Adam Kovacsik: Full interview

- Why did you choose football as a kid when you started to participate in sport?

The truth is I love football, but it was my parents who made the decision, as they wanted me to be involved with sport. I was full of energy and they imagined that I could do sport to take away the energy within. We lived quite close to the Honved stadium, and the age group above were holding trials, and my parents asked the coach if I could attend training. There were no problems and I also wanted to participate, so after school each day, I went over to Honved to play football. It would have been quite possible that I would have wondered off to the basketball camp had there been one (laughter).

- We read in an old article about you that you did not start out as a goalkeeper, but rather as an outfield player. How did you end up in goal?

I was a goalkeeper for the first few training session, but my parents saw that for large parts of the session, I was just standing in goal doing nothing and not really moving, the energy inside me was not being burnt. That was the main purpose of attending training. They asked the coach if I could become an outfield player. So that is what happened and I moved up to play in midfield, but I ended up always on the floor and always sliding in. There were times when I would throw myself in from a distance to try and get the ball. Although I was training with the age group above, I was still one of the tallest boys there. It wasn't long before the coaches put me back in goal. As for me: believe it or not that I started to cry and did not want to go in goal. The coaches took no notice and there was nothing I could do but go back in between the sticks. Just as I had done in midfield, I began to throw myself around in goal to try and get hold of the ball. It took a while but I eventually fell in love with this position.

- Ferencvaros were next after Honved. How did you end up at the green and whites?

Yes, this is correct. I was 11 or perhaps 12 when Lajos Somodi, who was a coach at the youth team of Ferencvaros started to attend my training sessions. We thought that he was trying to learn more about our team as we would be playing important games against them, but it would later become clear that he was there because of me. He was watching me and taking in what I was capable of. When he sat down with my parents and I to explain his thinking, and the chance to sign for Ferencvaros, we discussed the situation and weighed things up and decided to make that move to the Budapest club. It proved to be a good decision and a few years later, the U15 side won the league and also the domestic NIKE cup. We also did well in the qualifier against Basel and made it through to the 20 team tournament. Teams from around the World took part in that competition. We ended in 14th place, which was considered as a big achievement, as Ferencvaros now had an U15 side that was 14th in the World!

- You moved out to Italy at a very young age of 16. 

That is partly correct. Before I moved to Italy, I had trials at several clubs including in England and Chelsea and West Ham. I then had a trial with Italian side Genoa. I wanted to continue my career abroad. My parents and agent also felt the same way. We had back then defeated the Barcelona youth side. Then at the age of around 16, something broke and we were no longer capable as a Hungarian team to compete with clubs abroad. We could not achieve those successes that we had until then or were capable of. This is why we decided that in the interests of development, the best solution would be to move abroad.

- Did you have a real idea of which country you would like to move to?

I did not have any particular country in my mind when we made the decision. I did not make the decision alone, but we took into consideration that the Italian football schools were among the best in the World. There was serious interest from two sides: Genova and Reggina both wanted me and I finally chose the latter. That was because back then they were a first division side and Genova were in the second division.

- How difficult was it at the young age of 16, and as a teenager, without your parents to move to a new country, and how did you cope with the Italian language?

Before I transferred to Italy, I had been learning Italian for a year and a half at home. I reached intermediate level. You could say that they were teaching me Italian for that length of time, but I knew next to nothing when I started my Italian adventure. I joined Reggina together with another Hungarian player, Csaba Preklet, but they soon split us up after they noticed that we were always together. I did not have any problems as my English was quite good at that point. However, the Italians did not really speak English, so in order to survive out there, I had to learn the language. I did not attend a language school out there, but I had two large dictionaries and took them wherever I went. One was an Italian - Hungarian and the other a Hungarian - Italian dictionary. The communication was quite funny at the start. I wanted to go on the internet once, so I knocked on the office door of the club HQ and started to flick through the pages of the dictionary. I mentioned 3 words, which I remember until this day: "Free to use computer". I needed around half a year before I learned the language to any kind of level. I needed that time to understand things and understand the people. I learned everything by myself, and as I have said, I never went to a language school. I picked up Italian quite well over 1-2 years. I had left home with an intermediate level. 

- How do you remember back to last summer and the summer transfer window. It was not an everyday situation with how you ended up in Szekesfehervar?

There was talk at the start of the transfer window period that I would continue my career back home. Several clubs started to get in contact with my agent and I had the chance to start pre-season with Hungarian teams. It became clear in Italy that Reggina were unclear whether they would compete in the season ahead and in the end it turned out that they could not. Since I had not been in training, I place great importance on training back home. I had the chance with both Vasas and Ferencvaros. The actual transfer to either of those clubs did not really come up in conversation. Time went by and the transfer window end was approaching. My agent travelled back out to Italy to try and find another club out there. On the same day that he went out to Italy, his telephone rang and Zoltan Kovacs wanted to meet the following day. He had become the new Director of Football at Videoton. Keeper Pajovics had suffered a serious injury in one of the training sessions and they were looking for a new goalkeeper. I felt throughout that the club wanted me and we managed to come to an agreement. I am very grateful that they placed their trust in me. I had moved to Vidi at a time when I had not really had to much game time or training. The most important aim was to win back my form as soon as possible. I moved forward step by step and placed new targets ahead of me. I worked very hard and thankfully the results came. The first change was to break into the first team and I then became first choice keeper at the club. That was topped off when I was called up to the national team. I had not really counted on that happening!

- If you would have to compare Vidi to your former club in Italy, what would the conclusion be? Many compare one of the top Hungarian first division sides with a stable second division team in Italy.

There were plenty of similarities with last season's Videoton to an Italian second division club. Naturally there are many differences between a Hungarian and Italian football club. However, many of the similarities can be developed. The main emphasis on last season's Vidi was on defending. That became the most important factor that we should not concede a goal. We knew that we would always score at least a goal at the other end. This season things have changed. We want to dominate in each game that we play. We want to direct the game and open up more at the back and I also have more to deal with. We have conceded the third fewest goals, but we have conceded one more goal than the amount of games we have played in. I would like to take that figure to under one per game and we have every chance of doing that. We have a strong defence in front of me. We have done well in attack and scored goals. I think that we play attractive football and I am sure that we will be celebrating the league title and Hungarian cup at the end of the season.

- How would you sum up your own form and how satisfied are you with it?

 I have never been fully satisfied with my performance and I am always trying to be better. There are reassuring aspects if you look at the games that I have kept goal in. I feel that my performances have been improving and are on the way up. My form is improving game by game. This is a positive thing and I can also feel that I have developed a lot in the last year. 

- What has your favourite match been here at Vidi that you gladly remember back to with regards to your own performance. 

One of my favourite games was the Europa League qualifier against Midtjylland. Although we did not manage to go through to the next round, I felt that it was one of the best games for the team. My own game went well and it was also a pleasing aspect that so many supporters travelled out to back us in Denmark. That was a positive surprise, not only for me but also for the whole team. 

- Do you have a sporting role model?

Yes, my real favourite when I was a kid was Buffon, who I think is perhaps the best keeper in the World. I remember when I moved to Italy, and he was around 33 years old at that time, and he was going through a bad period, and you could hear the calls about him being too old, and that slowly he would have to retire. What did he do? He stepped out of his own shade and he managed to produce sensational form again, and he is still keeping goal today. He has been doing this for over 20 years, with the exception of one or two seasons. He has been in top form and only the best keepers in the World are capable of this. 

- Have you been able to get used to the quiet Szekesfehervar atmosphere as you were a kid from the capital, and Italy was also not a quiet place?

I would honestly say that I am much closer to the peaceful quiet, small town feeling that Szekesfehervar represents. You have a lovely town centre and the people are very friendly. There are good programs and I love to go to the theatre. I also like to go to basketball games in my free time. If I want the hustle and bustle, then I just sit in my car and can be in Budapest within 40 minutes. My wife and I feel really good here in the town and we have grown to love Szekesfehervar very quickly.

- You mentioned basketball, which is also a popular sport in Italy. Did you fall in love with the sport there or here in Szekesfehervar?

That happened here in Szekesfehervar. I did not really watch basketball games even on the TV in the past. Then a few of the players in the team mentioned Alba Fehervar and some of us have been attending games for a while. The atmosphere is very good and the Fehervar side play attractively. I really enjoy the game and the atmosphere and it is totally different to watching it on TV. I try to go to as many home games as I can.

- The majority of keepers have superstitions. Do you have anything special that you do before the game or with your playing equipment?

I am not superstitious. I believe in the work that I do. I do not think that your game will be any better if you have any superstitions. The only way this can happen is to produce 100% performances in training, which is what I believe in. 

- Have you started to think about what you would do once your playing career comes to an end?

That is a good question. I have spent some time thinking about this but do not have any concrete plans at the moment. I am not that old and as a keeper, I could still have 10-15 years in the game. I just concentrate with the daily tasks. It is something that I have not shut out for the future, but I would not like to be a manager, but rather goalkeeping coach. This is still in the future and now I just want to concentrate on goalkeeping.