"I expect an enjoyable, open match on Sunday afternoon"

On Sunday afternoon at 14:45 Nyíregyháza Spartacus FC will visit our stadium. The last time the Nyírség team played in a NB I league match in Székesfehérvár was almost 10 years ago, on 7th March 2015, when Vidi won 3-0, with Nikolics scoring our last goal against them in the Sóstói Stadium. But that's not the only reason why the club's goalscoring record holder, who has rarely spoken since his retirement, remembers the matches against Nyíregyháza so fondly, but we interviewed Niko on the occasion of Sunday's league game.

During your career, you have scored four times against Nyíregyháza in NB I league matches, twice in Kaposvár colours and twice in the red-blue. Your most memorable goal was against Szpari in the summer of 2014. After almost ten years, how do you remember that goal?

I'm in a lucky position because I remember all the goals I've scored in my career, including this one in Nyíregyháza. How could I forget it, it was my 100th goal in the National League! We dominated the match, I had several scoring chances and even missed a penalty, but I didn't get nervous because I knew I would have another chance to score in that match. And I did, Adi Simon gave me a great ball and I didn't make any mistakes. I would have been happy if I had scored my hundredth goal at home, but of course I was still very happy.

You celebrated your hundredth goal in the first division with a special goal celebration.

Yes, before the game, Joan Carrillo and the team's kitmen and I had agreed that if I scored my hundredth goal in the match, we would celebrate it together, so I ran straight out to them. And by saluting, I meant that I was now a captain (laughs).

The last goal scored by Vidi so far was also your name, which we scored against Nyíregyháza in Székesfehérvár.

That's right, in the same season, in the "return match" in the spring, we won 3-0 at home. I scored from a penalty, it never occurred to me that I had missed a penalty against Nyíregyháza a few months earlier. To this day, I still think back to that Vidi with fond memories, they were a real team with a capital letter and we had an unforgettable season. It was a special joy for me that I not only became champion that year, but also the top scorer. But I regret that we did not get the chance to continue the work we had started, but that was certainly the way it had to be, because you cannot change things in hindsight.

How much do you follow the NB I and what kind of match do you expect on Sunday afternoon in the Vidi - Nyíregyháza game?

I follow Hungarian football to the full extent. Since I stopped playing professional football, I have been consciously avoiding the limelight, I give interviews very rarely, but I am not idle in the background. I'm currently studying for a UEFA sports management qualification, and will graduate next May. I go to matches, but I usually watch them on TV.

On Sunday, the two teams I follow most closely will play each other. Why Vidi is one of those teams is not a question. And I'm following Nyíregyháza's performance closely because of head coach Krisztián Tímár. I think he is one of the best coaches in the current NB I. He worked for years with Vidi's second team, and I had the opportunity to see first-hand the thorough and good work he did with the youngsters from Fehérvár. It was no coincidence that he later became the national coach of the U19 national team. And the fact that he got Nyíregyháza back into the top flight is a huge achievement. In addition, his team is also playing good football in the NB I. But he had a similar mentality as a player, always giving his maximum and believing in hard work. Nyíregyháza's game is characterised by defending high and players running a lot. I expect a similarly open and enjoyable match on Sunday afternoon as the two sides met in August in Nyíregyháza.

Vidi head coach Tamás Pető is also doing a good job at the helm. I wasn't at Vidi when he was a coach and acting head coach, but he is now in charge of Vidi with a man who has brought a lot to the table as a player and later as a scout and coach, and who means a lot to this club. It is testament to this that he has taken on the role of head coach in difficult circumstances and has the courage to touch the youngsters, who we have seen perform well time and time again. I can see the players are fully behind the coach and from what I hear, the atmosphere in the dressing room is very good. And a lot of that is down to the head coach and the coaching staff. To be honest, I like this Vidi much better than last year's team. Even when they are losing, the team does not play a subordinate role. Take the home defeat against Újpest, for example. Vidi should have won that game by goals, based on the game. I think the fans appreciate this team now, even after defeat they applaud the players and cheer them on. So I have the utmost respect for Tamás Pető and the staff.

You watch almost all your son Marko's matches live. What do you think about his game, how is he developing?

It's true that I can watch a lot of youth matches live. A year ago, a process was started in the youth team in Fehérvár that I, as a parent, can fully support. I think it is extremely important that the junior age groups that are not yet competing regularly take part in international tournaments and thus develop long-term, fruitful relationships with foreign clubs. Marko will be playing for Vidi U12 next year and I like the work that the coaches are doing with the under-12s under Csaba Palánki. Apart from the mandatory training sessions, Marko also works a lot at home and I support and help him in everything I can. All this work is paying off, Marko has been the top scorer in two international tournaments this year, and I am confident that his development will continue.