The coach, the icon, the maverick: All you need to know about dark horses Hungary ahead of Ireland clash

Qualifiers for Euro 2024, the Hungarians have been transformed under Marco Rossi who has developed a side being tipped by some as a dark horse for the tournament

Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai is the star turn for the Hungarians

PROSPECTS: Though Hungary have famously had great teams in the past, this generation is the first of its kind for a very long time. Playing a transitional, relationist 5-3-2 formation, Marco Rossi’s side have developed enormously in the three years since the last European Championship where they so narrowly missed out on a place in the knockout stages despite being in a nightmarish group containing Portugal, Germany and France.

Then, Hungary were based on survival, whereas now this team are thriving in their own right. Led by the masterful Dominik Szoboszlai, they are much improved in an attacking sense since Euro 2020 and now play a flowing brand of football which gives the players the freedom to flex their creative muscles.