishing in third place by the end of the season and securing a spot on the international stage. In season 2023/24, Loki maintained its position at the top of the table and finished in the fifth place.
During the Blagojevic era, DVSC achieved several remarkable results, including its first-ever victory at Groupama Arena, the home of Ferencváros as well as winning away against Újpest after a decade. Due to these achievements, Srdjan Blagojevic received the award for the best foreign coach working in Hungary on the Hungarian Golden Ball award ceremony in February.
We would like to thank Srdjan Blagojevic and his staff for their services to the club. We will never forget what they have done for our team. We wish them good luck in their future career!
On Saturday’s match against ZTE and during this week’s training sessions, Tibor Dombi will lead the team. He will be assisted in training by János Balogh, Zsolt Pallai and Csaba Madar, with professional support from András Herczeg and Bence Gulácsi.
On Friday evening, DVSC played at the home of Újpest, which has been thoroughly strengthened. Donát Bárány was out of the squad because of a minor injury, while Erik Kusnyir, Thor Úlfarsson and Neven Djurasek were still returning from their injuries. Jorgo Pellumbi could not play because of suspension, however, János Ferenczi was back on track. Among the starting XI were Victor Braga and Zhirayr Shaghoyan.
The match started with the attacks of Újpest, but Loki successfully fended them off, and for nearly a quarter of an hour, neither side created any chances. In the 14th minutes, Brodic shot from 18 meters, but he missed the target. In the 18th minute, Balázs Dzsudzsák’s shot was blocked by the defenders of the home team. Újpest took the lead in the 20th minute: after a corner-kick variation, Bese, who was unattended, easily headed the ball into the goal from 5 meters (1-0).
Unfortunately, in the 29th minute, Újpest scored a second goal: following a quick attack, Ljujic shot from close-range after Mucsányi’s cross (2-0). Our team, which made many mistakes, found itself in a difficult situation and couldn’t improve the score by half-time, although in the 34th minute, Balázs Dzsudzsák nearly scored with a header.
The second half started with Ferenczi’s shot, but it narrowly missed the goal. DVSC tried to be in superiority, but had to be cautious with the counter-attacks of the home team. However, in the 51st minute, Újpest was awarded a penalty as Victor Braga kicked Bese within the box. Brodic converted the penalty (3-0).
The three points seemed to be decided at this point, while Botond Vajda and Soma Szuhodovszki came onto the field, followed later by Márk Szécsi and Dominik Kocsis. Our team pushed for a consolation goal, but almost nothing went our way that evening. Both Brandon Domingues and Botond Vajda shot over the bar from promising positions, while Yacouba Silue and Meldin Dreskovic couldn’t aim accurately enough with their headers.
The score didn’t change in the final minutes, so our team suffered a defeat in the capital. The next match will be on Saturday against ZTE in Debrecen.
Reactions of the managers
Bartosz Grzelak: The first half was fantastic, I’m really satisfied with our performance, the mentality was great. In the second half, the match became a bit slower, but we still had our chances.
Srdjan Blagojevic: Újpest overplayed us in all aspects of the game. I will take the responsibility and I have to congratulate the home team on the victory. We have to analyse this game.
