• The meeting with Laszlo Diószegi is not only a foray into the tasty universe of fresh bread, but also a fascinating journey through the ardent hearts of supporters of the king sport: football.
• And that's because Mr. Diószegi is not only a baker, but also the architect of the First League football team, Sepsi OSK from Sfântul Gheorghe, o unexpected and extraordinary combination of traditional craft with the effervescence of sports competition.
Inheriting his family's business, Laszlo Diószegi transformed the traditional bakery into a sanctuary of authentic taste, where every piece of bread is baked with passion, which translates into numerous awards received at top competitions.
In this interview, we reveal the story of the man who brings passion and determination to every aspect of his life, from the bakery to the football field.
A unique look into the complex universe of Laszlo Diószegi – a man who proves that he has found the perfect balance between the two seemingly distinct worlds. What are the challenges and satisfactions of being both a successful baker and sports leader? Find out in the interview given to the Arta Albă editorial office.
1. We know that the bakery is a family business. When did the desire to follow this tradition manifest itself?
I consider myself very lucky in life. And that's because not only my father was a master baker, but also my grandfather. Thus, I can say that the profession of baker is a family heritage. In 1996, I started the bakery business together with my parents, and since 2002, my parents retired from the activity, and the family tradition will be carried on by me.
2. You played football in the 80s at IMASA Sf Gheorghe, and the love for sports is not forgotten. That's how the team is explained, but also the stadium you built. If you allow me a question: why with funds from Hungary and not from Romania?
At that time, in our country, no funds were allocated for projects of this kind. But I found out that in Hungary, the Hungarian government supports the Hungarian communities across the border. Then we quickly submitted a project, not knowing if we would win. I said let's try though. And here I have succeeded, building a super beautiful and elegant stadium from my point of view, which I am very proud of.
3. The bakery we are in is the biggest investment in recent years in the central region of Romania. Have you had this dream from the beginning, that of having such a modern factory with top technological equipment?
At first I didn't think I would get here. You realize that in 2002, when I took over the entire business, we had a bakery oven, three employees and only one car with which we delivered the products. But, slowly, we started to develop.
In 2008 we started to build the second bakery, which we already call today "the old bakery", with an area of about 1800 square meters. Because the world does not stand still, two or three years ago we decided that it was necessary to evolve and build a new and modern bakery. We can even call it a bread factory, because it has 3800 square meters! On the occasion of this development, we hope to be able to reach with our products in areas where we have not been present before.
4. How important do you think this investment is for the Sfântu-Gheorghe area?
Any new investment in Sfântu-Gheorghe is beneficial for all of us. And I hope that the whole city will be proud of what we will manage to do here in the coming years. We want to diversify the pastry and bakery products, to make special products in order to offer both the residents of Sfântu-Gheorghe and customers from the whole country fresh, traditional products.
5. What difficulties have you encountered since starting this business until now?
I tell you honestly that there will always be difficulties. But I'm a positive person who doesn't let it affect me. I think you have to look at the achievements and move on. I didn't get support from others because I don't like to be in debt.
Difficulties existed precisely because of this, because I did not want to go to the banks; I preferred to build everything on my own. Maybe if we went to the banks, this bakery we are in would have been operational for ten years already.
But this is how I see things: I don't want to be in debt to anyone, including the banks. I think that what I have achieved so far is enough for me, and moreover, I think that the whole city is proud of what I have managed to bring to life.
6. For the first time in the history of football teams in Romania, a national league team is patronized by a bakery owner. What attracts you more: the inviting smell of warm bread or the exuberance of a packed stadium?
It is not the first time that a football team has a patron of a baker. Mister. Mititelu (no. Adrian Mititelu, patron of FCU Craiova) had a bakery, which he no longer has. Thus, I can truly say that at the moment I am the only bakery patron with a football team.
There were other examples of football team patrons owning bakeries, only they had other businesses on the side, considered perhaps more important than the bakery. In my case, this is my only business: the bakery, together with the confectionery, because I consider the two to be related, they have common points.
As for the question, I honestly confess that I am in love with both football and bread. I have a hard time choosing between the two. I do the bakery out of passion, but also for people's well-being. Football is actually a hobby. Nobody makes money from football... Maybe they make money one year when they sell a good player, but all in all, you have to love football to be a football team owner. And I, since I was 7-8 years old, have been passionate about football.
7. How do you manage to balance a career as a baker with that of patron of a successful football team? Do they have common points?
They don't have much in common. But I tell you honestly, since I entered the Premier League with the team, football comes first. I think 90% of my daily activity is dedicated to football, for the bakery allocating only 10%. But the wife devotes her time and passion to the bakery and then both the football team and the bakery are managed properly.
8. At the Indagra 2013 fair, you made the largest bread with potatoes in Romania, weighing 96,6 kg, a performance also recorded in the World Record Academy, in the category "rustic bread". The bread produced by you has won many competitions. The soccer team won the Champions League. Let's take it from this that you are a man who loves challenges?
If I had reached the Champions League with the team, I wouldn't be here anymore! The Sepsi OKS team has not yet reached the Champions League, but we have won the Romanian Cup twice and we have also won the Super Cup twice. We are a small club, so we don't even dream of the Champions League, but for me personally it is a great achievement that we have won the Romanian Cup twice and the Super Cup twice. The simple fact that we have been in the Romanian Premier League for seven years is a great achievement.
As for bread, I'm very proud of the world record we hold. But in Szolnok, a town in Hungary, where every year, on August 20, events are scheduled, we built a big oven in which we also baked bread that reached 300 kilograms! But there I did not apply for certification, because the previous record is enough for me.
I am also happy with the many trophies won in baking competitions. Unfortunately, in recent years, I neglected this aspect and stopped participating in competitions. But I was talking with my colleagues that the time has come for us to return to the competitions held at the Bakery Fairs. The challenges are much greater now, but with the new bakery we will have the ability to have clearly superior products than before. Joking a little: if I won with the old bakery three times the trophy of "The best bread in Romania", what will we gain with the new bakery?
9. How do you select and motivate your teams to achieve outstanding performance in both baking and football?
Is very difficult. We all know how difficult it is at the moment to find people devoted to the company or the club, but with patience and time, I managed to gather around me colleagues who share the same vision.
In football we have a very good team, but I can't complain about the bakery either, where most of the people who work with me have been here for ten, fifteen years. It's normal that the staff changes, new people come, old ones leave, but, for the most part, both at football and at the bakery, I can say that I have some extraordinary colleagues.
10. If you had to choose between the bakery and football, who would win?
I would build a 2000 square foot bakery that could fit a football field in the middle! In the middle to play football and on the edges to bake bread. Then we would even be unique in the world: the spectators could also enjoy the Premier League match and the smell of freshly baked bread.
I wouldn't give up anything. I am very satisfied as long as I can say that by developing a bakery business I have made my father, a master baker, proud who was unable to carry out his business to the extent of his talent due to the regime where you were not allowed to own a personal bakery. They are the third generation of bakers who reap the fruits of the family tradition and craft, but also achieve something out of the ordinary, more than previous generations.
You bring joy with both activities. I can say that at the bakery I have 15 thousand fans of Dioszegi products, but at football we have almost 50 thousand. It is a big difference. With the bakery you give momentary joy, when you enjoy a fresh, warm bakery or pastry product. But in football, if the team wins, the fans are happy for a week!
Photo source: Dioszegi bakery
Interview conducted by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă.
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