“I was born this way”: Martin Ádám looks forward to Germany test amid social media frenzy

Hungary’s Euro 2024 campaign did not get off to a good start as the Trikolor fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of groupmates Switzerland. With a high-flying Germany next on the fixture list, Hungary’s campaign is only set to get more challenging.

Speaking from Hungary’s base camp in Weiler, Martin Ádám has shed light on the mood in the camp, upcoming ties, and becoming an internet sensation.

“We are sad that the match did not go as we would have liked,” said Martin. “We discussed what happened, we know what mistakes we should not make. We have to start better because the first half went very badly.”

He also pointed out that Germany will be a much tougher test, and that Hungary will have to rely on leadership from manager Marco Rossi and captain Dominik Szoboszlai.

“Szobi and the manager also held a short briefing. The main aspect against the Germans will be to start the offensive together, to be more united,” he said. “Obviously, we cannot be expected to possess the ball more than the Germans, so we have to improve our defence and we will have to carry through the three or four counterattacks in such a way that we can score a goal.”

Ádám, who plies his trade at club level in Korea for Ulsan HD, stated that the team may have been feeling the pressure of the occasion, and that may have contributed to their slow start.

“I’m not a fussy child, but even I was a little nervous yesterday. A European Championship match is obviously completely different from a Nations League match or a club match,” he said. “I enjoy every minute of being here, thank you Master Rossi for the trust. I am preparing so that I can get a chance as a substitute in the next match, and I am preparing to help the team as much as possible in the 15-20 minutes I get.”

Ádám became something of a viral sensation following his substitute appearance against Switzerland, with his stocky form earning comparisons to a range of American football and rugby players. Standing 1.91m tall and weighing in at 86kg, he is among the tallest members of the Hungary squad, but he is not letting the internet chatter distract him from the task at hand.

“Of course, these get back to me, I usually have a good laugh at them,” laughed Ádám, who now has 22 Hungary caps to his name. “I was born this way, well, I’m not saying that I was this big when I was born, but I have a basic physique, I can’t do anything with these echoes.”

“If I score a winning goal against the Germans, it certainly won’t be because I’m looking at memes,” he said.

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