Ferencvaros Coach Balazs Nyeki: “We Want to be the Best”

PRINCETON, NJ. A few days after their historic match in New York City against Pro Recco, Ferencvaros coach Balazs Nyeki was still excited by his team’s win as well as their visit to the US. Speaking on the pool deck at Princeton University, where his team has been training off and on over a two-week period, Nyeki—who led his squad to back-to-back Champions League titles, a first for Hungarian team—was blunt about his goal in playing the most world’s most recognizable polo team: win anywhere, anytime.

The Ferencvaros coach also spoke how European teams’ visit provided opportunities for US collegiate programs to raise their level, if they’re up for the challenge, and how New York City is an amazing place to visit… ideally more than once.

The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

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[Michael Randazzo] The match on Wednesday with Pro Recco was anything but “friendly. One could imagine Ferencvaros agreeing to join Recco in the US, training together then scrimmaging…and making sure nobody got hurt! Then Stylianos Argyropoulos-Kanakakis gets a brutality early in the match. Clearly you and your players didn't take it easy on Recco.

[Balazs Nyeki] Of course it wasn't a friendly game. Yes, it was an exhibition match, but we were thinking about this as a chance to play against Recco and improve our play… we will meet them in the Super Cup, and want to give a sign that we can win the match. It doesn't matter that it's just a training or called “exhibition” or “friendly” match.

We wanted to win. For this team, the most important thing that all the players want [is] to be better. And I think this is our strength.

Ferencvaros won the last two Champions League titles. Recco won the three before. Clearly you take advantage of these opportunities to play Pro Recco, which historically has been the best team in Europe.

Yes, we wanted to show this. We want also to be the best in history, but we need time for sure because they won 11 times.

We have [won] three [Champions League titles]. [B]efore COVID we won the last Champions League.

We want to collect titles… Ferencvaros is [a] big organization, big club in Europe in all sports, we want to be the best. For example, we have a women’s handball team. They want to win the Champions League.

Let's go back to the water polo. We want to build a dynasty. That's why we are improving our play and our team step by step, year by year. That's why two years ago we signed Dusan Mandic, afterwards [Vogel] Soma and other important Hungarian players. Our motto is: We want to be the best.

Mandic is amazing! I think what’s great for Americans who care about polo is that you're bringing the best players in Europe, the best players who are Olympians and they're here in New York City.

But it’s not just you and Pro Recco; there are four teams in the United States right now who compete in the Champions League. Barceloneta and Marseille are on the West Coast at Cal. Could it be that the top European clubs are saying: When we look at the future, the future for us could be in America?

It was a great chance for us, and I think for water polo too, because when we heard this possibility to come to the US, I was very happy. Not just to discover the city. I love [New York] … in the past few days it's amazing.

But for me we wanted to bring water polo to the US. I think about this like [an] NFL or NBA team comes to Europe and show their character. These are the best players in [their] sport—that's why it's an honor to be here.

We can promote water polo because—it's difficult to say—but [people] say water polo is dying. I don't agree with this [and] we must do something. Maybe we are not the most popular sport, so we must work for it every day. That's why if you watch the Super Cup in Hungary, in Budapest against Recco, it'll be a big organization, a big show [just] like NBA show.

I think the US [national] team is always coming up, growing up in Los Angeles… they can be good.

You bring up the NBA. In the eighties and the nineties, the league made a concerted effort to send their teams over to Europe. And guess what? Now some of the NBA’s best players are European. Why can't that happen here? Why can’t American players play for your team or for Pro Recco?

USA is coming up. But if I be honest, I'm a little bit disappointed because we wanted to play against UCLA. They are one of the best team in the US, but they didn't want to play against us. for them some kind of points were important in the [NCAAs]. I don't know how the system is working …[but] I think they have to change their mindset.

If they can [realize] it’s a big thing to play against Ferencvaros and Recco, they will understand water polo can [improve]. If they don't understand just to [focus on] the local championship. I don't think it's more important, but it's okay. We are here to promote water polo.

I am okay that we play against Fordham but really wanted to play against UCLA. They have good players from the national team [Chase and Ryder Dodd].

That's why I think they must change in the US. I think about this, the coaches, the leaders must change their mindset that water polo is important or not. I think it's important for the sport.

I hope it'll change in the next [few] years… if we have chance to come back again, we will come back.

What will it take for you to come back? Is that something that your ownership would support?

Yes, of course. We would like to come back. I have a very good relationship with Merrill Moses, coach of Pepperdine. I played with him in Italy. We've been always thinking about how we improve water polo, how to develop water polo. I told him next year we will come to Pepperdine, anywhere, California… it’s not about New York; it's about water polo.

But you did come to New York. How was your trip?

Amazing. Amazing. Really amazing. The only difficult thing was that every day the players want to go to The Big Apple! It was nice thing, but okay, we came here to train, to have common training with Recco and the local teams.

But I know it's a big chance to discover the city. That's why I gave them two more free nights to go to [New York City], to check it, to enjoy it. But a few days, that’s not enough in New York. It's a beautiful city and there is a lot going on there. Everybody has to come one time to visit New York because it's one of the most interesting cities in the world.