Hungary assistant coach Adam Szalai said he was fine after collapsing and being rushed to hospital minutes after the start of his country’s Nations League tie against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
Posting on social media, the former Bundesliga striker thanked supporters for their messages of support and said he was fine. Szalai, 36, collapsed on the bench seven minutes into the match at the Johan Cruyff Stadium.
He could be seen lying on the ground next to the team’s bench with his legs twitching, as staff and substitutes quickly formed a protective barrier around him. The match was delayed for 13 minutes and Szalai was taken by ambulance to hospital.
“Adam is conscious, can talk and all is in order,” coach Marco Rossi told the post match press conference. “The referee asked us if we wanted to continue playing and my players said they did.”
Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai gathered his players in a discussion on the pitch before they agreed to go on.
Szalai is a former captain of the Hungarian team and was appointed assistant coach earlier this year. He scored 26 goals in 86 international appearances for Hungary and had a lengthy club career in Germany at Mainz, Schalke 04 and Hoffenheim.
The Dutch won the match 4-0 to book a place in next March’s Nations League quarter-finals. The Netherlands are second in Group A3, five points behind Germany, who recorded their largest Nations League victory with a 7-0 victory over Bosnia. Jamal Musiala struck early on before Tim Kleindienst and Kai Havertz added first-half goals. Florian Wirtz scored a stunning free-kick after the break before tapping in a second, substitute Leroy Sane got in on the act and Kleindienst scored again to round off a dominant display.
Wales’s next opponents, Iceland, earned a 2-0 win over Montenegro. Orri Oskarsson broke the deadlock in the 74th minute before Isak Bergmann Johannesson made the game safe with two minutes of normal time to go.
In Group B1, Georges Mikautadze cancelled out Solomon Kvirkvelia’s seventh-minute own goal as Georgia drew 1-1 with Ukraine, while Albania against Czech Republic finished goalless.
Azerbaijan picked up their first point of the Nations League campaign with a goalless draw against Estonia in Group C1, while the leaders, Sweden, earned a 2-1 win against Slovakia.
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Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres continued his sparkling goalscoring form to fire Sweden ahead only three minutes in, but David Hancko soon levelled.
Newcastle’s Alexander Isak then pounced in the 48th minute to put the Swedes back in font and that proved to be the difference. Sweden now sit three points clear of Slovakia, who were reduced to 10 men in the 90th minute when Milan Skriniar was sent off with a second yellow card.
Moldova left it late as Virgiliu Postolachi struck in stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 over Andorra in Group D2.
