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His football project adds a new layer to Hungary’s history, where communist-era tower blocks, massive Austro-Hungarian buildings, and Ottoman baths reveal a turbulent past.
If the Pancho Arena is the closest to his heart, the national stadium in Budapest is the biggest example of his and the government’s adoption of football.
Similar to Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena in size and design, but built at three times the cost, it sits on the former site of the rickety, historic Nepstadion.
In an unremarkable 1-0 friendly win over Estonia there in March 2023, the most striking moment came as a single, repeated phrase blared over the public address system. .
The tannoy announcer in the stadium chanted: “Down with Trianon, down with Trianon.”
The Trianon Treaty was the agreement which reduced the size of Hungary by two-thirds in 1920.
Millions of ethnic Hungarians still live within pre-Trianon Greater Hungary – the old imperial territory that existed before Austria-Hungary was defeated in the First World War.
The stadium announcer just followed Orban’s lead. Four months ago, the prime minister posted a video of himself thanking winger Balazs Dzsudzsak for his retirement from international duty.
Around Orban’s neck is a scarf with the image of Great Hungary.
Ukraine, invaded by Russia earlier that year, summoned Hungary’s ambassador to explain another apparent claim to its territory. Romania, which took over Transylvania in 1920 and is still home to 1.2 million ethnic Hungarians, Expressed “strong disapproval” of Orban’s move.
For many Hungarian fans however, it points to a deep sense of historical injustice.
While the public discourse system denounced the loss of the former Hungarian territories, while the war broke out on the border with Ukraine where about 200,000 ethnic Hungarians live, there was no visible surprise for the people, so the lines between football and the burning nationalist politics Places called Orban in Hungary.
“The essence of football is like the essence of politics,” said Orban, who is the most prominent pro-Russian voice in the European Union.
“Because the question is not where is the ball now – everybody can see where the ball is now – but the question is where the ball is…
“If you understand earlier than others what is going to happen, you can react first and you can win.”
