Latest news with #Hungarian
Extra.ie
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Dilemma for Delap as striker is offered chance to make Ireland switch
Heimir Hallgrímsson has revealed that he met Ipswich striker Liam Delap to gauge if he has any interest in switching nationality to Ireland. Delap, who turned 22 earlier this year, is expected to lead the line for Lee Carsley's England side in next month's European Under 21 Championships, but the forward didn't completely close the door on the Irish option. The talented centre-forward scored 12 Premier League goals this season and has been in demand following Ipswich's relegation. He looks set to join Chelsea for £30million, despite interest from Manchester United, Newcastle and Everton. Heimir Hallgrímsson has revealed that he met Ipswich striker Liam Delap to gauge if he has any interest in switching nationality to Ireland. Pic:In the past, players weren't allowed to change nationality after 21 but a recent change in FIFA eligibility rules means that footballers can now switch nationality up to 22 years of age. Delap's father Rory, who is Robbie Keane's assistant at Hungarian title-winners Ferencvaros, is an ex-Ireland international, having qualified through his Letterkenny father and mother from Meath. 'Liam has good qualities, everybody knows that and his father played for the Republic,' Hallgrímsson said. 'Obviously we are always hoping the good players will join us. He is now in the England U21 squad for the [Euros] finals. That is his focus at the moment. What will happen after that we will have to wait and see.' Hallgrímsson told Delap how much he would love to have the striker in the Ireland camp. Delap's father Rory, who is Robbie Keane's assistant at Hungarian title-winners Ferencvaros, is an ex-Ireland international. Pic: INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic 'We want the best players available, always playing for us. Others might have other opinions. It is up to him. These questions you need to ask the player himself, not me. We always want the best players.' At club level, Delap is certain to move this summer with Chelsea set to win the race to sign him from Ipswich, reuniting him with his former Manchester City youth coach Enzo Maresca. Despite efforts from Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Everton, the 22-year-old is preparing to link up with the Blues and is scheduled to have a medical in the next couple of days before signing a long-term contract. Delap is certain to move this summer with Chelsea set to win the race to sign him from Ipswich, reuniting him with his former Manchester City youth coach Enzo Maresca. Pic: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images Chelsea have reached an agreement over his £30million release clause, which they regard as excellent value. Ipswich paid £20m when they signed Delap from City last summer, and City will bank 30 per cent of the fee because of a sell-on clause. Meanwhile, Hallgrímsson insists that he wants Séamus Coleman to play some role in World Cup qualifying, despite the veteran Everton defender having to withdraw from the squad for the upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg. 'He is a leader in this squad and you cannot have his experience in many players,' said the Ireland boss. 'His experience, his leadership skills are one thing, but his quality as a player is another thing as well,' said the Icelander.
Irish Examiner
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'He didn't say f*** off' - Hallgrimsson happy to 'wait and see' after Delap talks
Chelsea's €40m target Liam Delap has held talks with Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson about his international allegiances. Delap has represented his native England up to U21 level but the FAI have maintained interest as he's eligible through both maternal and paternal grandparents. Hallgrimsson admitted in October he'd delegated dealings to his assistant John O'Shea – who'd worked with Delap during his loan spell at Stoke City – but the Icelander has now met the player face-to-face. Also present at the meeting was Delap's father Rory, who won 11 caps for Ireland and is currently assistant to Ireland's record caps holder Robbie Keane at Hungarian champions Ferencvaros. Although it appears England are in pole position to retain the Ipswich Town striker, he's free to switch until the Three Lions cap the 22-year-old in a competitive senior international. That won't happen until at least September after Thomas Tuchel opted against drafting Delap in for the June double-header to allow him to remain with Lee Carsley's Euro U21s champions. "We have sat with him, yeah,' admitted Hallgrimsson after finalising his squad for the June friendlies against Senegal on Friday week and Luxembourg four days later. 'We just told him we would love to have him in our camp. Liam has good qualities and everybody knows that. His father played for the Republic. 'Obviously we are always hoping the good players will join us. He is now in the England under-21 squad for their Euros finals. "That is his focus at the moment. What will happen after that we will have to wait and see." When asked to confirm if Delap remains interested in joining the Boys in Green cause, the Ireland boss took a direct interpretation of their discussion. "Well, he didn't say fuck off," he said with a smile. Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has allowed his star striker to open negotiations with suitors due to his €36m release clause. He scored 12 goals in 37 league appearances for a relegated Tractor Boys side that features an Irish presence in Dara O'Shea, Jack Taylor, Sammie Szmodics and Chiedozie Ogbene. Hallgrimsson isn't overly concerned about their relegation culling the volume of top-flight minutes his players are exposed to. The FAI have painted a bleak picture in their sales pitch to the government for academy funding, arguing 35 players operating across the top five leagues in Europe are a minimum to assemble a successful Ireland team. Once this double-header is completed, Ireland are straight into a blitz of six World Cup qualifiers against Portugal, Hungary and Armenia from September 6 to November 16. Failure to reach USA next year would prolong Ireland's tournament famine to the longest stretch since their qualification breakthrough At Euro '88. 'I think we have the material to qualify, sure,' said the manager who guided Iceland and Jamaica to major tournaments. 'I have, from experience, qualified with less talent than we have here in this Ireland squad. Obviously, we would like more players to play at a higher level and I think more players will. They're still not peaking in age. 'I think the players that got promoted, the likes of Josh Cullen will play, more or less, every minute for Burnley in the Premier League. 'For those relegated, it wasn't that they were that bad – and some like Sammie and Chieo were injured – but Dara O'Shea played really well. 'Ryan Manning did well for Southampton and Kasey McAteer is playing every minute for Leicester City. The quality is there for sure. 'We like to have players playing at the highest level but I would rather have players playing in the Championship than being on the bench.' That criteria would seem to apply in the case of Evan Ferguson. Although he provided winning goals in two of the manager's four victories against Finland and Bulgaria, he endured a disastrous club campaign. A loan move from Brighton and Hove Albion to West Ham United didn't improve the outlook and he may have to drop into the second tier to regain the sharpness he exuded from his teens. 'I can only judge from the time he's with us and he's been good for us, very efficient,' stressed Hallgrimsson. 'Whatever he goes, it's not something we cannot control. We haven't seen him since March, so we just want to see and speak to him, see what's happening and just evaluate where he is.'
India Today
10 hours ago
- India Today
Missing Indore couple likely went hiking in steep terrain: Meghalaya Chief Minister
A large-scale search operation is underway in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district for a newly-wed couple from Madhya Pradesh who went missing last week while on their honeymoon in Sohra (Cherrapunji). Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday said that steep terrain and monsoon conditions are making the search operation extremely difficult, but authorities are committed to finding the couple.'It looks like after leaving the bike there, they have gone off-road mainly to hike. The area that they went to, both sides have hiking treks, they are very steep. And of course, in this monsoon season, the possibility of slippery areas is also very high,' Sangma couple, Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam, both from Indore, were last in contact with family on May 23. The next day, the scooter they had rented was found abandoned near Sohrarim village, a scenic spot often visited by tourists. Since then, both their phones have been switched off and are untraceable. 'This is a very, very unfortunate situation. My counterpart from Madhya Pradesh, the chief minister, has spoken to me. I have received a call from the Home Minister's office,' Sangma Chief Minister assured that the administration has been working round-the-clock. 'I have been monitoring this situation personally on a daily basis. The Superintendent of Police as well as the entire administration and the police force have been on the job 24x7... The entire village and the community in that area is also participating in this search,' he of the couple, including Raja's brother Vipin and Sonam's brother Govind, have flown in from Indore to help with the search. Govind reportedly used the couple's travel photos and Google Maps to trace their possible route. The rented vehicle was reportedly found near Osra Hill, an area being closely say the terrain is 'beautiful but unforgiving', with thick forest cover, deep gorges, and slippery cliffs making search and rescue efforts risky and slow. A nearby resort, allegedly associated with criminal activity, is also under scrutiny to determine whether the couple visited or stayed there.'We are using all the possible technology available with us to help in our endeavour,' Sangma said. 'Overall the search area is very, very big. We are working very hard... We are hopeful that we will be able to find them.'Officials from Madhya Pradesh, including DCP Crime Branch Rajesh Kumar Tripathi, are coordinating with Meghalaya Police. Cabinet minister Tulsiram Silawat has assured the family of all possible is the second disappearance in the district in recent months. In April, Hungarian tourist Puskas Zsolt went missing and was later found dead near Ramdait village. Authorities had ruled out foul play in that response to recent incidents, local authorities had issued safety advisories for tourists, urging them to avoid remote trails and forest areas without proper guidance.'For us, tourists are like our family, especially in Sohra area, they have treated tourists as part of their family,' Sangma said. 'Every single village has offered their help. They are tirelessly working along with the administration.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dozens of European politicians vow to attend Budapest Pride despite ban on LGBTQ gatherings in Hungary
At least 70 members of the European Parliament are planning on attending this year's Pride celebrations in Budapest, Hungary, despite the nation's ban against LGBTQ gatherings, officials have told CNN. Earlier this year, Hungarian lawmakers passed new legislation which outlaws Pride events in the country and allows authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those attending any events that go ahead despite the ban. But officials from at least six groups of the European Parliament are planning on attending Budapest's annual Pride march anyway, according to a spokesperson for Kim van Sparrentak, the co-president of the European Union's Intergroup. The Intergroup describes itself as an 'informal forum for Members of the European Parliament (MEPS) who wish to advance and protect the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.' Budapest Pride has remained determined in the face of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government, which has previously said it is outlawing the parade and other LGBTQ gatherings in the country due to 'child protection' issues. Organizers have vowed to hold the event anyway, and have called on 'international allies, activists, and friends' to join the Pride parade though Hungary's capital on June 28. Van Sparrentak, who is a Dutch MEP from the parliament's 'Greens/European Free Alliance' political group, told CNN that she will be attending Budapest Pride to 'support the LGBTIQ+ community in Hungary, to let them know that they are not alone (and) to be visible as a community.' 'Pride is a protest, and if Orbán can ban Budapest Pride without consequences, every pride is one election away from being banned,' she continued. Marc Angel, the other co-president of Intergroup, told CNN that he is attending Budapest Pride this year to 'show solidarity' with LGBTQ Hungarians, as well as 'all of civil society,' which he said was 'under attack' in Hungary. Angel said that he will be 'defending the right to assemble as a fundamental European right,' adding that he hopes to 'show Hungarians who believe in democracy and in Europe that they are not alone.' On Tuesday, a group of 20 countries in the European Union signed a letter urging Hungary to revise its 'anti-LGBTIQ+ legislation,' calling on the European Commission to 'expeditiously make full use of the rule of law toolbox at its disposal' if this doesn't happen. Angel suggested that some of these mechanisms could include stopping EU funding to Hungary and enacting an infringement procedure against the country for failing to implement EU law. In Tuesday's letter, the foreign ministries of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden said that they are 'deeply concerned' by Hungary's recent law changes. The use of facial recognition software to identify people attending banned events was also condemned, with the countries saying that they 'are concerned by the implications of these measures on freedom of expression, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to privacy.' 'Respecting and protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people, including LGBTIQ+ persons, is inherent in being part of the European family. This is our responsibility and shared commitment of the member states and the European institutions,' the letter read. CNN has reached out to the Hungarian government for comment.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hungary's Orbán says Trump offers 'hope' at right-wing conference
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán described US President Donald Trump's presidency as a "true civilizational turning point" at an international conference of right-wing populists and Russia supporters on Thursday. "We will not drown in a sea of 'wokeness,' migrants will not overrun us, Donald Trump has given [the world] back hope for a normal life and for peace," Orbán said in his opening speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Budapest. Trump sent a welcome video to the event, recorded in the Oval Office. In it, he praised Orbán as "a great man who is highly respected by everybody." "He has done a brilliant job of leading, and he is a very special person," Trump added. Other speakers at the two-day conference include the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany, Alice Weidel, the head of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria, Herbert Kickl, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidze. Orbán has been ruling Hungary with increasingly authoritarian methods since 2010. He has repeatedly advocated watering down EU sanctions on Moscow and has obstructed the bloc's support of Ukraine in its defence against Russia's full-scale invasion.e
