Sporting Kansas City announced Monday that forward Krisztian Nemeth has rejoined the club in a trade from the New England Revolution. Nemeth starred for Sporting KC in 2015, recording 16 goals and seven assists, and arrived in Kansas City on Tuesday to get acquainted with his coaches and teammates at Pinnacle.
Nemeth then joined Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes for a press conference with local media members. Full remarks can be found below.
Sporting KC forward Krisztian Nemeth
On when he heard he might be returning to Sporting KC…
“Two days ago I heard about it and heard it could happen. I’m so happy and I’m blessed. [Sporting KC] was a great moment in my career, so I’m happy to be in Kansas City.”
On seeing some of his former Sporting KC teammates again…
“Almost half of the team is the same, so I am excited to come here. I am ready to jump in and show my qualities. I have an idea of how Peter wants to play. This club fits to my style.”
On linking up with fellow Hungarian forward Daniel Salloi at Sporting KC…
“I remember when I was here the first time, he was in the youth (Academy). I think I showed him the (locker) room at the stadium for the first time. Now that I can play with him, it’s a great thing. I saw he is doing well, so I am very happy for him, and I hope we have some time on the field together and score some goals.”
On the prospect of playing at the No. 9 position…
“This is a good chance for me to show [my qualities]. When I was growing up, I was a No. 9. Since then, I learned all the (attacking) positions, so I can play on the left or right or in the front. My best qualities, for sure, are that I can bring it at the No. 9 position. So I’m happy if Peter thinks about that and tries me there.”
On seeing the world-class Pinnacle training facility for the first time…
“I feel like a little kid here, and I want to try everything out and meet with everybody. It’s unbelievable. I have been to Swope [Soccer Village] before, and this is a big change. It speaks to me about how this club is growing and getting bigger.”
On the emotions he felt leaving Sporting KC in 2016…
“At the time, it hurt because I liked to be here. I loved the fans and I loved the club. In the end, it hurts because you left a place where you liked to be and want to be. But sometimes you have to go because that’s football and sometimes that’s how it works. But as Peter said, these last two years were a good experience and a good learning process for me. I will take that experience, and now coming back here is the best scenario that can happen. I am really happy and motivated to be here and do the same thing I did before.”
On his current fitness level…
“To be honest, in New England we work really hard. So the fitness level for me is pretty good. I lost some game minutes, but the fitness level is good I think. I am in shape.”
On joining a team that has scored goals at a high rate in 2018…
“It gives me motivation. We have more players up front and there is more (competition) for positions. This brings out more from the players, so I am ready for that. I know that in my position, it’s not 100 percent that I am going to start every game. When I am on the field, I want to show everything that I have and give everything that I have for the team. It’s good for the team, and I will come in and fight for the position and try to make everyone else better. In the end, hopefully we are going to (have) some success.”
On if he has received messages and congratulations from Sporting KC fans on his return…
"Yes, and thanks for them! Since I left Kansas City, I have kept in touch with them sometimes. They are really nice to me, and I will try to give back to them on the field."
On whether he wanted to join Sporting KC in 2017…
“It was always in my mind, but I know it is difficult because of the system. When I came here I had a good connection with Peter. But I had to follow the [MLS] system, and that’s why I went to New England. I didn’t have much of a decision at that time with where I could go. But when I was in New England, it was a good experience. Now is the right time for me to come here again, and to be here again is unbelievable.”
On what he has learned over the last two years since leaving Sporting KC…
“When you play different systems with different coaches, they expect different things from you. In the end, this system I think is the best for me. It brings out my qualities and all of the good things that I have. When you play with different coaches, they want different styles from you. That’s why sometimes it doesn’t work, but I think this is the place for me to be again.”
Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes
On why Nemeth played on the wing during his first stint at Sporting KC in 2015…
“I’ve always said this from the very beginning when I saw Krisztian the first time in 2008. He was playing as a No. 9 at that point. I’ve always known that he was a No. 9. Unfortunately, when we brought him to the team, the way we were set up, the best place at that time was for him to play on the left coming inside onto his right—more as a second forward. But there’s no doubt in my mind that his best position is a No. 9, and it’s the place that we’ve been seeking to add someone of high quality. He is that, no doubt in my mind. He’s going to get his chance, but I think there’s no doubt his quality will add so much to our team in so many ways.
“It was really a simple decision to do this. It probably took time, but I don’t think it was a lack of effort by any means. I’m always a big believer that things happen at the right time, and I do believe that this is the right time for so many different reasons. It’s a great reset button and a great second chance for all of us, and I’m very, very excited about it.”
On Nemeth’s strengths as a player…
“The qualities are all of a very high nature. He plays very well with his back to goal, he’s a player that you can play through in the buildup, he’s a player that has great movement off the ball and especially into the channels, which not all forwards like to do. At the same time, he can give a final pass and also make great movement into the box to score on a first-time ball. He can also create his own chance on goal, as well. Very few forwards can do all of those things. He has that. If you remember the goal he scored against Portland when he was here in 2015, to be able to create that goal on your own is not just something you’re lucky at. You have the quality to do it. And then he scored another goal at home against Colorado where it was a first-time shot and the ball got served by Chance Myers, and Krisztian hits the first-time ball. Usually strikers can only do one or the other. And either you’re a player who is just around the box and you can’t play through that player, but he can do all of those things.
“The other piece is Krisztian has already played at the club. When you have all of that and add it all up together, it gives him a very fast acclimation period from my perspective. It also gives him a really good chance — the fact that he’s been in the league and understands the climate we play in, the travel, and the opponents — all of those things are very favorable to getting in form really quickly.”
On if it was always his plan to bring Nemeth back to Sporting KC…
“I always thought that he would come back to the league. What I didn’t know is if we would have the ability to get him. I think most of you may or may not know, when we were doing the Dom Dwyer trade [in July 2017], we tried really hard to get Krisztian as part of a three-way deal. It kind of fell through, and since then we’ve reached out to New England and we’ve been trying. It’s taken a little bit of patience to get it done, but again, I think the timing is great.”
On the decision to sell Nemeth in 2016…
"We both agree that at the time, what had transpired was very good for him and very good for the club. At the same time, we also feel that coming back to this relationship again is exactly the right time as well. It’s the best for both worlds. We had this discussion this morning when he first came in [to Pinnacle] and it’s this: we wanted to be assured that we were on the same page, and we understood that as far as the past is concerned, we agreed that it was the right thing at the time. Now we’re at a perfect place."
On whether Nemeth could be involved in Saturday’s match at Los Angeles Football Club…
"Yes, absolutely. From everything that I can tell, he’s fit. Game fitness is always game fitness, but he’s been training every day and been doing all of that. He’s been coming into games here and there, so I am very confident that he’ll be available for selection this weekend, for sure."
On how Nemeth will help the team…
"From a quality perspective in getting a No. 9, to help the team based on so many injuries that we’ve had here in the last month, obviously that helps immensely. That helps the team in so many ways. Again, bringing his type of quality to the team is also important. The other thing to talk about timing-wise is that this happened with Roger Espinoza, as well. Roger had some other ambitions, and I’m very respectful of those ambitions that players and staff members have. I think it’s very important that sometimes when a person has ambitions, you have to help them go achieve them. That doesn’t mean that you won’t ever come back again to each other and your paths won’t meet again. For me, the timing of it is great because we were looking for that position. Believe me, he’s always been on our radar. And you’re always trying to create a great opportunity for both parties. What you don’t want is neither party wanting to do it. That’s not a good match. I just had a good feeling that, from a quality perspective, it was no problem. It was making sure that it was something that he would want to do, and there’s no doubt in my mind it is. That’s what I mean when I say it worked out from a timing aspect.
“Having experience away sometimes makes you think about what’s important to you. I’m sure that he was able to go and achieve some of his ambitions, and at the same time, he has also realized that maybe this is a place that he wants to be. We really want him to be here, so it works out great in that regard. I also think that the teammates that are here now that were here when he left—they really value not only him as a person, but him as a player on the field. And they realize that he brings quality. At the end of the day, all of the guys in the locker room are also in this business because they want to be successful, and he can help us do that.”
On how Nemeth fits in among Sporting KC’s other attacking players…
"We have four core values in this club, and the first one is that the team is always first. I believe that we have really good quality in those front positions, and Krisztian just takes it to another level. It’s hard to say, “Hey, this is what it’s going to be like.” But I just know the imagination he has on the field as a player, and he can back it up through the technical aspect. He can actually do what his mind is thinking on the field, so it’s just going to add to the other quality players that we have up there. Again, I think he’s going to give us a much different look than maybe what we’ve had. It’s not a disrespectful statement to some of the other players that we have, because they have qualities as well that can help the team. But at the end of the day, there’s a reason you need more than 11 players on your roster.
"Make no mistake, the qualities that he brings will be different than the ones we currently have. Once that familiarity gets understood between the current players we have, I think you’re going to see some very special moments on the field from our club."