Hungary boss Marco Rossi backtracks on his recent war of words with Liverpool head coach Arne Slot over Dominik Szoboszlai and the “nonsense” claims as the Reds prepare for a season-defining April
The international break is often a period of high anxiety for Premier League managers, and for Arne Slot, the current hiatus has been no different.
However, a potential cross-border feud with Hungary boss Marco Rossi appears to have been de-escalated at least publicly after a week of pointed comments and tactical disagreements involving Liverpool’s key men, Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez.
The friction began earlier this week when Slot, navigating a grueling season on multiple fronts, made a public plea to national team managers.
With World Cup qualification hopes having ended for Hungary last autumn, the Liverpool head coach called for his stars to be utilised sparingly in what are essentially non-competitive friendlies against Slovenia and Greece.
According to Mail Sport, Slot’s stance was clear: his players “need a break more than” he does. Given the sheer volume of football clocked up by his squad, the Dutchman’s desire to protect his assets is entirely logical.
The initial spark: Rossi hits back
Rossi, however, did not initially take kindly to the suggestion that he should manage his squad according to Anfield’s requirements. The Hungary manager reacted angrily to Slot’s intervention, viewing it as an overstep into his professional territory.
“I have never spoken to Arne Slot personally,” Rossi stated.
“Accordingly, I have never had a say in when the Liverpool head coach, for example, plays Dominik Szoboszlai as a defender. However, I would also expect him not to interfere in my work either. If Dominik wants to rest, of course I would let him, but everyone knows how important the national team jersey is to him as a team captain.”
Rossi’s defensive stance highlighted the age-old tug-of-war between club and country. While Slot is concerned with a looming FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City, Rossi is tasked with maintaining the pride and momentum of the Hungarian national side.
A hectic schedule for the Reds duo
The statistics back up Slot’s concerns. Szoboszlai has arguably been Liverpool’s standout performer in what has been a testing 2025/26 campaign.
His importance to the system is reflected in his workload; according to Transfermarkt, only Virgil van Dijk has surpassed the Hungarian’s 3,848 minutes of action.
Similarly, Milos Kerkez has become a first-team mainstay, clocking up 39 appearances this term. For Slot, the prospect of either player picking up a fatigue-related injury during a friendly is a nightmare scenario.
With six crucial games in April on the horizon, the Liverpool boss is understandably desperate to avoid “flogging” his players in Budapest.
Perhaps realising the optics of feuding with one of Europe’s elite managers, Rossi has since moved to clarify his comments.
Speaking to Nemzeti Sport, the Hungary boss performed something of a tactical retreat, praising Slot and dismissing talk of a personal dispute as “nonsense.”
“I read nonsense in the press,” Rossi said. “You can’t imagine that I would be so arrogant, conceited and stupid as to compare myself to a coach who manages a team in the Premier League. I am not comparable to the Liverpool manager, I had no intention of doing so. Arne Slot said that he hoped that his players would not play two matches. I saved Dominik Szoboszlai ten minutes and Milos Kerkez twenty minutes.”
Rossi continued by emphasising the respect he holds for Slot’s position, while still maintaining the dignity of his own role.
“Slot is a coach of a top club. He deserves maximum respect. I am nobody. But since I am the national team captain of the Hungarian national team, I think the Hungarian national team deserves respect too, at least because of its past. There is no dispute between us.”
Actions speak louder than words
While the verbal “rift” may have cooled, the actual game-time suggests Rossi’s definition of “saving” players differs significantly from Slot’s. In Hungary’s 1-0 win over Slovenia on Saturday, Szoboszlai was only withdrawn in the 87th minute. Kerkez, meanwhile, played 77 minutes.
To the Liverpool medical staff, being subbed off with three minutes of normal time remaining is hardly the “rest” Slot had envisioned with Greece still to play on Tuesday.
For Liverpool, the hope remains that both players return to Merseyside unscathed. With a season-defining trip to the Etihad appearing on the calendar, Slot needs his Hungarian engine room at full throttle not running on fumes after a week of internationals.
