🎤 Gabor Kiraly Exclusive Interview and Euro 2024 Predictions

Gabor Kiraly gives his Views on EURO2024

Gabor Kiraly exclusive interview and Euro 2024 predictions: Germany will win Euro 2024 on home soil, Cristiano Ronaldo could break my tournament record, England have a ‘minimum’ requirement in Germany

🏆 Gabor Kiraly's Euro 2024 Predictions! 🏆 

⚽ Kiraly predicts Germany might win Euro 2024 due to home advantage and strong preparations.

🥅 He sees Harry Kane as a strong candidate for the Golden Boot.

🇭🇺 Believes Hungary can reach the knockout stages, aiming for the last 16 or last eight.

🤔 Predicts England should reach at least the quarter-finals.

🥇 Speculates Cristiano Ronaldo might break his record as the oldest player in European Championship history.

Gabor Kiraly Euro 2024 Predictions

Gabor Kiraly

108 Caps for Hungary and played in Euro 2016

Q: Who is going to win Euro 2024?

GB: “This sounds like a simple question, but we know that in football anything can happen. 

“Maybe a surprise team will win, but I think it will be a top country, Germany play at home and England have impressed, you can’t look past France.

“But I do think that Germany have turned their preparations around and will start very strongly. I think they have a huge motivation and it could lead them to the trophy.”

Euro 2024 Betting Odds

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Q: Who is going to win the Golden Boot?

GK: “Many strikers have had great seasons at the highest level, the question will be about the mentality if players are a bit physically tired.

“I think Harry Kane has a good opportunity to take the Golden Boot.”

Euro 2024 Golden Boot Betting Odds

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Q: Who is going to win the Golden Ball?

GK: “I’m always looking at players in Germany and England because I played there but of course Hungary as a Hungarian. I played in Germany and I played in England. I support these three countries.

“A lot of players have a chance to impress.”

Q: Who are your dark horses for Euro 2024?

GK: “I think Hungary could be the dark horse team because they are always strong and their recent performances have been strong also. The Hungarian team is compact and Marco Rossi, our coach, is a good person who gets his information to the team.”

Q: How far will Hungary get at Euro 2024?

GK: “Hungary are in a very strong group with Germany and Scotland are also very very strong. Switzerland are a decent side but beatable, but in 90 minutes anything can happen.

“Hungary can challenge for the knockout stages. They have a good opportunity because a lot of hungry young players are there. I think the last 16, or the last eight would be a very good performance.”

Q: What would failure look like for England at Euro 2024?

GK: “I am looking at England for the quarter-finals. They have to be there. Last time England came very close to winning and this time I think the quarter-finals are a minimum.”

Q: What is your prediction for Hungary vs Switzerland?

GK: “Hungary against Switzerland, they have to win. They have to win because the two strongest teams in the group are Germany and Scotland. And that's why the first game, the first step is so important.

“I think it’s the three important points. It doesn't matter if it’s 5-4 or 2-0. It doesn't matter. Three points are so important.“

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Q: What is your prediction for Hungary vs Germany?

GK: “I think Germany vs Hungary will be a very tough match both physically and mentally. I think a point would be okay.

“I think from a goalkeeper’s view, 0-0 is much better.”

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Q: What is your prediction for Hungary vs Scotland?

GK: “I think Scotland and Hungary will be both strong teams and I think it’ll be a draw or one goal winning margin for Hungary.”

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Q: What do you make of Stuart Pearce picking Hungary as his dark horses?

GK: “Hungary showed good performances in beating England both at home and away last year, it was also so important that Hungary played in both the 2016 and 2020 tournaments.

“I think it's okay if other people are thinking about the dark horse like Hungary.”

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Q: Which young Hungarian players will shine?

GK: “I think that this Hungarian team has European Championship experience as well as young players, but more importantly a strategy from Marco Rossi.

“The players don’t think of themselves as stars but just a team. Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai is the strongest player but he has young players around him who work together and they all work very hard. 

“He doesn't think he's a big star and that everybody has to pass to him. He helps in defence and going forwards as well.”

Q: Who will be the next Hungarian Premier League star?

GK: “A lot of Hungarian players have the quality and talent to play at the highest level. It’s about the decision making in games at the right moments.

“If you want to go to the Premier League or Bundesliga or the highest league in Europe, you have to take your performance on the pitch in the biggest games.

“This is so important and in this European Championship, we will see who can be mentally and physically really, really strong on the field. I’m hoping to see a few surprises.”

Q: What can we expect from Hungary fans in Germany?Tens of thousands of Hungarians with tickets and many more without tickets will be heading to the European Football Championship to cheer on the Hungarian team in Stuttgart and Cologne.

GK: “I think Hungarian supporters every year are stronger and stronger and they think about the game like a festival. They celebrate the team.

“The fans just want to make a good atmosphere. This is important for the Hungarian people to make a good festival. I think it was the first time in 2016 it was the same. 

“We just need to enjoy the European Championship. Some fans might make it into a holiday in Germany just to be part of Euro 2024.”

Q: Will Hungary fans be drinking palinka?

GK: “Yeah, of course, this is a celebration. It doesn't matter if Hungary are being celebrated in Hungary or abroad, or alongside English fans or with Germany fans. 

“I think that this has to be a big festival and it will be a good atmosphere. This is important for the players, for the fans, for everyone.”

Q: Who will beat your record of oldest player in European Championship history?

GK: “I took my shirt from my final European Championship game against Belgium and I took another from my final game in Hungary. The memory for me is so special.

“Of course Pepe or Cristiano Ronaldo have to beat my record, I beat Lothar Matthaus who I played against and was my coach so we had a good chat about it.

“This is football. You always have to make the next step, you have to break records. This is the big motivation and I am happy to be in the story.”

Q: What do you make of the new Hungary kits?

GK: “As is traditional in Hungary, we have the red shirt and for the goalkeepers, yellow, green or black, maybe sometimes blue. 

“This logo, I think, is very important because you play not just for the country. You play for all the Hungarian people in the world.”

Gabor Kiraly Profile

Gábor Ferenc Király (born 1 April 1976) is a former Hungarian international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Known throughout football for his iconic grey jogging bottoms, Király spent most of his 25-year professional career in Germany and England, representing teams such as Hertha BSC, 1860 Munich, Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Fulham. He began and ended his career at his hometown team Szombathelyi Haladás in Hungary.

Kiraly in his trademark grey tracksuit bottoms

Király earned a record-breaking 108 international caps for Hungary, making his debut in 1998 and retiring from international football in 2016. At UEFA Euro 2016, he became the oldest player to represent a country in the championship at the age of 40 years and 74 days, beating the previous record held by Lothar Matthäus.

Club Career

Military service prevented Király from playing for his local club until 1997, when he moved to German side Hertha BSC. He shone at Hertha, earning regular game time and attracting attention from clubs in England. Following stints at Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Fulham, he returned to Szombathelyi Haladás in 2015, where he retired four years later.

International Career

Király's international debut was unforgettable; after just four minutes, he saved a penalty from Austria's legendary top scorer Toni Polster. Király was a regular feature of Hungary's international squad through 1998 to 2016. His performances in the UEFA Euro 2016 saw him break the record for the oldest player to feature in a UEFA Championship.

Legacy

Király will forever be remembered for his trademark grey tracksuit bottoms, worn to give his legs protection on hard or frozen surfaces. While his fashion choices might have raised eyebrows, his goalkeeping skills and dedicated service to both his club and country secured Király's place in football history.

Interview May 2024

Speaking exclusively to OLBG, former Premier League goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly has explained why Manchester United need to stick by Andre Onana this summer.

The Hungary icon has also explained why he relished the challenge of coming up against Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during his playing career.

Kiraly has also detailed the origin of his famous grey tracksuit bottoms which he says were as vital to his performances as his gloves and boots.

Q: What are your thoughts on the form of Andre Onana?

GK: “At the highest level you can still make simple mistakes, but I think Andre Onana has the quality to play in the Premier League. 

“Every goalkeeper learns from their mistakes and bad performance as well as the good ones, he will get better each year he plays for Manchester United.

“There is so much pressure on goalkeepers and they have to have thick skin, you can make good or bad decisions in a split second. I played 26 years as a professional in Germany, England and with the national team and I made good saves as well as many mistakes. I learned from that.”

Q: Is David Raya the best goalkeeper in the Premier League?

GK: “Being the best goalkeeper in the league is all about consistency as well as coping with the schedule of games as well as coping after international duty.

“I cannot say who the best goalkeeper in the Premier League is because they all have runs of good performances, it also makes a lot of difference when they have good players in front of them.”

Q: Is Jordan Pickford good enough to win major honours?

GK: “I think he's a good goalkeeper, that is getting better and better each season. He has earned the opportunity to play in the Premier League and in the national team.”

Q: Should Caoimhin Kelleher push to leave Liverpool?

GK: “Caoimhin Kelleher’s position at Liverpool all depends on the new manager. Goalkeepers need to play more to get better with their feet and with their positioning. 

“It will all depend on the preference of the new manager which means he might get a chance to play next season.

“All goalkeepers have strengths and weaknesses and it’s important for coaches to have a choice, sometimes it can depend on the opponent.”

Q: What was it like to come up against Cristiano Ronaldo?

"Facing formidable players like Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and Gianfranco Zola, whose work ethic matches their talent, always equalized the playing field in my mind and made unforgettable moments."

GK: “When I came up against players during games they were always at the same level in my head. Before and after the game he is of course a huge star.

“He works a lot and I like that because the talent, the quality is not good enough. 

“You have to work to have that fitness and have that mentality and that is what Cristiano Ronaldo is all about.

“I played against some huge stars like David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert so it was always an honour to learn from their shooting and dribbling.

“I remember making a save from Gianfranco Zola at Chelsea and that’s the sort of moment you don’t forget.”

Q: What was more daunting to face Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?

GK: “For me it was always a big challenge against players with such quality like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. It’s a challenge to show your quality as a goalkeeper.

“But if a player shoots at goal, it doesn’t matter if he is a big star or not. I have to make sure it doesn’t go in. After the game it’s different with players like that or Zlatan Ibrahimovic, sometimes you have the opportunity to talk to them which become very good memories.” 

Q: What is the story behind your famous tracksuit bottoms?

GK: “For me, wearing long bottoms was the same as wearing my gloves or boots. I never wanted to be a model for the good of the public, I just wanted to work and do my job whether it was in long bottoms or shorts. 

“Growing up on bad pitches it was for my protection, for the best of my performance. During my 26 year career I played for 23 years in long bottoms.

“I started because in Hungary I would often play on bad pitches.”

Q: What was it like to work with Felix Magath?

GK: “With Felix Magath, he was a success in Germany because they have a very different culture. He was a very strong coach and you have to integrate in his culture.

“In England it was different, it was a challenge for players to integrate into what he wanted to do. It’s like me being Hungarian and adapting to play in Germany I changed my style.

“Because it was a different culture it didn’t work out for Magath in his usual style. When I played in the English culture at Burnley, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and West Ham it was amazing. Sometimes you make mistakes but you get the chance to work on it.”

Q: What is the secret to saving penalties?

GK: “When trying to save penalties, the mentality is very important as well as how you stand on the goalline and who is taking the penalty.

“You have to think about his mentality and how he has performed, it’s all about mind games. A goalkeeper has to be so strong and decide on the situation immediately. You have to adapt and make changes as you go along.

“You have to put that pressure to one side and come up with a new plan for each player, you have to save the ball.”