Hungary Women off to a winning start in Turkey

“Sport has always been close to my heart; I've always loved anything that was related to movement, whether watching on television or watching live, or something without an actual target but which is close to being sport. I first encountered football at primary school in Nyírbátor. I saw the boys playing football more than handball or basketball and, looking back, we didn't have much of an opportunity to play sports other than athletics and football at that time", Bíró, the 27-times capped Hungary goalkeeper, tells us.

“The boys wanted to play football, but there weren't enough players so I was there at just the right time when they asked if I would like to join in. Of course, just to even up the sides... but I really wanted to try it and I liked it so much, I enjoyed it so much, that (from that moment onwards) I didn’t want to do anything else. I always waited for break-time so I could finally go and play. I was about 10 years old, at that time we couldn't talk about real football, it was 'just' footie".

Bíró's first club was Nyírbátor FC, with whom she signed a contract in 2006, before then moving to play in Újpest and then in 2015, going on loan to a city at the other end of the country, Szombathely. What's more, she didn't start as a goalkeeper, but rather played in midfield for a long time.

"I felt good in any position. I loved it even then, I was crazy for football and it didn't matter where I played; the point was the game. At the age of sixteen, I suffered a severe ankle injury which forced me to switch positions. I wanted to continue (outfield), but health is more important than anything else. I thought I wouldn’t suffer as many injuries as a goalkeeper and in this role I saw more potential for the future, so I chose this position. In retrospect, it was a great decision, but I would add that I certainly haven't avoided injuries… The goalkeeper has a special role in a team. Different rules apply to us and we have to think differently on the pitch than those who play outfield. It takes a little madness and eccentricity because not many would dare to get in the way of the shots we face, for example, or throw themselves into challenges and emerge without serious consequences. It is no coincidence that there is separate goalkeeper training and a separate sports psychology that we use to prepare so we can produce the best we can in order to help our team".

In 2014, the Hungarian women's national team also came calling. Bíró attended a training camp in Romania, and made an unofficial debut against the national team of Székelyföld. Most recently, she represented her country at a tournament in Turkey earlier this year.

"It (my debut) was a great experience, even if it wasn't an official match. I was able to make my official debut in Telki on November 26, 2014, when I took to the pitch against Macedonia as a substitute - we managed to win that friendly match 8-0. Like all national team matches, it was a special experience. Some of the most beautiful moments of my career are my first national-team call-up and match, winning two bronze medals in the top women's league with Victoria-Haladás and I would also mention the national team's UEFA European Championship qualifier in Szombathely last November, where I started the match and managed to save an 85-minute penalty as we defeated Latvia 4-0. On the other hand, the most difficult part was when we dropped out of the top tier with Újpest; I went through a very difficult period at that time".

The national-team goalkeeper feels that women's football is still not accepted as much as they, the players, would like it to be, but she see the positive developments such as, for example, live television broadcasts or the staging of the 2019 UEFA Women's Champions League final in Budapest. Moreover, recently there are fewer and fewer surprised faces when a girl like Barbara tells them she is an top-tier footballer.

"There are a lot of people working on this, players too, so that the Hungarian fans enjoy women's football at least as much as we, the players, do. The highlight of my career would be to be able to play our matches in front of capacity crowds in stadia. It’s a huge privilege which makes playing sport all worthwhile; when they're happy with us and encourage us, we can battle for our aims and on the other hand they accept what we do, whether it's a national team match or a league fixture".

The coronavirus outbreak has disrupted the lives of footballers too. Since mid-March, not long after returning from their training camp and mini-tournament in Turkey, the members of the women's national team have been unable to train with their clubs and all her matches have been postponed or cancelled. According to Bíró, perhaps the most difficult thing about this is that their usual routine of everyday life has been turned upside down: "We've been given things to do from the head coach and our fitness coach all the time, which has made the situation easier, but the atmosphere has been different".

According to the player, it is important in this situation to stay active for those who can do so, but this should be done while staying safe: "We can't be selfish. You can go to play sport, run, cycle... etc, but follow the instructions so that we can get over this as soon as possible. I know the good weather is drawing everyone outdoors now, but we need to look out for each other and ourselves, even more so now than before". Although competitive matches are no longer in Bíró's diary this season after MLSZ brought the standard league season to a cose for almost everyone, she continues to train.

In regard to the continuation of the Simple Women's League, MLSZ decided that the postponed MTK Hungária – DVTK match wi be played to decide which of those two teams joins Ferencváros in the top two teams in the league's final table, so that the pair can contest the best-of-3 championship final to decide which club will represent Hungary in the 2020/21 Women's Champions League. "I'm sure this (bringing the season to a premature end for most teams) was a difficult decision for the federation. I'm sorry this season has ended like this after all the hard work done by players, coaches, managers... everyone, but it can't be helped. We have to accept the decision. Our health is more important, so that we can continue to enjoy every minute of football in the future", Bíró concluded.