Austria's Hungarian-born defender Gyoergy Garics has decided to stay at Euro 2016 despite his father's death last week, saying his last words were to carry on.
The 32-year old's father, Gyoergy Garics Sr, died from cancer at his home in Hungary last Friday. Garics said he would have wanted him to stay at the tournament as Austria prepare to take on his native Hungary in Group F on Tuesday.
"I was able to telephone him," Garics told the Austrian website Sportnet on Monday. "Now I am going to try to do my bit to help the team. He would have wanted it that way.
"I will try to get some strength from this sad story. He would want that. As my father, he always wanted the best for me and my career. His last words to me were: 'Please go and do what you have to do'."
The defender-cum-midfielder, who plays his club football in Germany with SV Darmstadt 98 defender, said the Bordeaux game tie against Hungary would hold greater personal significance after his father's loss.
"It was his biggest goal for me to go the Euros. I want to prepare a beautiful departure for him," he said.
IMAGE: Austrian national team player Gyoergy Garics is Hungarian born.
Photograph: Robert Zolles/Files/Reuters.
