Cup final coaches expect pumped-up teams and a big battle

"Our preparation took place in a normal way and everyone except Richard Guzmics, who has not been able to play for a long time, is in contention to play in the final. Every player plays football to take part in matches like this, so I think whoever steps onto the pitch will give their best and everyone is looking forward to the final. This period of a few weeks we're in with the end of the cup and the league will be very stressful for the teams, so everyone in the squad will be needed during the rest of the period," Attila Kuttor began at this press conference held online due to the recent pandemic. "There's a fan inside every player so I don’t think there'd be any point in it all if we didn’t enjoy this moment. This final is a very big thing in the life of our crucial team, so we want to enjoy being here".

A record lasting seven years will definitely be broken in the national stadium on Wednesday because no Hungarian coach has won the Hungarian Cup since 2013. According to Attila Kuttor, this will be a step towards restoring the reputation of Hungarian coaches.

"I'm very glad that this record will go. I have said several times before that we, as the backroom staff, consider it an important task to restore the reputation of Hungarian coaches to the level of previous decades. This cup final is a big step in that direction. It is a special pleasure to be able to play this final in the Puskás Arena. I was there at the opening match and thought about how it would be to play in front of a full house in this stadium. Unfortunately, it is not possible to have a full house now but due to the unique aura of the Puskás Aréna, it will still be an uplifting feeling to lead the team out," said Kuttor, himself a four-time Hungarian Cup winner as a player, who then went on to state that the greatest strength of his opponent, Honvéd, is the depth of their experience in similar matches:

"They (Honvéd) are an experienced team which has already been through many battles, so the situation will be familiar to the players. At the same time, we also have experienced footballers who know how to play football in such finals, so there are good omens for the match in this respect too. We'll fight to be the winners - it’s different from the home-and-away system when it’s a knockout match, so now we have to hold our own in this one contest and play football appropriate to this (one-off occasion)".

Like his counterpart from Mezőkövesd, Honvéd coach István Pisont has already experienced cup success as a player, but now he has the chance to win the trophy for the first time as a coach. The players from the Kispest club don't need to be motivated before such an important match because there are so many who've been waiting for cup success for such a long time.

"We'll be able to play the final in a fantastic venue, moreover in front of fans, so it will definitely be an experience of a lifetime for all the participants," said Honvéd's head coach. "Two motivated, determined teams will play in the Puskás Arena on Wednesday, so I don't think there will be a problem with the mental side in either team. We have a lot of people who have already lost a cup final and that gives them extra motivation - Djordje Kamber, for example, has been on the losing side in a cup final five times and even Davide Lanzafame, for example, doesn’t even have a gold medal in a major Cup competition. With victory, we would also secure European qualification, so the motivation will be there and it'll rather be a case of calming down the players before the final. The recent two or three matches have brought the team together, which has been very important before the cup final, so I feel like everyone is ready for the task".

Fifty-year-old Pisont also added that it could be an advantage for Mezőkövesd to have been able to have rested for a day longer than Honvéd after their respective weekend fixtures, not to mention that the Budapest club have also endured 120 minutes and a penalty shootout in their semi-final 2nd leg against MTK. On the other hand, the fact they've already played that semi-final in the Puskás Arena and already become acquainted with the pitch and the surroundings, may turn out to be some kind of advantage for Honvéd.

"In a cup final, league form counts for little and the two teams have an equal chance once they enter the pitch. We respect Mezőkövesd and the club's achievements over the past year but I don't consider our opponent to ultimately have a better chance of success, not least because we hold some advantages based on tradition. The players did a tremendous job in reaching the final of the Hungarian Cup. It was hard to get here but we deserve to be here and we'll do our best to emerge successful," Pisont added.

In terms of the Honvéd squad, only goalkeeper Tomas Tujvel has a minor injury but he is also expected to recover in time, so Pisont will be able to name his strongest team to take on Mezőkövesd at 20.00 CET on Wednesday evening.