New Hungarian FA technical centre opens

UEFA President Michel Platini joined FIFA President Joseph S Blatter and other football dignitaries to open the Hungarian Football Federation's new technical centre at the weekend.

National-team home
The new MLSZ technical centre is located in the Budapest suburb of Telki, and comprises four normal-size pitches, a futsal hall, a beach soccer pitch and a four-star hotel which will serve the Hungarian national teams. The centre will also be the home of coach Erwin Koeman's Hungary side that is currently second in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying Group 1.

HatTrick help
The project was sponsored by UEFA and FIFA via their HatTrick and Goal assistance projects, with UEFA contributing €2.5m. "Hungary was very famous in creating great talents such as Ferenc Puskás or Flórián Albert – but there are many people who did not have the chance to see these great players on the pitch," said Mr Platini at the ceremony.

Important step
"The association has now taken a very important step in moving forward and bringing success back to this country," he continued. "I know that the Under-19 team has already qualified for the [next] FIFA U-20 World Cup, and I am sure that this centre will also help the talented Hungarians to improve their skills."

Achieving goals
"Although we have opened this complex, we have not yet reached our goals," added MLSZ president István Kisteleki, "but we have created a place that will help us to achieve them."