Szmodics, the number 10 of Blackburn Rovers, whose “z” is silent in his name, recently responded to statements made by Hungary’s coach, Marco Rossi. Rossi targeted Sammie Szmodics a week ago, alleging that the 28-year-old footballer or his agent utilised discussions of associating with the Hungarian team ahead of Euro 2024 to secure a position in the Republic of Ireland’s team.
Szmodics, the untested midfielder, dismissed these claims as baseless. He confirmed his Hungarian heritage thanks to his grandfather, which explains his surname, but insisted that joining the Hungarian team was something he had never considered.
Rossi, projected to bring his Hungarian team to Dublin on 4th June, raised doubt over who relayed the information of his inquiry about Szmodics’ potential inclusion in the Hungarian team to the Irish media. Rossi questioned if the motive was to gain an invitation to join the Irish national team, despite Szmodics’ technical skills on the pitch.
The Blackburn Rovers midfielder denied having any exchange with the Hungarian FA or Rossi after an Ireland training session, stating that he’s been focused on Ireland ever since inking a deal with a new agency and finding a kinship link to Ireland through his grandmother, Annette Hyne of Longford.
The process of procuring his Irish passport by settling matters of birth and death certificates took two to three years, he noted. With all past challenges overcome, he is now completely engrossed in the ongoing camp and looks forward to the future. Therefore, a chance with the Hungarian team was never on his cards.
“It was never a conscious choice; it just came about unexpectedly. Rossi alleged that I leveraged it as a stratagem to join the team, which is far from the truth. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Honestly, I’ve not communicated with anyone from that side and I had a desire to dismiss it. People utilise Twitter as a source of information and speculate. But it was not a decision I had to deliberate; it wasn’t something that occupied my thoughts. My sole focus is on immersing myself in the camp and securing a spot in the squad. I hope to accomplish this by the weekend.
Such unfounded assumptions are quite exasperating. Rossi doesn’t know me or the facts about me. Considering I’ve had no contact with anyone, these allegations just surfaced unexpectedly. My complete attention is on representing Ireland. People have the freedom to tweet and chat on Twitter, but unless it has been corroborated by me, such rumours hold no substance.
Despite my prolific performance in the English Championship, scoring 27 goals in all competitions this season, I remained unnoticed by Stephen Kenny. My two international call-ups since 2021 were abruptly ended due to injuries and issues back home in England. Rovers is on the verge of being demoted from the Championship. Despite the recent managerial change with John Eustace taking over as the new Irish coach, it hasn’t hampered my incredible progress. However, Andy Moran was unfortunate to lose his spot in the team.
Andy possesses exceptional footballing skills. Adapting to the previous manager’s unique style of play was a challenge at Blackburn Rovers. Andy, a young lad from Brighton, faced similar situations. With the change in management, he found it difficult to acclimatise, but it’s worth remembering how young and promising he truly is. I foresee him playing in the Premier League and earning many more caps for Ireland in the future.”