The Hungarian player was given a half-time start in the English team's first summer pre-season game against German second division side, Karlsruhe.Continue reading
There are currently eight Hungarian footballers from Hungary’s national team who will start their new club season in one of Europe’s top leagues. In the English Premier League, three of our compatriots will be in action, while in the German Bundesliga, five players from the Hungarian national team will be playing. Világgazdaság has now put together a list of how much it costs to go to the matches of foreign teams to see the world-famous Hungarians live.
Three Hungarian footballers play in the English Premier League. Bendegúz Bolla is in Wolverhampton Wonderers, Hungarian team captain Dominik Szoboszlai signed for Liverpool over the summer, and Milos Kerkez has also just joined AFC Bournemouth.
In the German Bundesliga, another of the continent’s top leagues, there are even more players from the national team: Péter Gulácsi and Willi Orbán at RB Leipzig, András Schäfer at 1. FC Union Berlin, Attila Szalai at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, and Roland Sallai at Freiburg.
Fans have to travel the farthest to see Dominik Szoboszlai, with the 2,100 kilometers between Budapest and Liverpool best covered by plane.
For those who do not want to organize the trip themselves, and would prefer to go with a group of friends, Bratislava-based Focitour, a football tour company, is an excellent option.
Salesman Bence Bajcsi told Világgazdaság earlier that tickets for Liverpool’s home game against Bournemouth started at 72,000 forints (EUR 180), while the travel package, including accommodation, for the same match started at 279,000 forints (EUR 710), so if one was quick, one could see Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez on the pitch at the same time on August 19 for around 300,000 forints (EUR 765).
However, interest in these teams has increased greatly since then, so if one decides to watch the Hungarian footballers’ first Premier League match at Anfield Road, traveling with Focitour, one will have to pay at least 449,000 forints (EUR 1,145) for it.
For this price, however, fans get a complete package, including a flight and appropriate connection, accommodation in a 3-star hotel, travel insurance, a basic match ticket, and a group escort, among other things.
Szobo smiles pic.twitter.com/YBIwAyG8p1
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 1, 2023
In contrast to the venue in England, Leipzig in Germany is much closer, only 1,600 kilometers round trip. So if one wants to see goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi or center-back Willi Orbán in person, one can drive the 16 to 20 hours from Hungary to the venue.
What is more, tickets are relatively cheap: you can get away with a Bundesliga or Cup match for as little as 20,000 forints (EUR 50), or even a Champions League match for the same price since RB Leipzig is playing in that championship.
For winger Roland Sallai, one has to travel at least 2,400-2,500 kilometers round trip, and the nearest airport to Freiburg im Breisgau is not in Germany, but in Basel, Switzerland (Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport). Airfares are much more affordable there, although the Budapest-Leipzig-Budapest route still costs 60,000 forints (EUR 150) with Austrian Airlines.
The airport nearest to Hoffenheim, where center-back Attila Szalai is playing, is only accessible by a rather unpleasant and expensive method. The cheapest offer for a flight between the Hungarian capital and Mannheim in the last four days was HUF 255,472 (EUR 650) in Skyscanner’s database.
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Berlin, on the other hand, is easily and cheaply accessible, although central midfielder András Schäfer, who is recovering from injury, will be missing for some time after his arrival to the German team. Moreover, the 22,012-seat An der Alten Försterei stadium, home to the team, is not known for its available seats, as it is usually full with season ticket holders.
Featured photo via Facebook/MLSZ – Magyar Labdarúgó Szövetség
