FTC: Cherchesov's personality fits the team better – Tamás Hajnal

– Why was Stanislav Salamovich Cherchesov chosen?
– During negotiations and discussions, we were convinced that he has a way with players, and he also has the professional experience and psychological preparedness to make the team develop with him, Tamás Hajnal, sports director of Ferencváros told our portal. – He is characterized by consistency, discipline, determination, and confidence, and the analyses we saw during the conversation, which he co-produced with his staff, showed that the team will be in good hands with him.

– So, had the expert already done an analysis of Ferencváros during negotiations?
– Obviously not for our first meeting, but it was part of the process. It was important how he saw the team, and he showed us analyses and insights that were consistent with our opinion.

– Could you have managed to sign the former Russian captain if Ferencváros had not reached the Europa League and the Champions League group stage in recent years?
– These results can make the team attractive; it's a good basis for the professional to listen to our offer, but ultimately, it is the future, not the past, that counts. The important thing is what we want to achieve, what our goals are. Nevertheless, Cherchesov's contract is believed to have caught the attention of even international football world. The fact that we have managed to convince a trainer of this caliber gives us a good confirmation of the development of recent years.

– Gábor Kubatov, president of Ferencváros, said that the team does not respect gentlemen like Peter Stöger. After all this, was it obvious that a different type of character would come to Népliget?
– I would like to start with Stanislav Cherchesov being an intelligent man who traveled a lot. Good manners do not exclude firmness and charisma. Our new head coach "plays several instruments." If he has to, he approaches his footballers as a friend, and if needs to, he keeps the distance. He knows exactly what's on the players' minds and how to influence them accordingly. At the same time, it's important to have a coach who radiates confidence and faith that sticks to the footballers as well. We were looking for a trainer who could stand up in front of the players and make them believe they could do a feat. This requires the attitude, body language and communication that he has in him, and this has been confirmed by the training sessions so far.

–  Did we sense it well that Peter Stöger didn't have that personality?
– We are talking about two completely different personalities, and it would not be elegant to say something like this now. In fact, I would like to add that we are in first place in the Hungarian league, we were in the Europa League group stage in the fall, so the players were under more pressure, and the national footballers played nearly 40 games in the fall. I'm sure a lot of teams would trade with us, we ended a successful fall season, so the change wasn't due to inefficiency. We felt that in order to continue to develop, to reach the next level, we had to go on a different path.

– Thomas Doll trained Ferencváros for five years, Serhiy Rebrov for nearly three years, but Peter Stöger was only there for six months. What made it so clear that the next level couldn't be reached with him?
– I do not think that a club that "consumes" three coaches in eight years would be impatient. We gave all the coaches the confidence, but we felt that in order to move on, we had to appoint a different trainer so, as painful as the change of coach was, we had to make a decision. We felt that Stanislav's personality suited the team more, and there were also professional issues on which we expected progress. I don't want to go deeper into that, but everyone could see that we conceded too many goals in international matches, for example.

– Speaking of which: did the Europa League group stage show a realistic picture?
– I'd split the answer into two parts. If you look at the team, the budget and the international experience of the opponents, all three teams are stronger than us. Just an example: in January last year we personally consulted with Kyogo Furuhashi, and there was a chance to acquire him, but we could not compete with Celtic's offer of 5 million euros. In the games against each other, everyone could see why we wanted to sign him... Ferencváros can surprise such ensembles in matches if it performs beyond strength, if it times perfectly, and if the opponent is not in top form. On such a basis, the result is realistic, but three of the five group matches lost were tight games, and that's why we might feel we miss something. Plus, if, after the defeat to Leverkusen, Rudi Völler says he liked our game, then there is nothing to be ashamed of. I know the bar has gone higher after last season, but if we can't be happy for getting into the group stages of a series for three years in a row, if we can't appreciate those moments, then we'll be forever dissatisifed. My former coach, Jürgen Klopp, once said that if you set unachievable goals, you will remain dissatisfied for the rest of your life. It still lives vividly in me to this day.

– How many transfers are expected in the team in the winter?
– The near future will decide it, but we can not only get stronger by signing new footballers. In the summer, more quality footballers arrived, such as Marko Marin or Muhamed Bešić. However, there are several who have not yet been included in the team for various reasons. It is important that we exploit the potential of footballers and we agreed with the new head coach that we have not made the most of the available squad, either individually or as a team.

– Is there any footballer who is certainly leaving Népliget?     
– I can't mention a single name yet.

– Has Ferencváros strengthened enough economically to sign with footballers who would have been unaffordable three or four years ago?
– In the previous three years we have already signed players that we could not have acquired before, but it should be acknowledged that the Hungarian topflight is still not the number one target for foreign players. With leagues close to the topflight, we don't stand a chance of competing, so we have to be creative if we want to convince the players. The club's name appeared on the international stage, but the perception of the domestic league has not changed much.

– Let's take two neighboring countries as examples: could Ferencváros compete with Dinamo Zagreb's or RB Salzburg's offer?
– The Austrian club is light years away from us, and we cannot offer conditions like the Zagreb club either. If we only looked at the amounts in the contracts, we wouldn't win against either club. That's why we have to appreciate the moments when we defeat the better opponent.