Hungary have appointed former Brescia defender turned coach Marco Rossi as the manager of the national team ahead of Euro 2020. The Italian would now replace Belgian Georges Leekens as the Hungary Football Association (HFA) prepare for the continental event which is only two years out.

The 53-year old coach was handed a two year deal with a clear mandate on helping the team develop into a world class competitor as they jointly host the event. The 1938 and 1953 World Cup finalists are aware that so much work needed to be done. They lost three games and played a draw in one to make four friendly games under Leekens. The HFA sacked Leekens not solely because of the losses but because the manager in their opinion brought minimal improvement to the team during his time at the helm.

Rossi, who won the Hungarian league with Budapest Honved last year, is expected to perform better with his residual knowledge of the former top footballing nation. Twelve cities would be hosting the Euro 2020 in twelve different countries. With Hungary one of the selected countries, they are desperate to give a good account of themselves compared to the Euro 2016 in France.

Euro 2016 was the first time Hungary reached a major European event since the finals of 1972. They didn’t make it past the group stage. And they didn’t make the cut for Russia 2018 World Cup as they were way behind Portugal and Switzerland. They are seeking to give a better account of themselves in front of their fans as they host the 2020 event alongside Russia, Spain, Scotland, Romania, Rep. of Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, England, Denmark and Azerbaijan. The event would culminate into celebrations of 60 years of the European Championships.