YARE COACH’S MIND

Balázs Nyéki: Learning Does Not Stop After the Titles

The Ferencváros coach speaks to YARE about his journey from the pool to the bench, the pressure of success, youth development and the work that stands out when the ball is elsewhere.

When a team keeps winning, how readily can its coach acknowledge that he may need to change too?

Balázs Nyéki answers without taking refuge in his trophies. Asked by YARE what he learned from the 2026 Champions League semifinal against Barceloneta, he reflects on the tension that had grown within Ferencváros and the need to recover the team’s positive energy.

“I might need to make some adjustments myself,” he says.

It is a significant admission from a coach who won the Champions League in each of his first two seasons in charge. It also sets the direction of our conversation: how to keep learning after success, what to ask of young athletes and how to recognise their potential.

A career shaped by different roles

Nyéki’s connection with Ferencváros began long before his coaching career. As a player, he won the European Cup Winners’ Cup with the club in 1998 and the Hungarian championship in 2000. Spells at BVSC, Eger, Italy’s Nervi, Szolnok and BVSC again followed before his return to Ferencváros in 2014.

He ended his professional playing career in 2017 by lifting the Euro Cup as captain. That same year, he joined the coaching staff as Zsolt Varga’s assistant. From 2021, he also served as the club’s youth technical director, before taking charge of the first team in the summer of 2023. Champions League titles followed in 2024 and 2025, alongside three consecutive Hungarian championships through 2026. 

He has experienced the club as a player, captain, youth coach and member of the senior coaching staff before assuming overall responsibility. That background gives practical context to his views on the transition from youth water polo to the highest level.

In YARE COACH’S MIND, he explains what has changed in his understanding of coaching and what he continues to look for in the pool.

Coaching as lifelong learning

YARE: You were already studying training sessions when you were a young player. What’s something you believed about coaching back then that you’ve completely changed your mind about?

Perhaps back then I thought coaching was easier—though I never thought it was easy—but what has certainly changed is my realization that this profession requires lifelong learning. You can always improve, and a coach is never "finished." It is a continuous learning process. What is equally constant is change itself: the sport and the discipline are constantly evolving, meaning both the coach and the team must continuously adapt.

Knowing when to intervene

YARE: During a big match, how do you decide when to step in with instructions and when to trust your players to find the solution themselves?

I need to maintain continuous control over the match, especially during a crucial game. However, when I choose to step in obviously depends on how the game unfolds. Every match has a script. If the initial script isn't working, we have to pull out Plan B or Plan C. These are the moments when I must step in, communicate with the players, and adjust the trajectory of the game, the mindset of the players, or even the tactics.

What defeat can teach

YARE: After winning two consecutive Champions League titles, what did the 2026 semifinal against Barceloneta teach you that winning perhaps couldn’t?

Perhaps it taught me that you can never stop. It’s not that we eased up on our mindset, desire to grow, morale, or motivation, but it is certain that our opponents are hungry—and we can only sustain our own hunger if it stems from a true, deep internal motivation. Both players and coaches must find this within themselves.

What is most important regarding my own role, however, is learning that I might need to make some adjustments myself. When I became head coach, a great energy and pulse developed within the team. Last year, however, there was noticeably more tension—whether due to increased pressure or because everyone expected success from us is hard to say. What is certain is that we need to address this more and restore that positive internal vibe that leads to success.

“I might need to make some adjustments myself.”

A shared identity and room for creativity

YARE: You’ve spoken about building a shared playing identity from Ferencváros’ youth teams to the first team. How do you maintain that structure without limiting a young player’s creativity?

Yes, the core philosophy at Ferencváros is for the youth teams to align as much as possible with the tactical repertoire and mindset of the senior team. This is obviously very challenging because it manifests differently in a young player. As for whether this limits creativity, I don't see it as a matter of restriction. Young players need to be guided thoroughly with instructions—it almost works like operating them with a remote control. Of course, we don't want to extinguish their creativity, but Hungarian players naturally possess constant creativity and love making their own decisions. It's a continuous testing process to see how far a coach can push and how far a player can go in this area. It is an ongoing learning process for youngsters as well, so I don't believe this structure operates negatively at all.

The value of work without the ball

YARE: When you watch a young player, what do you notice that most people in the stands completely miss? What makes you think that player could reach the highest level?

There are physical parameters that we measure continuously, which spectators in the stands might not notice with an untrained eye, though some are visible. However, what is truly special is the "dirty work" or "invisible work"—the energy they put into the pool, particularly off the ball. Everyone loves handling the ball, shooting, and playing, but far fewer players enjoy doing the work required in phases without the ball. That is what I pay special attention to in a young player (though in older players as well). Additionally, for a young player, it's crucial how well they stand out among their peers in every aspect. If they can truly stand out, that is noteworthy; their career should be closely tracked, which helps in evaluating and managing them later on.

“Far fewer players enjoy doing the work required in phases without the ball.”

Knowing whether an athlete is progressing

YARE: If you could change one thing about the way young water polo players are coached around the world, what would it be?

I believe physical parameters should be measured, tracked, and monitored far more thoroughly and in greater detail. From this, we should establish clear expectations and benchmarks that provide continuous feedback, making progress visible—or highlighting when someone's development has stalled. I feel this approach is still in its infancy in water polo, and there is immense potential in this area. At Ferencváros, we work on this constantly: we evaluate players not only through physical tests, but also through psychological and cognitive testing, which is remarkable and actively pushes the sport forward. We try to stay ahead of the curve here. It is definitely a massive, untapped area in water polo.

The coach is part of the evaluation

The conversation with Nyéki leaves a useful question for anyone watching a young athlete: what do we see when we stop following only the ball? For him, the effort made during those phases is an essential part of assessing a player.

Likewise, when he examines his own team, he looks beyond results. He is concerned with the atmosphere in which his players work and how pressure affects their daily experience.

The demand for improvement includes the person on the bench. Nyéki makes that clear: experience and trophies do not bring learning to an end.

Interview: YARE Water Polo
Answers supplied in writing and reproduced in their original English.