Showing his talent for football early and now becoming the number 1 expectation of Hungarian football, Dominik Szoboszlai is expected to bring a new breeze to Liverpool’s attack.
In 2019, a mysterious piece of paper was discovered torn to pieces scattered on the dining table at a restaurant in Milan (Italy). The owner of the piece of paper is said to have purposely concealed important information. However, a curious diner brought together scraps of paper to find out the message. Finally, the mystery is also solved.
“Dominik Szoboszlai” is the name noted on the blank page.
Everything would not be worth discussing if the above piece of paper did not belong to one of the most influential people in Italian football at that time – Fabio Paratici. At that time, Paratici was taking on the role of sporting director of Juventus, and like many famous clubs watching Szoboszlai’s situation, Paratici hoped to bring Hungary’s “treasure” to the Allianz Stadium when he returned. is shining in the shirt of RB Salzburg.
Born to play football
For Szoboszlai, every moment that happens to him in football is extraordinary, from the decisive last-minute goals to his trademark free-kick skills. Football is a passion boiling in the veins of the 22-year-old midfielder even before he was born.
Szoboszlai’s father – Mr. Zsolt – was a professional footballer and played at the highest level of Hungarian football. Zsolt shared about his son’s childhood: “As soon as Szoboszlai could walk, he started getting used to the ball. He also often comes to watch me play and enjoy the time. If he doesn’t have to go to school, Szoboszlai will definitely go to the training ground.” In 2007, after his contract with Videoton Club expired, Mr. Zsolt became the co-founder of Fonix Gold football academy and let his son practice his skills here. Szoboszlai said of that time: “I don’t think I ever owned Legos or anything like that. All I care about is football.”
Perseverance and success
Born in the city of Szekesfehervar, many expected that Szoboszlai would join the famous Videoton club (now known as Fehervar) like his father. However, the young Hungarian talent chose to persevere in training at Fonix Gold. At the academy, he was challenged through lesson plans compiled by his father and other coaches. Fonix Gold’s coaching approach is aimed at improving individual technique.
Instead of wearing bib shirts when scrims, the players will wear forehead bands to keep their gaze forward. In addition, the coach will force the player to hold two golf balls in their hands to ensure that no one can use the trick of pulling the opponent’s shirt. “Our aim is to help players reach a high level of technical skill. The philosophy in football is that you will enjoy the sport more when you have all the important skills,” Zsolt said.
At the Cordial Cup in 2011 and 2013, Fonix Gold beat big teams like Bayern Munich, Norwich City or FC Basel to lift the title. Despite his modest physique and younger than other players, Szoboszlai shows natural qualities when he dominates every game he participates in. The young talent’s performance began to receive attention from all over Europe. Szoboszlai experimented in the Netherlands and Italy, before moving to RB Salzburg at the age of 16.
Growing up in Salzburg
In Fonix Gold, Szoboszlai doesn’t have to worry about a starting position. However, things became more difficult in remote Austria. At the first training session, the coaches attentively observed the performance of the player born in 2000. At first, Szoboszlai proved to be inferior when the opponent played. However, he was unafraid and proved himself not easily bullied when he forced a player from the opposing team to leave the field with a wound in his mouth.
Recalling that time, Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freud said: “Szoboszlai came to the club at a very young age. At that time, he had a lot of potential and always believed in himself. At that age, players were forced to learn more things to adapt to the professional football environment.”
Hungary’s No. 1 Hope
In the 2017 Euro U17 qualifying round, after scoring twice from free kicks against Russia, Szoboszlai created an earthquake with a long shot against Norway in the last minutes, thereby helping Hungary U17 participate in a tournament. major tournament after nearly a decade. A month later, the Salzburg midfielder was called up to the national team for the first time.
Szoboszlai started for Hungary when he turned 18. In the Euro 2020 qualifiers, he shined in the midfield in the match against Croatia with good players in the middle of the field like Modric, Kovacic or Brozovic. In the end, Hungary beat Croatia with a score of 2-1. Two other free-kick goals against Slovakia and Türkiye also helped Szoboszlai enter the list of teen players scoring the most goals for the national team.
Currently, the goal of the 23-year-old midfielder is to bring Hungary to the Euro 2024 finals taking place in Germany.
When football is a way of life
Football is the breath and source of life for Szoboszlai. The ball is the air and the field is the home of the pompous midfielder. Szoboszlai once told Nemzeti Sport that he did not have a perfect childhood because while other children went to the cinema, he kept the ball with him.
The Liverpool midfielder was born with a strong desire to win inside. Mr. Zsolt said: “As a child, he always raced with me to the front door. He’s always been practicing his free kicks, about 200 to 300 a day.” During the period of social isolation, Szoboszlai has hired Olympic standard coach Shane Tusup to assist in maintaining his fitness. “I push the limits of athletes to the highest level so they can become warriors on the court,” Shane said.
Last season, Szoboszlai showed a significant improvement in fitness. Despite playing as a No 10, he is not afraid to collide and win in contentious situations. Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freud said: “He has worked hard to get in the shape he is today. Szoboszlai is one of the most watched talents in European football right now.”
In 2020, the 23-year-old midfielder was shortlisted for the Golden Boy title, standing next to names like Alphonso Davies, Jadon Sancho or Ansu Fati. Now, a new peak is waiting for Szoboszlai to conquer the distant misty land…
