Roland Sallai: Always hit within the posts

– As we approach the middle of July, do you think more about the European Championship or next season?
– Until the final whistle on Sunday night, I would've said the European Championship. However, since I have to start training in Freiburg on Thursday, I'm thinking more about next season – Roland Sallai (24), attacker for Freiburg and 25-time Hungarian national team player, told our newspaper. – The team started preparations on July 5, but I got some extra rest because of the tournament. I join my fellow players in the second half of the week.

– Before the continental tournament, we talked a lot about wishes and hopes. Overall, did you get what you wanted?
– I'd split the answer into two parts. Given that almost everyone expected us to finish fair in the standings, and no one talked about advancing, we can be proud of our performance. On the other hand, it took me a few days after the match against Germany to look back on the three clashes with positive feelings. At the Allianz Arena, I was sad, devastated, and disappointed. After all, we were close to advancing; six minutes separated us from the great feat. It took me a while to get over it, but now, as I'm calm, I say we've performed beyond expectation. The fans, staff and the players can all be proud of our European Championship performances. It's another confirmation that we're on the right track.

– Since you've mentioned confirmation. How many messages have you received after the group stages?
– So many that I didn't even have time to read through them. We also play football for the fans, and they created a fantastic atmosphere this time as well. They helped us as a 12^th player. We can draw strength from their support, but at the same time, the most important thing for me has always been the feedback from my close family. They supported me from the beginning, they stuck by me for good or worse. To me, it means more than anything if they say they're proud of me.

– You finished the group stages with two assists. Would you have thought of that before the tournament?
– Since I am always a perfectionist against myself, a goal wouldn't have hurt... In my first European Championship, it's not a bad performance, but I've had my mistakes. I look back at the scenes where I made the wrong decision, and it was no different now. I can learn the most from these game situations. There's no such thing as a perfect match, of course, but I know what to improve in.

– For example?
– We played against the world's best teams in the group stages, so we had to defend a lot. This consumes energy, resulting in less power for attacks. As one of the biggest lessons of the tournament, however, I would like to mention that although the strength is running out and the muscles are tired, attacks should always be completed with a shot. Once we get to the front of the goal, it cannot happen that the ball doesn't go within the posts. This is difficult to do when oxygen is running out, but against such opponents, it is necessary to use the opportunities and concentrate even more. It's another thing that it's difficult to model this. We can "practice" them at individual and team level in match situations only, but in the fall matches of the World Cup qualifiers, it is necessary to improve in this area as well.

– You meet England twice in the World Cup qualifiers. Based on your performance in the group matches, can you hope to earn points against the European Championship finalist?
– Based on the feedback, we are on the right track, but it would be a huge mistake to talk about the fact that we are obliged to qualify for the World Cup after that. That is our goal, and we're doing everything we can for it, but only the French, German or Portuguese national teams could say that. We aren't at the level of those teams. If we start making resentful statements now, it will only end in disappointment and sadness. Based on the near past, we can say that we may be at a similar level with Poland while England continues to stand out from the group. If we can repeat the game shown at the European Championship, the feat can come together in the World Cup qualifiers as well, but we must not forget even for a minute what kind of game power the opponents represent. It makes no sense to go through the English players one by one because everyone could see how many attackers were in the squad who could pull something unexpected at any time. The next step is not to start making promises, but to perpetuate the game we saw at the European Championship. The only way we're going to be there is if we keep playing football with our hearts and souls.

– Before the tournament, you also said that you'll remember this summer for the rest of your life. Do you feel the same way now as well?
– Totally. Not only because of the matches but also because of the atmosphere that surrounded us during the European Championship. I will never forget what it's like to play in a European Championship on home grounds at the Puskás Aréna. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that we didn't advance to the knockout phase because of an unlucky rebound shot. If we beat the Germans, we would've even surpassed the European qualifier victory against Croatia. The advancement didn't work out, and now we have to settle for one of the strongest teams in the world playing for time against us on home grounds at the corner flag during the last minute. It's kind of an accolade, isn't it?

– Instead of the national team, Freiburg will be the focus on Thursday. What do you expect from next season?
– Last season, I had eight goals and six assists, and I want to surpass them in the next league. After the European Championship, there is no shortage of extra motivation.

Translated by Vanda Orosz