Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai cries through interview after Hungary coach in medical emergency
Liverpool and Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai spoke to the media after coach, Adam Szalai, collapsed with a medical emergency.
Dominik Szoboszlai gave an emotional post-match interview, in tears, following Hungary's UEFA Nations League defeat to the Netherlands on Saturday. The Liverpool midfielder explained that he and his teammates decided to 'fight' for coach Adam Szalai following his medical emergency during the match.
Hungary's outlook on their latest game changed just minutes after the first whistle at the Johan Cruyff Arena. One of their coaching staff members and a former teammate of Szoboszlai, Szalai, appeared to collapse in their dugout.
That brought a halt to proceedings as the Liverpool midfielder - who was visibly shaken at the time - gathered his teammates in a huddle pitch-side and a tent was erected around the visiting nation's bench to deal with that issue.
The Hungarian Football Association's official X (formerly Twitter) account later confirmed via a statement: "Adam Szalai fell ill in the first minutes of the Netherlands-Hungary match, but his condition is stable and he is conscious. Minutes ago, he was transported by ambulance to an Amsterdam hospital for examination."
Hungary would go on to lose the match 4-0 - severely damaging their chances of pipping Saturday's opponents the competition's quarter-finals. But this was far from Szoboszlai's mind as he spoke to M4 Sports, via Blikk, after the final whistle.
Through tears, the national team captain said: "I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone. The same thing happened with Barni Varga during the Euros," referring to the serious injury his Hungarian teammate suffered, after colliding with Scotland's goalkeeper in Germany in June.
He added: "Today we fought for Szalai. He did so much for everyone that we should drive for him to the end.
"I can accept that this incident was on his mind the whole time. We had a discussion about whether we could continue. Everyone said we're going to fight for it and move forward."
Captaining the Netherlands, Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk had spoken to the referee - alongside Szoboszlai - before the match continued with seven minutes on the clock. The defender would help keep a clean sheet, while Cody Gakpo was among those on target for the Dutch.