We spoke with RB Leipzig and Hungary goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi about his early years in Budapest and Liverpool, his good and bad experiences in England’s lower leagues, the Red Bull group’s secrets of success, and why he speaks up about social issues. The conversation’s been edited for length and clarity.
theScore: Was it a culture shock to move from Budapest to Liverpool at such a young age?
Peter Gulacsi: I moved to the academy of MTK Budapest when I was 15, and we spent the whole week there and only went home for the weekends. So, I kind of got used to being away from my family during those two years. But of course, moving to another country is a whole different story. I was very lucky that I lived with a really nice family in Liverpool at the beginning, so I kind of had a second home there. That helped me to settle in, to get to know the city, and to stay in a familiar environment. I got my own apartment after one year, but by that time I was already ready for this step. I was used to being abroad.
theScore: How long did it take you to understand Scouse?
Gulacsi: I learned English in school but it’s a completely different story when you arrive and you hear people talking. I think I got used to it quite quickly. I left Liverpool almost 12 years ago now, but I still understand Scouse a lot better than any other accent. Once you live there, it’s not that difficult. I know that people outside of Liverpool say it’s maybe not the nicest accent, but I think it’s a nice one.
theScore: Was there something in particular that sums up the differences in the facilities and expectations at MTK and Liverpool?
Gulacsi: MTK at that time had a really nice academy. But of course, training at Melwood with the first team of Liverpool – this is just like a whole completely different world. We had everything there. But it’s not just about the facilities – it’s more about the environment, the people, and the players. So, for example, I started training in preseason, when the national team players were still on holidays, but we still had players like Jamie Carragher there. Then, a couple of weeks later, the national team players returned: Xabi Alonso, (Steven) Gerrard, Fernando Torres. Having the chance to train with these players and then be a regular first-team member was an unbelievable experience at 17.
theScore: You worked under Rafael Benitez, Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish, and Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. Who do you think gave you the biggest chance?
Gulacsi: Having the same manager in Rafa, and the same goalkeeping coach with Xavi Valero, for the first three years gave me the chance to develop. I played for the reserves before I was loaned out in my second season to Hereford United and in my third season to Tranmere Rovers. Then the changes happened. It’s not easy for an inexperienced, young ‘keeper to get a chance and make steps forward when the club is going through difficult times. Managers are always under pressure from the beginning. So, I would say the second part of my Liverpool time was not so easy. But still, I managed to go on loan one more time to Tranmere and then to Hull City. I sat on the bench, I think, over 50 times for the first team but I never played a minute. It was a fantastic experience to work with different managers – really, really good managers – and also with (goalkeeping coach) John Achterberg for three years. The whole six years were a very important experience for me.
theScore: Hereford, Tranmere, and Hull seem to be unlikely destinations for a future Bundesliga star. What did you learn at those clubs?
Gulacsi: Different things. In Hereford, that was the first time I was a No. 1 after being third choice at Liverpool and playing for the reserves. You realize straight away, it’s a whole different level. It’s very physical, a lot of action. You’re under pressure. It was an important experience. In Tranmere, the situation was really good for me, because I could train with Liverpool and only had to do the prematch training and the games at Tranmere. So, I kind of stayed in a top football environment, but had the chance to play regularly on a very good level.
At Hull City, I had the chance to play in the Championship, which is a very competitive, very tough league. I was on the bench after I didn’t perform well in the first three games. I was not convincing, I was maybe taking too many risks, and I wasn’t clever enough as a goalkeeper. It’s not always about the good experiences. Sometimes it’s about learning from those mistakes you make and the time at Hull was definitely one where I could learn a lot. When I got the chance in Salzburg, I knew how to be a No. 1 ‘keeper.
theScore: How did Red Bull Salzburg know you were ready to play first-team football for them after your experience at Hull?
Gulacsi: I heard they scouted me when I played for Hungary Under-21s. After the season at Hull, I went back again for a whole season at Liverpool while still playing for the Under-21 team in Hungary.
I think Salzburg were looking for a goalkeeper who was playing for a top team; a modern goalkeeper who is playing well behind the defense, good with his feet, and reading the game. And of course, if you play for Liverpool, you’re mainly dominating the games – even with the reserves. You always have to make good decisions and to build up the game. They were looking for this type of goalkeeper, so they scouted me and chose me in the end.
theScore: How did the training environment in Salzburg differ to what you experienced before?
Gulacsi: I was mainly second or third goalkeeper when I trained with Liverpool’s first team. You’re mainly there to support the No. 1 ‘keeper and stay out if the outfield players want to do extra shooting practice.
When you come to a club and you’re the No. 1 ‘keeper, it’s a different story. Your main objective is to prepare yourself for the game at the weekend. You have to be fully mentally and physically fit. The professionalism at Salzburg was something you could compare to Liverpool. It’s a really organized top professional club in a smaller league, but with fantastic facilities and possibilities. It was a really good opportunity.
theScore: When did you know a move to Leipzig was a possibility?
Gulacsi: We started talking about it sometime in April or May of my second season. I played exactly 100 games for Salzburg in two years; the games in the Europa League were fantastic opportunities to show myself to an international audience, and then you play in the league where you have a lot of games, you can learn, you can make mistakes. But after two years, I felt I wanted something more competitive than the Austrian league. An opportunity from Leipzig came very early and I was convinced. At that time, the club was in the second division, but with the potential and the vision to go to the first division. I liked the challenge: a young team with talented players playing in a similar way to Salzburg. That’s why I think I made the right decision very, very quickly.
theScore: What do you think the Red Bull clubs do differently to other clubs?
Gulacsi: I think most clubs are trying to do similar things. You try to find talents and develop them into top players. Of course, the clubs at the very, very top don’t have the need to do that. They can just buy already complete, finished players for a lot of money. But Red Bull always has the vision to find young talents – maybe not complete players – with the potential to bring them to another level. Recent years have shown this approach is very successful.
theScore: What do you think the other key ingredients were to Leipzig’s rise since you joined the club?
Gulacsi: We had a very strong team already in the second league. We had probably seven or eight players from the team playing six or seven years later in the Champions League semifinals. It just shows the desire of these players to play for this club. That’s the spine of the team. Of course, we always manage to bring in top talents who later develop into top players and maybe make the next step in their career, but the continuity in the club, to keep the quality and maintain the performances – it’s very special.
theScore: Out of all the talented players you’ve played with at Leipzig, who’s been the new arrival who’s made you go, ‘Wow, who’s this guy?’
Gulacsi: Wow, it’s difficult. We’ve had so many great players. If I start naming any, I would forget someone. This is maybe not fair toward the others, but based on the Euros recently, I think a player who was very special – and it’s a joy to watch him – is Dani Olmo. I think Dani is a very special player. But we had Christopher Nkunku, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Timo Werner. We had fantastic defenders with “Ibu” Konate, Josko Gvardiol, Dayot Upamecano. We always manage to replace these players with quality. We have a really strong team now as well. This club is the perfect platform for players to develop and perform on the highest level.
theScore: How did you find playing for RB Leipzig against Liverpool in an empty stadium in 2021?
Gulacsi: We weren’t allowed to enter the UK because of the coronavirus, so we had to play in Budapest – our home stadium for the national team – twice. I still wish for the chance to play at a full Anfield. That would be special. Fortunately or unfortunately, we will play at home (on Wednesday). So, hopefully we’ll have that home advantage. It’s an important game for us and it’s one we would like to win.
theScore: What do you think RB Leipzig can achieve in the Champions League this season?
Gulacsi: Our situation is not easy at the moment. We started with two defeats in two games where we weren’t the worst team. We lost against Atletico (Madrid) in the last minute, and Juventus got a red card against us and we were 2-1 in front before we lost the game. It’s disappointing. So against Liverpool, we’re in a situation where we have to start collecting points, and we’ll see how the game goes. But in general our target stays the same: We would like to qualify for the next round, and then we’ll see how far we can go.
theScore: You returned from a serious knee injury a couple of years ago. What don’t people know about what you went through during that rehabilitation?
Gulacsi: I’ll always talk openly about it. I had an ACL ligament injury. I had surgery six weeks later and they found a bacterium in my knee, so I had to have two extra surgeries. That’s why my rehab was typical for an ACL injury. It took me eight months to start running, which is a very long time for a professional athlete when you’re used to training every day. It’s a very frustrating time. It took me one year to play another competitive game, and it took me almost one-and-a-half years to be the No. 1 again. I learned a lot about football and about myself. I think I improved as a person and as an athlete as well. And for sure, I had the time to recover from the amount of games we played in the past. I’m enjoying every moment now and I’m very happy that I’m playing 100% fit.
theScore: Is the players’ workload a big issue in football? Do you support the likes of Rodri coming forward and talking about this?
Gulacsi: One problem is, of course, the amount of games. But the other problem is the pressure of not being able to rest players. If coaches lose three games on the bounce, they’re out of the job. So of course, you always want to use the best players. It’s not easy to always think long term. It’s more about thinking short term and trying to win the next game. And now with the amount of games, the load will be more and more. So I don’t know what the solution is. There aren’t many options for the players, but I hope that one day maybe this topic will be discussed, maybe on another level. But at the moment, we accept the situation and we just have to get on with it.
theScore: You’ve been very outspoken about social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights in Hungary. Do you think it’s important that footballers use their platform to speak up about things like that?
Gulacsi: It depends what kind of person you are. And it’s not something we have to do, but we have the possibility and the tools. I think we are responsible not just for our life, but also for other people’s lives. If we can change the world to a better one, then it’s something we have to do or we should do.
theScore: Where do you think you get that perspective from?
Gulacsi: I grew up like this. My parents always thought these values are important: Respect other people and accept other people. This is also what I’ve experienced in my life. I’ve been living in foreign countries now for around 17 years. I went to England first, then I lived in Austria, then I came here to Germany. I was always treated and accepted really well in these countries and I’m very grateful for that. This is how I try to treat people and I think if we’re all like this, then maybe we can make this world a bit better.
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