Székely Land football team

The Székely Land football team (Hungarian: Székely labdarúgó-válogatott) is a team representing Székely Land, a historic and ethnographic region in eastern Transylvania, in central Romania, inhabited mainly by the Székelys, a subgroup of the Hungarian people. It is a member of ConIFA, an umbrella association for states, minorities,and regions unaffiliated with FIFA.[1][2]

Székely Land
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Székelyek
AssociationSzékelyföld Labdarugó Egyesület (SZFE)
ConfederationConIFA
Head coachJózsef Gazda
First colours
First international
 Kárpátalja 0–5 Székely Land 
(Berehovo; 16 August 2014)
Biggest win
 Somaliland 3–10 Székely Land 
(Gagra; 3 June 2016)
 Székely Land 7-0 Two Sicilies 
(Csíkszereda; 2 July 2023)
Biggest defeat
 Székely Land 0–5 Western Armenia 
(Askeran; 3 June, 2019)
World Cup
AppearancesCONIFA World Football Cup
Best result4th 2018
AppearancesCONIFA European Football Cup
Best result3rd 2017

Székelyföld Labdarugó Egyesület

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The Székelyföld Labdarugó Egyesület is the football association of Székely Land.[3]

History

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The association named Székelyföld Labdarugó Egyesület (English: Székely Land Football Association) was founded in 2013 at Budapest, Hungary on the initiative of Kristóf Wenczel, a sports lawyer by profession. In January 2014, the Székelyföld Labdarugó Egyesület was admitted to the N.F.-Board, an organisation consisting of teams that represent nations, dependencies, unrecognized states, minorities, stateless peoples, regions and micronations not affiliated to FIFA. After the N.F.-Board became defunct later the same year, the Székelyföld Labdarugó Egyesület became member of the newly founded ConIFA. [4]

In 2023, they participated in the 2024 CONIFA World Cup Qualifiers. They were placed in Group C with Chameria and Two Sicilies. Sekler Land won both matches, 3-2 and 7-0 respectively, and qualified for the tournament.

Tournament records

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ConIFA World Football Cup record

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Year Position GP W D L GS GA
  2014 did not enter
  2016 9th place 4 2 0 2 17 7
  2018 4th place 6 3 1 2 16 7
  2024 Qualified
Total 0 titles 10 5 1 4 33 14

ConIFA European Football Cup record

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Year Position GP W D L GS GA
  2015 6th place 3 0 0 3 5 10
  2017 3rd place 5 2 1 2 9 7
  2019 8th place 5 0 1 4 5 16
  2021 TBC
Total 0 titles 13 2 2 9 19 33

Current squad

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The following players were called up for the 2019 CONIFA European Football Cup.[5]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Levente Mihok (1982-05-27)27 May 1982 (aged 37) 0 0   ACS Olimpic Cetate Râșnov
2 2DF Hunor Ghinea (1999-02-24)24 February 1999 (aged 20) 0 0   KSE Târgu Secuiesc
3 2DF Robert Oprea (1988-06-10)10 June 1988 (aged 30) 4 0   SK Nyárádszereda
4 2DF Norbert Lazar (1989-04-27)27 April 1989 (aged 30) 0 0   Baróti VSC
5 3MF István Hadnagy (1996-09-19)19 September 1996 (aged 22) 4 1   Malomfalvi Fiatalság
6 3MF Norbert-Cristian Albu (1996-11-01)1 November 1996 (aged 22) 0 0   KSE Târgu Secuiesc
7 3MF Barna Vékás (1994-08-12)12 August 1994 (aged 24) 6 5   AFC Odorheiu Secuiesc
8 3MF Csaba Dézsi (1989-12-13)13 December 1989 (aged 29) 4 0   AFC Odorheiu Secuiesc
9 4FW Ákos Kovács (1983-03-22)22 March 1983 (aged 36) 8 1   AFC Odorheiu Secuiesc
10 3MF Mozes Peter (1984-12-30)30 December 1984 (aged 34) 8 2   AFC Odorheiu Secuiesc
11 4FW Szilárd Magyari (1998-05-20)20 May 1998 (aged 21) 9 6   FK Miercurea Ciuc
12 1GK Attila Farkas (1999-03-22)22 March 1999 (aged 20) 0 0   KSE Târgu Secuiesc
13 4FW Attila Lazar (1989-07-10)10 July 1989 (aged 29) 0 0   Baróti VSC
14 2DF Árpád Rózsa (1989-06-18)18 June 1989 (aged 29) 15 0 Free agent
15 2DF Norbert Benkő-Bíró (1992-10-08)8 October 1992 (aged 26) 14 1   Salgótarjáni BTC
16 3MF Tankó Előd (1995-07-13)13 July 1995 (aged 23) 0 0   AFC Odorheiu Secuiesc
17 4FW Barna Bajkó (1984-05-16)16 May 1984 (aged 35) 13 10   FK Miercurea Ciuc
18 3MF József Gazda (1982-10-26)26 October 1982 (aged 36) 14 0   KSE Târgu Secuiesc
19 3MF Botond Kovács (1996-09-10)10 September 1996 (aged 22) 0 0   Szolnoki MÁV FC
20 3MF Attila Gall (1996-06-02)2 June 1996 (aged 22) 0 0   KSE Târgu Secuiesc
21 3MF Gothard Gajdo (1991-07-17)17 July 1991 (aged 27) 0 0   KSE Târgu Secuiesc
22 4FW Rajmond Bálint (1993-12-08)8 December 1993 (aged 25) 1 0   AFC Odorheiu Secuiesc
23 4FW Norbert János (1998-05-30)30 May 1998 (aged 21) 0 0   FC Universitatea Cluj

Notable former players

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The footballers enlisted below have played for Székely Land at least at one ConIFA World Football Cup or ConIFA European Football Cup and have had played at the top level.

Managers

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The following managers have been the head coach of Székely Land at least at one ConIFA World Football Cup or ConIFA European Football Cup.

Honours

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Non-FIFA competitions

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References

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  1. ^ Hendicott, James (2019). CONIFA: Football for the Forgotten. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-244-17363-0 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Székely Land". CONIFA. Retrieved 2017-09-17.
  3. ^ "Short history of the Székelyland FA". riotingfootball.info.
  4. ^ a b Zátyi, Tibor (25 April 2014). "Világbajnokságra készül a székelyföldi fociválogatott". www.kronika.ro. Krónikaonline.
  5. ^ a b European Football Cup 2019 Squad Lists ConIFA. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d Zátyi, Tibor (31 May 2017). "Ilyés Róbert edző-játékossal készül az Eb-re a székely válogatott" [The Székely Land team prepares for the EC with player-manager Ilyés Róbert]. SzekelySport (in Hungarian). Romania. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h World Football Cup 2018 Squad Lists ConIFA. Retrieved 6 December 2020.