The Hungarian government’s State Secretariat for Sport has provided its first official statement regarding funding for football academies outside Hungary, including those of FK Csikszereda and Sepsi OSK. This comes after years of financial support from Budapest for these institutions.
According to the statement, the funding model is currently undergoing a comprehensive review, and the government has disclosed the exact allocations for the previous funding cycle for Romanian academies, specifically for the period 2025-2026.
This announcement follows a public appeal from the leadership of both clubs in the Superliga to Hungary’s new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, requesting the continuation of the program initiated during Viktor Orban’s administration.
Official Position on Future Funding for Sepsi and Csikszereda
The State Secretariat for Sport within Hungary’s Ministry of Interior has confirmed that the entire grant system for sports projects is under review following the institutional reorganization and political changes.
While the correspondence does not announce a suspension of the program, it does not guarantee its continuation in its previous form.
“Following the establishment of the new State Secretariat for Sport, a thorough analysis of all existing funding programs and political initiatives is underway. As part of this process, we are also reviewing the operations and funding framework of football academies in close consultation with relevant governmental bodies,” the response to GSP stated.
This marks the first official position expressed by the new Budapest executive since the change of government created uncertainty among clubs and academies that have relied heavily on substantial investments from the Hungarian state.
Funding Allocations for Romanian Academies in the 2025-2026 Season
Additionally, Gazeta Sporturilor has obtained the funding amounts allocated through the Foundation for Youth Development in Felcsut, which administers the Puskas Academy and oversees programs aimed at developing football academies.
For the 2025-2026 season, the approved funding allocations are as follows:
- FK Csikszereda – 699,937,000 forints (approximately 1.92 million euros);
- Sepsi OSK – 494,000,000 forints (1.36 million euros);
- Partium Academy in Satu Mare – 1,722,500,776 forints (4.73 million euros);
- Târgu Mureș Academy (Marosvasarhelyi Akademia) – 238,000,000 forints (654,000 euros).
These amounts represent only those allocated through the program managed by the Foundation for Youth Development in Felcsut and do not include other financial mechanisms through which the Hungarian state has supported clubs abroad in recent years. Consequently, these figures are significantly lower than those reported in the clubs’ financial statements.
In recent years, sporting entities have also received additional economic resources, including through the Bethlen Gabor Fund, individual governmental decisions, sponsorships, and other investment programs aimed at infrastructure and development.
According to previous documentation analyzed by Gazeta Sporturilor, Sepsi and FK Csikszereda collectively reported approximately 12 million euros from Budapest for the year 2025, while the total funding over the past four years has exceeded 50 million euros.
Peter Magyar has repeatedly critiqued the model promoted by Viktor Orban, which transformed investments in clubs and academies into a tool for political influence and loyalty consolidation.
Thorough Audits Being Prepared
The review announced by the State Secretariat for Sport appears to be more than just administrative. According to information from Gazeta Sporturilor, Budapest authorities are preparing a detailed audit of how funds allocated to football academies abroad have been utilized.
The audit aims to determine whether all funds have been used exclusively for the academies’ activities and whether each expenditure aligns with the designated purpose for which the money was granted.
The checks will also target investments in infrastructure, development of sports facilities, operational expenses, and projects dedicated to children and youth, with authorities seeking to reconstruct the complete flow of funds and their utilization.
Dioszegi and Szondi Publicly Request Continued Funding
The communication from Budapest follows remarks by Laszlo Dioszegi and Zoltan Szondi expressing concerns about the uncertainty created by the political power shift in Hungary.
At this year’s Tusvanyos summer camp, both leaders appealed to new Prime Minister Peter Magyar to maintain the system built in recent years and asserted that all received funds have been used as intended.
“We spent every forint on what we were given,” Dioszegi stated, explaining that a city like Sfântu Gheorghe cannot independently sustain a top-tier club and such an extensive academy.
Meanwhile, Szondi indicated that if funding from Hungary is reduced, the club will be forced to seek alternative solutions and hopes that the program prepared by the Romanian government and the Romanian Football Federation, which provides annual funds to the country’s main academies, will be implemented soon.
Szondi estimates that the Csikszereda project is currently valued at approximately 20 million euros, even without a stadium and player roster, due to investments made in infrastructure and the football academy.
