The arrival of Hungarian goalkeeper Kristóf Palasics at Benfica in September, on loan from Veszprém, was met with excitement, as the 22-year-old’s skills were expected to bolster the team’s defense throughout the season. However, in a sudden turn of events, Veszprém, which currently leads Group A in the Champions League and is a rival of Sporting, has informed Benfica of its intention to recall the young Hungarian international. According to the loan agreement, Veszprém has the option to rescind the loan immediately if one of its goalkeepers suffers an injury.
As it turns out, Veszprém has already notified Palasics, who is currently on duty with the Hungarian national team, as well as the Portuguese Handball Federation (FAP), stating that one of its goalkeepers, Danish player Mike Jensen, has been injured. But in a surprising move, Benfica has responded by refusing to allow Palasics to return to his parent club. Before joining Benfica, Palasics was on loan to Spanish side Logrono from Veszprém, and it’s clear that the Portuguese team values his contributions.
Despite Benfica’s opposition, the FAP may have no choice but to comply with Veszprém’s request if the loan contract indeed contains the aforementioned clause. The situation has taken an interesting turn, especially given that Palasics was recently announced as a summer signing for German team MT Melsungen. Yesterday, the Hungarian goalkeeper played a crucial role in his country’s victory over Montenegro in the third round of qualifying for the 2026 European Championship. With Veszprém’s notification, Palasics may not even have the option to return to Lisbon, leaving his future uncertain.