“During Debrecen’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League in September Clive Tyldesley referred to the Hungarian league as “the 35th strongest in Europe”. Given that the 15 or so countries below Hungary in the UEFA co-efficient included Albania, Armenia and Liechtenstein (who don’t even have a league) ‘strength’ is perhaps a misplaced word. Sadder perhaps is that Hungary is by some distance the lowest ranked country on the list to have appeared in a World Cup final. Given this weakness it is perhaps with some irony that September 2009 was anticipated more than almost any month since Hungary last appeared in a World Cup 23 years ago.” (WSC)
