Székely: “Tatabánya are back – and stronger than ever”

FTC, Balatonfüred, Csurgó, Tatabánya, Veszprém, Porto, and Pelister: Seven different clubs in 15 years, yet Márton Székely’s return to Tatabánya in 2022 was special, three years after his departure from the club.

“Tatabánya is my home. They welcomed me very warmly in 2016 and since then I feel that this place is unique,” the Hungarian international says. “Not just because I met my wife here, but because the fans and the city itself provide the perfect environment for me. As a goalkeeper, if you have a superb mindset, you can stop anybody.”

Székely’s previous stint with Tatabánya lasted for three seasons and ended with his move to Veszprém.

“You do not say ‘no’ to one of Hungary’s biggest clubs. Later, Porto and Bitola were both huge challenges; I needed playing time and wanted to prove that I was still ready,” Székely says.

“During that period, my family was at home. This is why Tatabánya is more important to me than any other club. I have got a lot of love from the city and I want to return as much as possible.”

The club’s state-of-the-art, multifunctional arena was built in 2022 with a capacity of 6,200 seats and is scheduled to be one of the venues for the 2027 IHF Women’s World Championship.

However, the arena marks not the only huge modification at Tatabánya. A new sponsor, with huge experience in sports, came on board to help the club become able to compete with domestic rivals OTP Bank - Pick Szeged and Telekom Veszprém HC as well as international opponents.

Several Hungarian national team players have a key role in the squad that enters its EHF European League 2023/24 journey on Tuesday (17 October at 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV) with a home match against CSM Constanta – the Romanian team that upset last year’s runners-up Fraikin BM. Granollers in the qualification round last month.

“In the domestic league, the third place is a clear goal to everybody in the team, which would ensure a position in the international tournaments. These are not only dreams from the management, the squad understands the quest for 2023/24 and is ready,” Székely says.

Tatabánya share group H also with Sporting CP an KGHM Chobry Glogow.

“The base is broader, thus we have more variety both in offence and defence. It will also help that from this season we will play our home matches in the new arena in front of our always amazing fans. Tatabánya are back – and stronger than ever,” the goalkeeper says.

With his vast experience, Székely is one of the obvious leaders on court for Tatabánya.

“The whole team is like a family, together with the city and its people. We try to be good examples for the next generation. Of course, when we win, everybody loves almost whatever we do,” he says with a laugh.

Tatabánya are coming off a challenging preparation period with test matches against strong opponents. The team suffered from some early-season injuries, but Székely is optimistic ahead of the start of the group matches Tuesday: “Our strength is our hearts, so expect nothing but 120% passion on the court.”

photos © Kata Székely-Marosi