International Confidence

It's 2017 and my Hungary side are European Champions, coming off an unbelievable competition where the only top-flight nation we played in the entire tournament was Italy. (We beat SCOTLAND in the final. Yes, THAT Scotland.) It's a stunning triumph, completely unexpected and bucking the downward spiral of post-1980s Hungarian football.

Fast forward a few months, and we're top of our world cup qualifying group fresh from victory in Croatia. As European champions, we're entered in the Confederations Cup. We finish that competition unbeaten too, including a remarkable 0-0 draw with Argentina, but still go out in the first round due to a bizarre quirk of scheduling. (Argentina, Hungary, and Mali all finished on 5 points so the order was determined by who gubbed New Zealand by most goals.) The international committee or whatever it is state that they are "concerned following the 0-0 draw with Argentina" (What? I'm flipping HUNGARY.) and "gave serious consideration to replacing me" or whatever the statement is.

That is utterly ridiculous. Firstly, Hungarian football would be awash with delight if their national team could grab a draw from Argentina nowadays. They sure wouldn't be crying "sack the manager!" Secondly, I've won the Euros with them. We're top of our world cup qualifying group! The idea that I might then be sacked because I didn't win the flipping Confederations Cup (even though I didn't lose a match) is nonsense. I know success raises expectations, but there needs to be some perspective in there.

Whilst you make some very valid points, the continental Europeans take the Confederations Cup a lot more seriously than the English ever would.

Whilst you make some very valid points, the continental Europeans take the Confederations Cup a lot more seriously than the English ever would.

Seriously enough to threaten to sack a manager who'd just won the European Championship, AND had the team top of their World Cup Qualifying group, AND who took the team unbeaten in the Confederations Cup including a draw with a vastly superior side?

I'm not saying I shouldn't be sacked if I lose every game. I'm saying in that context, the Hungarian FA even contemplating the notion of removing the manager from his position is ludicrous.