Nations League: Netherlands victory overshadowed by drama surrounding Szalai

The Dutch national football team has qualified for the quarter-finals of the Nations League. Coach Ronald Koeman’s team is safely second in the German group after a 4-0 (2-0) win against Hungary. However, the game was overshadowed by a medical emergency in the early stages.

After a few minutes of play, Hungary’s assistant coach Adam Szalai collapsed on the sidelines. The game at the Johan Cruijff Arena was immediately stopped and paramedics rushed to the team’s coaching zone.

During the first half, the Hungarian football association MLSZ announced that Szalai’s condition was stable and he was conscious. He was therefore transported by ambulance to an Amsterdam hospital for examination.

There had previously been dramatic scenes in the stadium. Silence fell, supervisors and substitutes formed a circle around Szalai while he was treated behind a privacy screen. Hungarian media reported resuscitation. Much was reminiscent of the drama surrounding the Danish star Christian Eriksen, who collapsed on the pitch at the 2021 European Championships and suffered a cardiac arrest.

When the paramedics brought Szalai inside the stadium after just over twelve minutes, there was a burst of applause. The game resumed shortly afterwards with a penalty kick according to video evidence for the Dutch. Wout Weghorst scored to make it 1-0, but the celebration was subdued given the previous circumstances (21st). Before the break, Cody Gakpo added another penalty (45th + 12th).

While the Hungarians had good opportunities at the start of the game, they seemed clearly inhibited after the break. Denzel Dumfries (64th) and Teun Koopmeiners (86th) scored the further goals for the now highly superior Dutch team. However, the sport had long since faded into the background due to the fears about Szalai.

Only assistant coach since October

Szalai, who played 276 Bundesliga games for Mainz, Hoffenheim, Schalke and Hannover, played for Hungary until two years ago, most recently as captain. 1. FSV Mainz 05 contacted X and wrote that their thoughts were with Szalai. The 36-year-old ended his active playing career in the summer of 2023. It was only in October, in the first leg against the Netherlands, that he served as assistant coach of the Hungarian national team for the first time.