Lazar and Elek head for Dubai to join up with the international squad

Hungary have an international friendly match in Dubai, with Azerbaijan, next week as part of their build up for the European Championship qualifying match with Holland at the end of March. The friendly in Dubai will take place on the 9th February, with Sandor Egervari's squad having two days to train ahead of it. Videoton duo Pal Lazar and Akos Elek both left the Spanish training camp near Jerez on Sunday morning, as they made the first leg of their journey to the Arab Emirates. "I will feel quite tired at the moment", said Akos Elek on Saturday evening. "We have to go there and do our job. Azerbaijan are not in the same category as Finland are or even Holland. The game is very important from the point of view of keeping together and building on what we have done so far. We began something good in the autumn, and it would be great to carry that on against Holland. Friendly matches like these are always a good opportunity, for those with limited international experience, like for example the two of us, as Videoton players, to get more experience under our belts. We will be practicing those tactics that the international manager hopes to use in the games with the Dutch side. March is still a while away, but I feel that we have nothing to lose, and we will have to play with courage and then anything is possible."

Pal Lazar is proud to be part of the international set up, and the change in scene is not a problem for him. "The job of a right back is very much the same which ever team he plays for. Gyorgy Mezey and Sandor Egervari allow the full backs to push up, which is a serious part of our game today. It is a very big thing for me to get a call up, and it makes no difference that we will be travelling many hours, with two stop overs on the way to Dubai," said Lazar. Videoton's third international player, Zoltan Liptak will not be making the trip, having gone down with temperature on Saturday evening. He had stomach problems during the night, and weakened further as a result. Club doctor Miklos Kator did not recommend Liptak making the journey.