‘The Irish, like all the British players, do their job on the pitch’ – Hungary boss ready for World Cup battle against Ireland

Hungary coach Marco Rossi (Reuters/Hayk Baghdasaryan)

The peace and quiet of their base in the countryside, in a small, sleepy village 20km away from the bustle of the capital Budapest, was in stark contrast to the fighting talk from the Hungary camp as they are preparing for football’s version of war when they collide with the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.

With talk of “provocation”, referees, hard-tackling and aggression, the Hungary manager Marco Rossi and one of his key players, Bendegúz Bolla, made it clear that they are not expecting a tight, tactical tussle against their visitors.