WC hockey | The scandal of the Hungarians at the hockey World Cup. You’re a buffoon, the star snapped at the coach. The union had to intervene

Twenty-seven-year-old striker Vilmos Galló, one of the most experienced Hungarian hockey players, could not contain his emotions after the match and exploded. He called the Hungarians’ Canadian coach, Don MacAdam, “a buffoon who can’t create striking formations or power attacks.”

Other teammates then indicated that the atmosphere in the team is far from ideal, and questioned the very nomination for the championship, which lacks some traditional supports.

In addition to being the head coach, MacAdam is also the sports director of the Hungarian National Hockey Association. He took over the leadership of the national team last year after his predecessor Kevin Constantine resigned for family reasons.

The Hungarian union subsequently responded to Galló’s statement. “It was unworthy of a professional athlete. Whatever happened in the dressing room before the game should have stayed in the dressing room. Coaches and players must find another way to get rid of the frustration of losing,” the federation said in an official statement.

Galló, who spent the last five years in the elite leagues in Finland and Sweden, apologized for his words on Thursday. “I would like to apologize to the national coach for my words. We had some problems in the dressing room that we had to talk about. It was not the result we expected. We can do more,” Galló wrote on Facebook.

In the IIHF rankings, the twenty-third Romanians beat the Hungarians, who are four places better, in a competitive match for the first time in 27 years. After initial wins over Japan and South Korea, Hungary complicated their path to advancement. On Friday they still play against the Italians, a day later against the Slovenians. The two best teams of the six-man table will advance to the elite group of the WC.