David Votoupal
Well-Known Member
Hungary dazzled the world in the 1950s with such masters of the game as Joszef Boszik, Sandor Kocsis, Nandor Hidegkuti, Ferenc Puskas and Zoltan Czibor. They mastered all the arts of passing, attacking football, they redefined football with their fluid play and positional flexibility. They revolutionised the game, a precursor to the "Total Football" of 1970s Netherlands. And they were so nearly World Champions. In 1956, the Hungarian Revolution resulted in Puskas, Kocsis and Czibor leaving the country.
Many people point to this as the downfall of Hungarian football, but players like Boszik and Hidegkuti stayed and players such as Sandor Matrai, Ferenc Sipos, Karoly Sandor, Lajos Tichy and Mate Fenyvesi had to step into the limelight. Weakened, Hungary had a disappointing World Cup in 1958.
When the 1960s began, however, a new generation of Hungarian players emerged. Florian Albert emerged as the new Golden Boy of Hungarian football, the Ferencvaros centre-forward was one of the most elegant forwards of his generation- and the only Hungarian to be voted the European Footballer of the Year. The remaining veterans were blended with Albert and more young stars like Janos Grcs, Gyula Rakosi, Ferenc Bene, Zoltan Varga, Kalman Meszly, Janos Farkas, Sandor Zambo, Antal Dunai and Laszlo Fazekas.
The conveyor belt of talent kept producing fine world-class talent. In 1962, Hungary defeated England 2-1 and reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, followed up by a run to the semi-finals of the European Championships two years later. In 1966, Hungary gave Brazil a footballing lesson at Goodison Park, running out 3-1 winners before their progress was stopped by the Soviet Union in the quarter-finals. Another run to the semi-finals of the European Championships followed in 1972.
Hungary narrowly failed to qualify for the 1970 and 1974 World Cups. In the 1970 qualifiers , they were beaten by Czechoslovakia in a play-off after finishing level on points whilst in the 1974 qualifiers they finished level on points with Sweden and Austria and were in fact unbeaten- only to miss out on goal difference, with Sweden beating Austria in a play-off. They returned to the World Cup in 1978 with Fazekas and a new generation of stars like Tibor Nyilasi and Andras Torocsik. There, Hungary lost all three games- but had taken the lead in the opener against hosts and eventual winners Argentina, before losing 2-1 and finishing with 9 men. In 1982, Hungary were back and set a new and never beaten world record by defeating El Salvador 10-1, and narrowly missing the second phase.
The 1986 qualifiers saw Hungary win a group that included Austria and the Netherlands, and their good form led to high hopes despite a very tough group including France and their old nemesis, the Soviet Union. It was the straw that broke the camel's neck, Hungary were beaten 6-0 by the Soviets. A result they have never been able to recover from, and they have never been back since.
Yet talent continued to be produced. Players like Lajos Detari, Bela Illes and Krisztian Lisztes were all highly talented footballers. Hungary, however, sank into international mediocrity in an ever-competitive European arena. The 1998 qualifiers saw Hungary make the play-offs, only for hopes to be brutally shattered by Yugoslavia, 12-1 on aggregate. In 2000, the 2002 qualifiers opened with a credible draw with Italy. And the Euro 2004 qualifiers, Hungary found themselves in a good position to qualify only to lose the last two games. Following that, an injury to Lisztes and the tragic death of Miklos Feher, served as little more than a double body blow.
In 2006, Hungary sank to an even lower point- a 2-1 loss to Malta. Everyone lamented, "what went wrong" as they had been for the past two decades. Yet there's light at the end of the tunnel. The current lot includes Zoltan Gera, Akos Buszaky, Peter Halmosi and Tamas Hajnal, all carving out respectable careers for themselves. Under Erwin Koeman, Hungary have made a good start to the 2010 qualifiers and have a good chance if they can win their next two games against very beatable opposition. Could this be the cornerstone for a Hungarian revival?
What, excactly, went wrong with a country which was once a jewel in the crown of European football? Corruption, incompetent administration and developmental neglect in from last decade of Communist rule onwards all played a part, weakening the public's enthusiasm for the local game. Amidst the gloom and doom, there's definitely hope but it will take effort from all those concerned with Hungarian football, to truly turn the corner. Let's hope it is the case.
Many people point to this as the downfall of Hungarian football, but players like Boszik and Hidegkuti stayed and players such as Sandor Matrai, Ferenc Sipos, Karoly Sandor, Lajos Tichy and Mate Fenyvesi had to step into the limelight. Weakened, Hungary had a disappointing World Cup in 1958.
When the 1960s began, however, a new generation of Hungarian players emerged. Florian Albert emerged as the new Golden Boy of Hungarian football, the Ferencvaros centre-forward was one of the most elegant forwards of his generation- and the only Hungarian to be voted the European Footballer of the Year. The remaining veterans were blended with Albert and more young stars like Janos Grcs, Gyula Rakosi, Ferenc Bene, Zoltan Varga, Kalman Meszly, Janos Farkas, Sandor Zambo, Antal Dunai and Laszlo Fazekas.
The conveyor belt of talent kept producing fine world-class talent. In 1962, Hungary defeated England 2-1 and reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, followed up by a run to the semi-finals of the European Championships two years later. In 1966, Hungary gave Brazil a footballing lesson at Goodison Park, running out 3-1 winners before their progress was stopped by the Soviet Union in the quarter-finals. Another run to the semi-finals of the European Championships followed in 1972.
Hungary narrowly failed to qualify for the 1970 and 1974 World Cups. In the 1970 qualifiers , they were beaten by Czechoslovakia in a play-off after finishing level on points whilst in the 1974 qualifiers they finished level on points with Sweden and Austria and were in fact unbeaten- only to miss out on goal difference, with Sweden beating Austria in a play-off. They returned to the World Cup in 1978 with Fazekas and a new generation of stars like Tibor Nyilasi and Andras Torocsik. There, Hungary lost all three games- but had taken the lead in the opener against hosts and eventual winners Argentina, before losing 2-1 and finishing with 9 men. In 1982, Hungary were back and set a new and never beaten world record by defeating El Salvador 10-1, and narrowly missing the second phase.
The 1986 qualifiers saw Hungary win a group that included Austria and the Netherlands, and their good form led to high hopes despite a very tough group including France and their old nemesis, the Soviet Union. It was the straw that broke the camel's neck, Hungary were beaten 6-0 by the Soviets. A result they have never been able to recover from, and they have never been back since.
Yet talent continued to be produced. Players like Lajos Detari, Bela Illes and Krisztian Lisztes were all highly talented footballers. Hungary, however, sank into international mediocrity in an ever-competitive European arena. The 1998 qualifiers saw Hungary make the play-offs, only for hopes to be brutally shattered by Yugoslavia, 12-1 on aggregate. In 2000, the 2002 qualifiers opened with a credible draw with Italy. And the Euro 2004 qualifiers, Hungary found themselves in a good position to qualify only to lose the last two games. Following that, an injury to Lisztes and the tragic death of Miklos Feher, served as little more than a double body blow.
In 2006, Hungary sank to an even lower point- a 2-1 loss to Malta. Everyone lamented, "what went wrong" as they had been for the past two decades. Yet there's light at the end of the tunnel. The current lot includes Zoltan Gera, Akos Buszaky, Peter Halmosi and Tamas Hajnal, all carving out respectable careers for themselves. Under Erwin Koeman, Hungary have made a good start to the 2010 qualifiers and have a good chance if they can win their next two games against very beatable opposition. Could this be the cornerstone for a Hungarian revival?
What, excactly, went wrong with a country which was once a jewel in the crown of European football? Corruption, incompetent administration and developmental neglect in from last decade of Communist rule onwards all played a part, weakening the public's enthusiasm for the local game. Amidst the gloom and doom, there's definitely hope but it will take effort from all those concerned with Hungarian football, to truly turn the corner. Let's hope it is the case.
