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Videoton FC's owner spoke to the club's website about the last twelve months
This was an eventful year! How will you remember back on 2011? The team end the first half of the season in third place in the league, while they have progressed to the next rounds in both the Hungarian and League cups. How would you sum up autumn? It has been an especially difficult period. We became champions, changed our first team manager, we then had to prepare for the Champions League, while new players arrived and time was needed for them to bond with the other players. Some people were critical about us going out of the Champions league, (partly correct), and we then went on to win the SuperCup final before the start of the new league season. Plenty of work went into creating the new team, which included signing the new players, while also breaking up contracts with those players, which we did not count on in the future. Our Club captain Zoltan Liptak then left the club half way through the season, so it was a very eventful period for all. What are you expecting from the spring season, with serious games ahead, and with four big games taking place at the Sostoi, (DVSC, Győr, Ferencvaros and Honved all have to still visit.) They will be good games, with plenty of supporters present. Our fixture list looks good, and if we can win these matches, then anything can happen. I am looking forward to it with excitement. How do you see things, have conditions changed? Have they improved and has the level of Hungarian football gone up? Of course. This is not even questionable. Sandor Csanyi is running the Hungarian Football Association at a great tempo, and things are changing quickly. I do not even know how he finds the time or energy to channel into football. You can feel and see the level of Hungarian football increasing. The contracting rules are good, and it is worth playing football in Hungary, and even for those Hungarian players playing abroad to come home. The financial environment has also changed, becoming cleaner and easier to understand. The new changes to the tax system will also help us move forward. I spent a lot of time dealing with situations over the last six months. I took part in many discussions over that period of time. Now that these have been concluded, my tasks have reduced. Managing Director Mark Tassy has worked very well, and he is gaining in experience all the time. I do not have daily tasks at the club, but that does not stop me giving my input, for which I also receive plenty of criticism. Mark Tassy is able to work at unbelievable way, handling the many difficult situations that arise all the time. He has a good vision of the footballing world, from almost every viewpoint. He has overseen an administration department, which is of a real Champions League level. I am also hoping that the club's official website will be even more precise and professional looking into the future. Would you describe to us an average day in the office? What does it mean to be an owner of a Hungarian club? Are there advantages? Does it reward with a special status? What would you like to achieve with Videoton FC, as a club? Where are we now? Do you have your own personal ideal of running the club, or are you following a western European model? We will copy as much as we can, and balance that out with our own local characteristics, but we are continuously trying to renew and take the chances to break out. Unfortunately we cannot always find the most suitable and professional people with the right determination. Do you have your own adviser, or do you make the important decisions yourself? We work in one team. Everyone has their own place and role. The company is like a family, but this is what I believe in. The working system is strict, and sometimes move between cruel regulations. Have you ever consulted with other central, or western European club owners, and do you have any connections with them at all? Sadly even within Hungary the owners do not sit down to meet, to talk about the way a club is run. Perhaps we could develop a system which would make it mandatory for everyone. We do not have any contact with clubs abroad either, as we are not yet on the footballing map. However, it does feel very good when clubs visit us and are very impressed with the facilities and the way we welcome them. It has made it all worthwhile investing in the stadium. The delegation from Sturm Graz were very complimentary and impressed with what they saw here. We had nothing to be ashamed of when it came to hosting and providing a service. The UEFA delegates gave us maximum points for our facilities and offices and for the organization and help that he received in not only the Champions League home match, but also the international matches that we hosted at the Sostoi stadium this year. In addition, the hard work put in during the summer when we gave our full support to Paks, who used our stadium, over 3 Europa league matches, resulted in very good compliments and no criticism's or fines!! The back office now has much more experience when it comes to organizing European or international matches, which will be very important for the future, to make sure we are as professional as we can be. Is there a lot that separates Vidi, from catching up with an average west European club level? Not that much in comparison with the leagues in Belgium, Holland and Slovenia, but just look at Maribor for example, who have participated in the European competition for a good few years now. We are very far away from the elite championship sides though. How much insight do you have into the coaching work that is going on? How much and how do you check this out? Check? What? The results will eventually give the answer. I do like what I see during training sessions, and the way they work when it comes to commitment and planning. There will be results! What is your relationship with the supporters? Do you get feedback from them? An exciting period is ahead of us: Winter pre-season, transfers. There will be plenty to do? A much tighter period... and for you? There is nothing worse than the transfer window. (laughing). Really there isn't. Plenty of rumours, together with the "boredom" of the close season. Planning for the training camp, and trying to arrange friendly matches. Then there are the continuous contracts and renewals that we have to be done. Who will arrive, who will leave. Some we deny, some we do not. Who were we seen together with, and what can they get out of that. I think it is much easier when the league season is underway. Are any improvements expected to the stadium? What is the club owner expecting from 2012? A good hard pre-season preparation for the spring season. Some new transfer arrivals. A good spring in the league championship, as nothing is lost yet. Also whatever happens in the summer on the European stage. For us to perform as best we can, as well as in both the Hungarian and League cups. 
It was eventful, and an unforgettable year, full of tension, and amazing games. The team became champions in 2011, and we drew up new targets, and a new period has now began. We have done everything to help allow Videoton FC to be successful.
The home match with Sturm Graz. It was a game full of real football drama. Fate went against us four times in that match. There was a clear handball and a penalty decision which did not go our way. The linesman had flagged for offside, but I keep thinking what would have happened if the ball had bounced 10cm elsewhere with the header, from which Graz scored their second goal? What if Gyorgy Sandor's effort would have gone in during the second half? Fate went the way of Sturm Graz for most of the game. If just one would have gone our way, then we may have gone through to the second round. Unfortunately, the words "if" or "but" are not part of football, and even if they are, it does not bring you a goal or a win.
I am in trouble now, as my timetable has been difficult to follow since my knee operation. I cannot move as much as I would like to. I wake up at six in the morning, and drink two litres of fluid until 8am, to help my recovery speed up. I then spend time trying to solve chess moves, and several Mathematical "problems". I am not even sure whether I understand these. Prime numbers are my favourites! 2011 for example is a prime number. I then spend time answering the emails, which I have received. I also read over the financial press, and one or two football websites. I visit vidi.hu several times a day. Sometimes I take my children to their school, and my workday only then begins after this. I work a lot, and am now spending time working on cycling and the tourism connected with this, following a Governmental portfolio I received. My work day is never routine but more ad-hock. I jump between football, my own company and my governmental tasks. If my knee allows, then I will also go for a workout, (running up one of the hills of Buda, before coming down with the cable car.) I may even go for a cycle, but the day goes by quickly, and sometimes I just collapse by the evening.
This is hard to judge exactly. One thing for sure is that it means a greater amount of time in the media. I do not understand why this should be, which causes a lot of pointless and useless confrontation. I have worked and will work to make sure that this position is respected, as football is the most spectacular form of entertainment, bringing with it a huge social responsibility. Let's think for a moment how a three year old child will straight away look for a ball to kick. If we continue to carry out our duties at a professional level, then sooner or later we will see the advantages, of my role as owner of the club.
It is important, that the best professional work should take place at our football club, and that we are financially stable and can stand on our own two feet. Furthermore that we are able to attract even more serious sponsors to our club. We must be able to show the high level of quality we have in our stadium, the pitch, the facilities we have on offer, if we are to show ourselves to a wider audience.
The actual responsibility for daily contact and tasks are carried out by Mark Tassy. I will only involve myself when the situation requires it. I will not interfere in the coaching work as I do not understand it. I can see just how much of a serious quality of work and quantity they have put into the team in half a year. They work day and night, and unfortunately little time is left over for other things.
Perhaps sadly it is not as warm as it was when I watched last season's 0-0 draw with Vasas together with them from the away section. There were a few who tried to provoke me, and then I was quoted as saying things I had never said in the newspaper. I have decided to keep a little distance ever since. I have a good relationship with the hardcore supporters, and the town and club can be proud of them. Fortunately they have a good working relationship with the Marketing department. 
I would be happy if the long awaited Vidi Pub would be ready by the spring, together with the new media wing, as we have serious matches coming up. On the other hand, other plans include offices that will be transformed and completed. Then we can work on the dressing rooms, and whatever else life brings, the managers bench and even the bufe.
Author: David Rechnitzer
