A day after the E.ON Cup in Budapest, Hungary head coach Zsolt Varga announced a 15-player roster for the European Championships in Croatia (January 4 – 16).
The world champions will come to Croatia without several great aces. Varga decided to give an opportunity to young players to prove themselves.
The 2023 Total Player Award winner, Gergo Zalanki, won’t play at the Europeans. Besides Zalanki, Denes Varga (the 2019 Total Player), Marton Vamos, Krisztian Manhercz, Soma Vogel, Szilard Jansik (the MVP of the previous European Championships) will miss the tournament in Croatia.
Only six players who won gold at the 2023 World Championships will represent Hungary at the upcoming continental championships: Gergo Fekete, Adam Nagy, Zoltan Pohl, Erik Molnar, Vendel Vigvari and Vince Vigvari.
The team is significantly rejuvenated, with many players who won gold at this year’s World U20 Championships. But two experienced returnees are on the 15-player roster: center-forward Balazs Harai and left-handed goal-getter Gergely Burian.
Angyal, Jansik, Manhercz, Vamos, D. Varga, Vogel and Zalanki will have a two-week rest. After that, they will continue the preparations for the World Championships in Doha, which will start just a few weeks after the continental championships. Toni Nemet still hasn’t recovered after a surgery he underwent a few months ago.
Hungary’s roster for the 2024 European Championships
Goalkeepers: Mark Banyai (Szolnok), Viktor Gyapjas (BVSC)
Field players: Gergely Burian (Vasas), Gergo Fekete (Ferencvaros), Balazs Harai (OSC), Peter Kovacs (BVSC), Erik Molnar, Adam Nagy, Zoltan Pohl, Vendel Vigvari, Vince Varga (all Ferencvaros), Zsombor Szeghalmi (Szolnok), David Tatrai ( BVSC), Vince Vigvari (OSC), Zsombor Vismeg (Szolnok).
Hungary will play against Greece, Italy, and Georgia in the group phase of the European Championships.
