What we achieved last year is nothing this year

“The trouble with great deeds is that from then on everyone expects the same from you,” says the clichéd truth from the mouth of Kate Winslet’s character in the series Mare of Easttown. Csaba Kiss can also feel the truth of the wisdom on his skin, the Szeged polo legend did great with his foal team last year, and only the big ones (ie the European cup players) could overtake Zue.hu Szeged VE in the championship.

“It was beyond our strength, that’s not debatable – said Kiss cheerfully – but it’s also a big truth that what we did last year, we won’t get anything this year. We have to approach the season in the same way, we have to work just as hard, and even then there is no guarantee that we will get there in 7th place.”

We can’t get by with less

“Since the first training sessions, I have been telling the players that it is impossible to start the season with lower goals than what we achieved last year. We have to be brave and ambitious, we have to take ourselves seriously and see what we can do. It will be terribly difficult,” added Kiss.

Of course, Szeged VE did not change direction after the dazzlingly successful season, it still sees itself as a training club, so it is not surprising that key players left the team this summer as well, whose places are either filled with young people from their own youth system or with youth certificates. According to the specialist born in Szeged, this is perfectly fine.

“I myself tell the players that no one should retire from here. We teach the boys that they always want better and more, and if a big club sees potential in a youngster coming out of the youth ranks, it is a great pride for us and a confirmation of our work. It’s a bit like when proud parents marry off their beloved child” he added with a broad smile.

The team has both strengthened and weakened (photo: Zue.hu Szeged VE)

Of course, it is also a fact that the two departing players will be greatly missed, but Kiss trusts in the young people signed to replace them, as well as in his own team, because no matter how you look at it, time is working for the Szeged team.

“We have become stronger since last year just because a year has passed. Our young people have become stronger, faster and more prepared after one season, they have picked up some routine and they already know how hard ob I is.“In fact, I hope that I have become a better coach, as I am still learning this profession,” added the 46-year-old coach, who won the European Championship as a player and also played in the World Cup final.

The opponents did not rest in the summer either

Kiss said that the Hungarian Ob I. was one of the strongest championships on the continent anyway, but the teams are constantly developing and getting stronger, so it is difficult to remain competitive. And not only the elite teams, but also the midfield is doing more and more to compete with the biggest.

The Szeged legend at the edge of the pool (photo: Zue.hu Szeged VE)

“The midfield has slipped a lot, there is no question for me that nuances will decide between the teams from the seventh place on down. “Miskolc, Szentes and Kaposvár also made excellent reinforcements, the latter, for example, did not look small and signed Pufi” – the expert referred to the contract of the routine center Balázs Hárai in Kaposvár.

“Our strength lies in several things. First of all, since we don’t have national team players or legionnaires, there is no pressure on us regarding the result. Our only task is the one we fixed years ago: we train talents for Hungarian polo.”

“Of course, we came out of this better than badly, as we had some really great performances, and I admit that it’s good that several rural teams look a little envious of the Szeged youth team, where the excellent players come out one after another. Whether we will get there numerically, where we managed to get to last year, is a big question.”

Tough opponents await the Szeged team (photo: Zue.hu Szeged VE)

“Behind the six European cup teams, there are two places for sale among the top eight. It is our dog’s duty to aim for these and fight for them until the last moment. If it does, and it still doesn’t work out, we can make our peace with that. Not if we don’t do everything for it,” he added determinedly.