The Hungarians could have been in place of the Moroccans – Lothar Matthäus

Not only was he the captain of the world-champion German team, but also the winner of the Ballon d'Or and honored as the world's best athlete in 1990. Lothar Matthäus, one of the greatest figures in World Cup history, played 150 times for the German national team, later coached the Hungarian national team, and has been living in Budapest since. Lately, he has been working as a commentator, but he also attends FIFA events, draws, major tournaments, and the World Cup is really his turf, even wearing a football jersey in Qatar these days.

– Are you playing in the Legend's Cup? – we asked the German national team record holder.
– Yes, I'm supposed to play on both days (our interview was conducted before the FIFA Legends Cup matches – the ed.). It's a good initiative to bring together former players, meet them and play a round of football. But that's not why I'm here, I'm here for the World Cup.

– We can't help but notice that. For example, you started by talking about how German players should concentrate on football instead of sending political messages.
– Exactly! It was a mistake to focus on the colorful armbands instead of the game, the German national team should not have finished the World Cup with the group matches only. These overtones took the focus away from the point, from football, divided the players' attention, and unfortunately, the press, your colleagues, have a responsibility in this as well.

– Very much. The organization is excellent, and a huge advantage over previous tournaments is that you don't have to take a plane to go from one venue to another, and you don't have to spend time and money traveling, checking in and out of hotels. You have to be here and see the happy fans, the great performances of the new generation of footballers, and the great atmosphere in the new stadiums.

– But a World Cup in the winter?
– Why is that a problem? We have a World Cup once every four years, and we only experience this once every four years. I repeat, anyone who is here, who experiences this atmosphere, can see that the World Cup is great, that people are smiling, that football brings everyone together, and that fans can experience togetherness.

– I have an opinion about them, I judge many situations very differently from them. And I don't just discuss certain judgments on the spot, but also after rewatching the matches several times in retrospect. They have a big responsibility, and the penalty in the Argentina-Croatia semifinal was a turning point, which broke the Croats.

– Could the Hungarian national team have a spot in this field?
– Sure, why not? The Hungarians could have been in place of the Moroccans. After six points against England and four against Germany in the Nations League, they could have been as successful as the Moroccans. Or, I could have even imagined the Hungarian team in the quarterfinals. Other smaller countries, like Portugal or Croatia, did it. I saw your game against Germany in Budapest on the spot, it was a full house of 70,000 people, and I have never seen such a fantastic crowd in Hungary. The world has changed a lot since I was the national team's head coach. Back then, more people attended water polo matches than football games. But since then, Viktor Orbán's government has built beautiful new stadiums and invested a lot in Hungarian sports, especially football.

– Yes, we've met and talked. We both like football, clear, straight talks and good decisions. And for Hungary, he is the best decision, he is doing a great job, as I can see from the outside, and so is the foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, who was also here in Qatar, but only for a day for work. I also met Balázs Dzsudzsák at the semifinal, I know that he is already the record holder in the national team.

– Speaking of Hungarian acquaintances. Béla Réthy said goodbye to the microphone on Wednesday, what do you think?
– It's a pity because he was one of the best football commentators in Germany, everyone loved his broadcasts, the viewers and even the football players. He had an impeccable, excellent relationship with everyone. If he criticized someone or something, he did it in a good manner, and everyone accepted his analysis for the last thirty-five years. Every German TV viewer also knows that Béla Réthy has Hungarian roots, of which he is very proud.

– Do you still live in Budapest
– I have an apartment in Budapest, yes...

– No, in Austria. I'm going to ski. Like Manuel Neuer. But I ski better, I have more experience...

– You mentioned two names, but the list could go on as there are many great players. These two not only score a lot of goals but prepare and assist a lot of goals too. They both are in the final. The one who becomes the world champion is the best player!

Translated by Vanda Orosz