By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Leave it to Zoltan Perl to lead Falco Vulcano Szombathely to groundbreaking success, literally.
Fueling a comeback win with 22 points, his side overpowered UnaHotels Reggio Emilia in PalaBigi and secured homecourt advantage in a best-of-three series against Maccabi Ramat Gan on Wednesday. Moving beyond the Regular Season of the Basketball Champions League as the second seed of Group F, the next challenge is returning to the Round of 16.
“We showed how we can play and what kind of team we are,” he described the team effort to storm back from a 17-point deficit in Gameday 6 of the Regular Season, “I am proud of the team. It was a really important victory. We clinched the second position.”
After becoming the all-time BCL leader in points off the bench, the 29-year-old guard is determined to break more records. On Wednesday, he matched DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell by scoring more than 15 points in ten straight outings, another record. In addition, he was the top scorer of Szombathely for a tenth straight game, the longest sequence for any player in Champions League history.
“A lot of fans came here to support us. So, I dedicate this win to them,” he reiterated a crucial part of the success, his lasting link with the fans of his hometown team.
Over five campaigns with Perl as the prominent star, Szombathely reached the Round of 16 in 2022, the only campaign stretching past the Regular Season. The improved club stature and becoming recognizable all around Europe are winnings out of this platform. An extended run would be brilliant, considering the growth of the team and the connection to fans from Szombathely to the rest of Hungary following basketball.
Oddly, Perl introduced himself to the BCL as a member of Movistar Estudiantes in the 2018 Qualification Rounds. After four appearances with the team based in Madrid, the next 52 games played with Szombathely paved the way for impressive feats in the top-tier club continental competition of FIBA Europe.
All roads lead to Szombathely
The story begins way before becoming a BCL star. A native of Szombathely, he developed his talents in the Hungarian city, currently the home of 78,000 people and ranking as the tenth largest in the country. Constant work and success at the junior level led to a debut with the senior squad during the 2012-13 edition of the NB I/A. By the 2013-14 season, he was named captain of the team.
An immediate hit at such a young age, his talent comfortably countered the experience of his opponents. Pursuing further career options, he went to Betaland Capo d’Orlando from 2015 to 2017. From the top-flight division of Italy to De’ Longhi Treviso spelled a cup of tea in the second division of Italy, Serie A2. After reuniting with Szombathely for the 2017-18 season, he moved his talents to then ACB regular Estudiantes and made his way to the BCL Qualification Rounds at the top of the 2018-19 season, before returning to his hometown team for good in January of 2019.
From there to capturing five domestic league championships and two domestic Cups, he is the most influencial player of the most successful era in club history.
Striving with the national team
Besides powering up his hometown team at the club level, Perl has been a regular with the national teams of Hungary, from the junior level to representing his country at the senior level over the last eight years. Appearances in major international tournaments include the 2017 and 2022 editions of the EuroBasket.
Averaging 13.5 points per contest over four appearances in the Qualifiers of the 2025 EuroBasket, his efforts were not enough for a win in Group B. Heading to the February international window at 0-4, Hungary needs wins and help to avoid missing the next EuroBasket.
Before the last-ditch effort at the international level, Perl will be looking to push Szombathely to the Round of 16 of the Champions League for a second time, through a Play-In series in January.
Photo Credit: FIBA