football

Could Szoboszlai lead RB Leipzig on Villarreal-like run?

szoboszlai salzburg

Villarreal punched above their weight against the titans of the Champions League to advance to the semi-finals of the competition. They knocked out Juventus and Bayern Munich on their way to the last four before giving Liverpool an almighty scare. The Yellow Submarine was eventually undone by the Reds, but proved that teams do not necessarily need big budgets or to be stacked with talent at all levels to make a deep run in the competition.

Teams of the ilk of RB Leipzig should take plenty of heart with their rising star Dominik Szoboszlai at the center of a potential run next season. The German outfit has already proven that they can compete with the best in Europe with a great run in the Europa League. However, they will want to be considered for a bet on Champions League next season among the outsiders for the crown and to make a decisive impact in the competition, unlike the 2021/22 campaign where they failed to advance out of the group stage.

Szoboszlai could be the key component that allows RB Leipzig to make a charge as he was the standout for the club in the group stage, despite their failure. The 21-year-old was impressive against Paris Saint-Germain and held his cool under pressure to net a late penalty on home soil to earn Leipzig a share of the spoils against the French outfit. The Hungary international then pulled the strings for Domenico Tedesco’s men against Manchester City in their final group game, once more finding the net in a 2-1 victory.

The 21-year-old has proved that he can dominate matches against top teams, but now needs the support around him. Leipzig will be in a battle to retain his services and that of Christopher Nkunku in the summer, but if the German outfit can keep hold of their two main starlets in the middle of the park there is a base for Tedesco to work with to attempt to make deep inroads to the Champions League. Unai Emery and Villarreal laid down the blueprint, with the requirement for a solid base in defense and the ability to be clinical on the counter. Nkunku and Szoboszlai can take care of that aspect alongside Andre Silva in the final third, but another Hungary international has to improve his form.

Willi Orban has been reliable for Leipzig in the Bundesliga. However, he and his teammates have been exposed by the better sides in Europe too easily, notably in their 6-3 defeat to City and 4-1 hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. At the age of 29, Leipzig face a difficult decision regarding the future of the vice-captain, which could be further complicated if rising talent Josko Gvardiol were to leave the club. The onus will be on Tedesco to provide the balance that is required of a Champions League hopeful to go all the way and allow his attacking players to flourish in the final third.

Villarreal has shown the way forward for the so-called lesser lights of European football to make an impact against the elite. Leipzig could be the next best bet to make a similar move in the 2022/23 campaign if they are able to qualify for the tournament.

England VS Hungary: a look back at the World Cup qualifying matches

stadium

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In September and October 2021, Hungary and England played each other for World Cup qualification. England won 4-0 on Matchday 4 and Matchday 8 ended in a 1-1 draw. In their group, England came out on top and won their ticket to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The two teams will play each other twice more in the Nations League, on 4 and 14 June 2022. If you are a football fan, a fan or a bettor, we suggest that you take a look at the Hungary-England matches that have already taken place. Indeed, the analysis of past matches is a good way to predict what can happen in the next matches. These analyses, combined with the statistics, make it possible to make the best bets, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of the kwiff welcome overview to bet on these future matches!

Day 4: A hostile match on the pitch and in the stands

The game opened with a bang, thanks to Rice getting the ball high off Orban and Jack Grealish playing in the Mason Mount overlap after drawing two red shirts on him. Sterling scored the first goal and Kane the second. The first half was pretty standard, in a fairly slow tempo. But after the half-time break, everything changed, England went wild: the game was sharper and sharper, the intentions were more pronounced. The team should have led earlier, they had the means to do so. Harry Kane used his body to manoeuvre on Kyle Walker’s pass, pulling away from centre-back Willi Orban to shoot too close to Peter Gulacsi. The second goal followed an interception by Kalvin Phillips and was created by Sterling, whose cross deflected for Kane to bury a diving header. Kane should have scored again, but Gulacsi pushed him away from a Grealish pass and that’s when he was targeted by a firework from the stands. Meanwhile Shaw was rained down with plastic cups as he tried to take a corner and as the ball passed from Maguire’s head to Gulacsi, the firework burned across the pitch. Grealish released Kane again and his shot hit the keeper again. Then, after Jordan Pickford had made his only save from substitute Daniel Salloi, Rice’s low shot was pushed into the net by Gulacsi. 

Between the cup-throwing, the firework and the fact that Raheem Sterling and Luke Shaw were the targets of racist chants and monkey faces, it was a very hostile game for England. But it was probably this hostility that drove the team to come together and perform in the second half. The post-match discussions were more about that than the game, which is a shame.

Second game: less animated but still spectacular

While there were a few arrests in the stands during this game at Wembley, the atmosphere was not comparable to the previous game. The stands were hectic but despite the distractions, England’s players remained focused on the pitch, with Kane missing a shot from a Shaw cross, Phil Foden impressing in a deeper midfield role, and Grealish hitting the target himself. But that promising start was quickly undone when Shaw was manhandled by Loic Nego as the Hungarian came out of the box, giving the visitors the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot – and Sallai sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way. England had a good chance of winning a penalty as they looked for an instant response in the green haze of a Hungarian fan’s rocket, but referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez let play continue when Kane was caught from behind by Attila Szalai. The home side equalised eight minutes before the break, however, Stones poaching at the back post to convert a stinging free-kick from Foden for his first England goal. England could have taken the lead, particularly through Grealish, but he was twice denied after breaking into the box, and Sterling, whose header hit the post on the stroke of half-time.

To sum up, the games between Hungary and England were, as usual, action-packed. The English and Hungarian fans are fervent and committed and the stadium can quickly become erupting. For the Nations League matches, you can expect the same game and the same atmosphere.

Ferencváros wins soccer championship – VIDEO

fradi

Ferencváros’ men’s football team defended their title with a 2-1 win over arch-rivals Újpest.

After a home win of Kisvárda and the defeat of Puskás Akadémia in Székesfehérvár, Ferencváros footballers ran onto the pitch for their 291st derby in the knowledge that a win would mathematically secure their fourth league title in a row and the 33rd overall. Tickets for this prestigious encounter had sold out days in advance, so the atmosphere on Üllői út was expected to be very good on Sunday afternoon.

The Russian head coach Stanislav Cherchesov chose Dibusz – Somalia, Blazic, Kovacevic, Pászka – Vécsei, Laidouni, Esiti – Zachariassen, Boli, Tokmac for the starting line-up.

First half

We only had to wait a minute and a half for Fradi first serious chance, Boli was in a promising position but the visiting defence intervened. In the fourth minute, Blazic took a shot from outside the box, but Banai saved. Half a minute later, Újpest were awarded a penalty: Zivzivadze stepped up and shot into the bottom left corner (0-1).

In the 13th minute, Laidouni spotted Pászka free on the left, who looked up after an adjustment and fired the ball long, but the onrushing Zachariassen missed. Minutes later, a corner was headed wide by Pászka, but his flat effort was easily saved by Banai. In the 19th minute, Boli crossed the ball, Kastrati could not free himself, but Tokmac came from long range and equalised with a left-footed shot (1-1).

In the 39th minute, Pászka made a great pass to Vécsei, who put a great left-footed shot into the long bottom corner, and we had the lead (2-1). Three minutes later, Kovacevic was left on the ground and the referee immediately signaled the medical staff to come. After a short treatment Fradi Bosnian defender indicated that he could continue, no problem. In the one minute of extra time no further goals were scored and we went to the break with a 2-1 lead.

Second half

Fradi made one substitution during the break, with Somalia being replaced by Samy Mmaee for the restart.

In the 55th minute, Tokmac made a great start for Boli, who was tackled by the visiting defence before he could shoot, a corner was taken. Two minutes later, Újpest attacked and Croizet’s close range effort was saved by Dibusz with an amazing reflex move, and we still had the lead. In the 60th minute, we threatened again after Pászka’s cross, this time Boli turned off his defender and shot, but Banai saved, as he did two minutes later with Laidouni’s effort.

In the 63rd minute Loncar replaced Bálint Vécsei, who scored Ferencváros second goal. In the 71st minute, after a great counterattack, Loncar shot but was blocked by the Újpest defence. Moments later we made another change: Auzqui came on for Zachariassen. In the 73rd minute Újpest made a substitution: Mitrovic came on for Miroslav Bjelos.

In the 81st minute, Boli set up Pászka, who shot right after a cool dribble but missed the target. The referee gave 8 minutes extra time, and three minutes into the OT Loncar was sent off the pitch with a red card. Then Croizet equalised in stoppage time, but the referee disallowed the goal after viewing it again with VAR, as it was a handball.

The result remained unchanged for the rest of the match, and the home side beat Újpest for the tenth time in a row to defend their title, the thirty-third league title in the club’s history.

OTP Bank League, Round 29

FTC–Újpest FC 2-1 (2-1)

Budapest, Groupama Arena

FTC: Dibusz – Somália (S. Mmaee, at the break), Blazic, Kovacevic, Pászka – Vécsei (Loncar, 63.), Laidouni (Besic 90.), Esiti – Zachariassen (Auzqui, 71.), Boli, Tokmac Head coach: Stanislav Cherchesov

Újpest: Banai – Kastrati, Koutroumpis, Bjelos (Mitrovic, 73.), Antonov – Chongvai, Boumal (Katona, 83.) – Croizet, Onovo, Beridze – Zivzivadze Head coach: Miroslav Kruscic

Yellow cards: Boli (61st), Kovacevic (81st), Loncar (87th 90+3rd), Tokmac (90+5th) and Croizet (42nd), Onovo (60th), Csongvai (87th)

Red card: Loncar (90+3)

Goals: Tokmac (19th), Vécsei (39th) and Zivzivadze (6th)

Results of matches played in the 29th round of Hungary’s first-division soccer championship on Sunday:

Ferencváros – Újpest 2:1
Gyirmót – Honvéd 1:1
Played on Saturday:
Kisvárda – Debrecen 1:0
Zalaegerszeg – Paks 2:3
Fehervár – Puskás Akadémia 2:2
Played on Friday:
MTK – Mezőkövesd 0:4

Standings:
1. Ferencváros 29 19 5 5 51-23 62 points
2. Kisvárda 29 13 10 6 44-31 49
3. Puskás Akadémia 29 13 10 6 38-30 49
4. Paksi 29 12 5 12 69-55 41
5. Fehérvár 29 11 7 11 40-40 40
6. Újpest 29 11 6 12 43-41 39
7. Zalaegerszeg 29 10 9 10 38-47 39
8. Mezőkövesd 29 10 7 12 34-42 37
9. Debrecen 29 9 8 12 43-45 35
10. Honvéd 29 9 6 14 45-47 33
11. Gyirmót 29 6 9 14 27-42 27
12. MTK 29 6 8 15 19-48 26

Dynamo Kyiv legend: “I’m ashamed to be Hungarian!”

szabó józsef football player and coach

FC Dynamo Kyiv legend József Szabó would take up a machine gun and fight the Russians if his health allowed it. He has expressed utter disappointment and says he is ashamed to be Hungarian.

The football legend mourns the victims

Every night, József Szabó mourns the Ukrainians who have fallen that day and dreams of driving the enemy out of the country in the morning. Szabó was a Hungarian citizen at birth, became a Soviet citizen after WWII, and a Ukrainian citizen in 1991. He played for Russian and Ukrainian football clubs as well. He was Ukraine’s national team captain and Dynamo Kyiv’s manager.

“I am ashamed to be a Hungarian”

According to Blikk.hu, he has been repeatedly denigrated and called a fascist by the Soviet press for his Hungarian identity, and he now believes the Russian army is surpassing the atrocities of the German SS. The man was upset by Blikk.hu’s contact and refused to give an interview to the Hungarian newspaper. When he picked up the phone, he said the following:

“Sorry, but I don’t want to talk to Hungarian newspapers. I am ashamed to be Hungarian. The main problem is not that Hungary is not helping Ukraine in the war, although I don’t understand why it doesn’t at least let the weapons sent from the West through the country. What hurts more and annoys me is that Viktor Orbán’s tongue is constantly up the arse of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who started the war.”

After he said all this, he hung up.

A successful player and coach, he recently underwent knee surgery, and immediately after the war broke out, he was willing to give an interview to Magyar Nemzet, but unfortunately, this was not the case with Blikk.

Kárpáti Igaz Szó

According to Blikk.hu, Szabó told the Carpathian True Word (Kárpáti Igaz Szó, a newspaper of the Hungarian community in Ukraine) about his life a few days ago. In the days before the Russian attack on Ukraine, he was admitted to a hospital in Kyiv for surgery. After the first air raid, he was taken to the basement of the institution.

He was returned home at the end of March. His relatives asked him to leave Kyiv, but he refused to leave his apartment, even though he has a house in Transcarpathia (Kárpátalja), and his friends invited him to Hungary.

His son George Sabo came home from America and went to the front to fight. Szabó said he is worried about his son, but he agrees with his decision and supports him.

According to his friend

As we can read in the article of Blikk.hu, István Medvigy, a former member of the Transcarpathian Football Association, told Blikk that he spoke to his friend on the phone.

“Day after day, he walks around the besieged city, trying to help those who are in a more difficult situation than himself. He has struggled to cope with the tragedy of children murdered in the war, hated the Russians, and even deleted the numbers of his former Russian sports teammates from his phone book,”

said Medvigy.

Fish poison
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Ferenc Puskás’s granddaughter and great-granddaughter became Hungarian citizens! – PHOTOS

Ferenc Puskás's granddaughter and great-granddaughter1

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced on Friday that the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of the legendary Hungarian football player, Ferenc Puskás, became Hungarian citizens. Interestingly, Puskás would have celebrated his 95th birthday this Friday.

Ferenc Puskás is a world legend

According to blikk.hu, Réka Damborena Puskas and Ane de Juan Damborena received their Hungarian citizenship in the Bozsik Aréna, Budapest. Réka is the granddaughter, while Ane is the great-granddaughter of Ferenc Puskás, the famous Hungarian football player and lead attacker of the Hungarian Golden Team.

The minister started his speech with a question: What makes a nation great? “It does not depend on its territory or population, raw materials or military power. There is a much more important index showing that a nation could give a legend to the world. A legend who could make happy not only their own compatriots but also other people around the globe” – Szijjártó continued.

According to Nemzeti Sport, he added

“it is great for a small country to be able to give the whole world a legend.

I travel a lot, and I realize that Ferenc Puskás is still known everywhere today. At the time, it was ‘sacrilegious’ in the ministry that I took football balls signed by Uncle Öcsi with me instead of porcelain intended as official gifts.

And wherever I returned, I saw that this ball was either on display in the main place of the ministry, or my colleague whispered that he took it home to his children..

It may be strange to talk about what Ferenc Puskás had to do with the Foreign Ministry, but Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano said: Ferenc Puskás was not only a player but also a man, he was the best as a person too, he tried to help all Hungarians, and he was like an embassy in one person.“

Love for Hungary passed to daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter

Szijjártó said that Puskás and Hungary have an equivalent meaning in many parts of the world. He was an ambassador of his country around the globe without being nominated as one. And he still is. He added that Puskás was a real Hungarian man. Even though the communist dictatorship wanted to kick him out of the nation he did intend to return. And he passed that love for Hungary to his successors.

Puskás is not only one of the greatest football players in the world but a good man. Therefore, his opponents always respected him, the minister cleared.

The descendants of Ferenc Puskás’s former teammates were also present at the event. The ladies were greeted with love by Edina Grosics, daughter of Gyula Grosics, Jenő Buzánszky Jr., and Péter, son of József Bozsik after whom the stadium is named.

György Szöllősi, editor-in-chief of Nemzeti Sport, opened the ceremony with a speech as the ambassador of Puskás Affairs: “According to a 1957 law, the Presidential Council of the Hungarian People’s Republic could revoke Hungarian citizenship from anyone who had seriously violated the loyalty to the government. This punished those who had fled abroad, or defected, at the time. 

Strangely enough, however,

Ferenc Puskás was not deprived of his Hungarian citizenship even when he acquired the Spanish – in 1962,

he already played for that national team at the World Cup in Chile. Hungarian state security launched treason proceedings against him and kept a file on him – on him who perhaps did the most for the reputation of Hungary in the twentieth century. When he moved back to Hungary after the regime change and became the Hungarian national team’s head coach, he considered it important that his documents were in order again, and he received his Hungarian passport and identity card again. 

I think his granddaughter first mentioned she wanted to be a Hungarian citizen when she watched and wept through the Puskás musical last summer in Szeged.

I understand that Réka’s sister Elisabeth will soon apply for Hungarian citizenship as well.

Perhaps she does not have to prove much that there are Hungarian citizens among her ancestors… “

Ferenc Puskás's granddaughter and great-granddaughter1
Photo: MTI/Máthé Zoltán
Ferenc Puskás's granddaughter and great-granddaughter1
Photo: FB
Ferenc Puskás's granddaughter and great-granddaughter1
Photo: FB
Ferenc Puskás's granddaughter and great-granddaughter1
Photo: FB
Ferenc Puskás's granddaughter and great-granddaughter1
Read alsoFerenc Puskás’s granddaughter and great-granddaughter became Hungarian citizens! – PHOTOS

This is how Hungary won against Northern Ireland in Belfast – PHOTOS

Hungary football Northern Ireland

Roland Sallai capitalised on a defensive error to strike a second-half winner for Hungary in their friendly match against hosts Northern Ireland in Belfast on Tuesday evening. The single-goal success marks a welcome return to form for Marco Rossi’s men after losing to Serbia by the same scoreline in Budapest last Thursday.

Hungary head coach Marco Rossi opted to make three changes, Dénes Dibusz replacing Péter Gulácsi in goal, Willi Orbán returning to the starting lineup and Callum Styles making his first international start.

The first half proved to be an even, if scrappy affair with more chances for the hosts than the visitors. Steven Davis hit Hungary’s woodwork after latching on to Zsolt Nagy’s mis-weighted pass in the 10th minute and visiting goalkeeper Dibusz was called upon to make saves on several occasions throughout the half. For Hungary, who dominated possession but found it hard to break down an imposing home defence, Sallai had the best opportunity, but his shot from Loic Nego’s cross was well saved by Northern Ireland goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

The Freiburg playmaker got it exactly right in the 55th minute though, seizing on Niall McGinn’s short pass backwards, rounding the keeper and slotting unto an empty net to have his team a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Northern Ireland pressed hard, particularly in the final ten minutes, but Hungary, and particularly an in-form Dibusz, stood firm to secure an impressive away win.

Marco Rossi: “After the match against Serbia, I was more pleased with our performance than here in Belfast, despite having lost that day. We’ve won tonight, which we deserved (by virtue of our performance) until the 80th minute, but the last 10 minutes were only for Dénes Dibusz. I’ve said several times that the position where we have no problem is the goalkeeping area, since we have very good players there. So many substitutions meant we lost balance, distance from each other and confidence. There could have been more initiative in our game tonight.

However, we made some midfield combinations which took us to the opposing penalty area thanks to some very good passes and from which we could have decided the match more than once. However, we didn’t turn these opportunities into goals and thus, we suffered a lot in the end. It’s important for our self-confidence that we have our first victory this year, mainly because our next four matches will be very difficult and will be much more like the match against Serbia”.

puskás
Read also5+1 things you did not know about Ferenc Puskás! – PHOTOS

Hungary fall to bizarre own goal against Serbia – PHOTOS

Hungary football Serbia friendly

A first-half own goal from Zsolt Nagy handed Serbia their first ever victory against Hungary in a well-contested match in the Puskás Aréna on Thursday evening.

With June’s Nations League Division A fixtures firmly in his mind, Hungary head coach Rossi opted for a back three of Attila Fiola and Endre Botka either side of Ádám Lang, stationed behind a four-man midfield of Zsolt Nagy on the left, András Schäfer and Ádám Nagy in the centre and Loic Nego patrolling the right wing. Dominik Szoboszlai and Roland Sallai were tasked with providing creative impetus behind lone striker Ádám Szalai.

An even and open beginning to the game saw Hungary threaten first, Sallai’s right-footed cross from the left wing headed goalwards by Szalai,

only for Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic to palm the ball away athletically and an offside flag to render Hungary’s hopes invalid.

Almost immediately, the visitors saw a spectacular goal from Kostic ruled out for push on a defender by Mitrovic and the closely contested nature of the game continued thereafter.

Serbia took the lead in bizarre circumstances in the 35th minute though, a Mitrovic shot from close range being superbly touched onto the crossbar by Gulácsi before the keeper and his teammate Zsolt Nagy contrived to get in each other’s way and bundle the ball over the Hungary goalline.

Hungary football Serbia friendly matchHungary football Serbia friendly matchHungary football Serbia friendly matchHungary football Serbia friendly matchHungary football Serbia friendly match

Zsolt Nagy was clearly keen to make up for his part in that concession and he did excellently down the left to find space for a cross which deflected up for Szalai on the right side of the penalty area in the 40th minute, but his volley was well off-target and Nego could barely deflect the ball any closer to goal on its way through.

That was as close as Hungary came to a goal in the first half and the attritional nature of the match continued after the break, neither able to string many passes together or seriously test their opposing goalkeeper.

That was until the 76th minute though, when Gulácsi instinctively stuck a foot out to block Mitrovic’s low shot after the Fulham striker had been sent in one on one by Serbia captain Dusan Tadic.

Minutes later, Szoboszlai chipped the ball infield from the right wing for Sallai to chest down and drive low just centrimetres wide of the left post. Substitute Callum Styles then blasted a shot wide from a tight angle as the hosts committed more and more men forward.

That was always likely to leave Hungary susceptible to the counter-attack though, and so it proved when another substitute, Nemanja Radonjic, broke clear in the right channel, but his low effort skidded wide of Gulácsi’s right post. There was one last opportunity for the home team though, Schäfer surging forward, exchanging passes with substitute Martin Ádám and rattling his shot against the near left post, the rebound being volleyed wide by Szoboszlai with the goal gaping.

Thus, Serbia edged to a single-goal victory which they just about deserved, if only for the fact that they had three shots on target while Hungary had none. Marco Rossi’s team will look to improve upon that statistic in their next fixture, another friendly away against Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

puskás
Read also5+1 things you did not know about Ferenc Puskás! – PHOTOS

Can you guess who are the five most famous Hungarians?

Magyar Zászló Magyarország Hungarian Flag Hungary

As they say, Hungarians are everywhere in the world. It’s not entirely a joke: there really are a huge number of Hungarians who were or are known worldwide, and many others have Hungarian ancestors. In this article, you can see five of the most famous Hungarians.

Ernő Rubik

ernő rubik
Ernő Rubik. Source: Wikipedia. Photographer: Gyöngyi Rózsavölgyi.

Ernő Rubik is a Hungarian sculptor, architect, designer, interior designer, toy designer, inventor and university professor. His name is known almost all over the world for the game he created.

The Rubik’s Cube is one of the most widely known inventions in the world. Its inventor originally called it the “Magic Cube” and described it as a spatial logic game. The first World Puzzle Championship was held in 1982, and the cube has remained popular all over the world ever since.

Harry Houdini

harry houdini chains
Harry Houdini in 1899. Source: Wikipedia.

Harry Houdini, born Erik Weisz, is a Hungarian-born American illusionist and magician. He was one of the greatest escape artists of all time and one of the greatest performers of the modern era.

According to George Bernard Shaw, the most remembered names in the world are Jesus, Sherlock Holmes and Houdini. He only lived here until he was four: his career began in America. Despite his Hungarian origins, he considered himself an American.

Béla Lugosi

béla lugosi
Béla Lugosi in 1912. Source: Wikipedia.

Lugosi became world-famous and a star of classic horror films for his portrayal of Count Dracula, the vampire. It is a tribute to his art that he is one of the Hungarians who have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His original name was Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó, and his stage name refers to the town of Lugos in Romania, where the later actor was born. In 1931, he was asked to play the lead role in Dracula, which made him a world star. His strong accent became his trademark.

Béla Bartók

béla bartók
Béla Bartók. Source: OSZK

Hungarian composer, pianist, folk music researcher, great collector of Central European folk music, teacher at the Academy of Music, and one of the most important composers of the 20th century. At the age of 9-10 he was already composing his own music for piano.

He toured villages with Zoltán Kodály for years with a phonograph, and his collections even inspired the revival of modern Chinese pop music through Wang Lee-hom. Disillusioned by developments in world history, he fled to America to escape National Socialism and the Arrow Cross.

Ferenc Puskás

ferenc puskás
Ferenc Puskás in 1971. Source: Wikipedia.

Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian footballer, Olympic gold medallist and World Cup silver medallist, coach of several club teams and national teams, awarded the title of Sportsman of the Nation. He was born in Budapest and built a career in Hungary.

He is considered by FIFA as one of the best footballers of all time. After the 1956 revolution, he settled in Spain and became a footballer for Real Madrid. He has worked as a football coach on all continents during his career. He is the best known figure in the Hungarian Golden Team.

Ignátz Collage
Read alsoA Hungarian man deceived half the globe – what did he do?

A young talent from Ghana’s royal family is now part of a Hungarian football team

football field ball

A young member of the royal family of Ghana’s Northern Region does not want to live the high life. He recently moved to Hungary, and now we know which domestic football team he will be playing in.

Mohammed Kadiri, who has Ghanaian royal blood in his veins, has arrived in the Hungarian capital from FC Dinamo Kyiv. Here, he will be joining Honvéd until the end of the season.

“When I was a child, I was called a prince. I could lounge around all day and live off my father’s money, but I decided early on that I would not depend on anyone, I would live my own life,”

explained the 25-year-old talent on the official website of Dinamo Kyiv.

According to Bors, Mohammed loves Hungary, and cannot imagine his life without football. As a player who can also play as a defensive midfielder and centre-back, there is a lot of potential in the Ghanaian talent.

As we can read in Blikk’s article, even though Mohammed comes from a distinguished family and could enjoy the rest of his life without doing any work, he wants to prove that he can stand on his own two feet. The athlete has even worked as a plumber before! He said the following about this job:

“I didn’t like it, but if it weren’t for football, I’d probably be working in the industry.”

According to Bors, he only asked his father for help once, as a teenager, when he could not make ends meet. Some of his brothers work in gold mines, two play football. So far, his brother Mohammed Fatau has achived the most: after playing for Italian academy Udinese, he has played for Spanish first and second division teams.

mohammed kadiri football honvéd
Mohammed Kadiri after the signing. Source: honvedfc.hu/hirek/kozeppalyas-kijevbol/2022-02-15

“I am very grateful to be here and I would like to thank all those who made it possible for me to join the club. It has always been my desire to be part of a football family like Honvéd, I am very happy to have been given this opportunity and I will work as much as possible to help the team achieve its goals. I want the club and the fans to be proud of me,”

said Mohammed Kadiri after signing to Honvéd, as reported by honvedfc.hu.

ELTE University Higher Education Hungary
Read alsoHungarian university ranks on Times Higher Education list

5+1 things you did not know about Ferenc Puskás! – PHOTOS

puskás

Ferenc Puskás is probably the most famous Hungarian, being one of the first football stars in the history of the sport. He played and worked as a coach on four continents. His name is praised in many languages each day. But who was Ferenc Puskás, and how did he become one of the greatest football players ever? We collected 5+1 things about his life you have probably never heard about, and neither have most Hungarians. Provided you tell these stories to your Hungarian friends, free beer is granted.

1. We do not know when he was born exactly

In the case of legends, it is not rare that some details in their lives are not cleared. For example, we do not know where Lajos Kossuth, one of the greatest leaders of Hungary, was born. According to his biographies and the birth certificate, Puskás was born on 2 April 1927. However, the family says that the date was 1 April. What is sure is that he was born in Józsefváros, Budapest in a family of German descent. His father was born Purczeld and changed his name to Puskás only after Ferenc was born.

Ferenc Puskás in Mexico City (1947)
Photo: Fortepan / Szabó József

2. He was extremely temperamental

People often say that Hungarians are temperamental. In the case of Puskás, despite his German origins, this was particularly true. The Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) banned him from playing in the national team in 1947 for an entire year. That was because he beat a Bulgarian footballer in Sofia. Furthermore, he refused to do what Béla Guttmann, the new coach of Budapest Honvéd, Puskás’s club, said to him. As a result, Mr Guttmann left the team weeks later. He scolded a linesman so harshly that the MLSZ did not allow him to play in the Hungarian Football League.

3. He had a good relationship with the Communists

After the Communists destroyed the young Hungarian democracy after WWII, they considered football as a source of legitimacy. Since the national team of Hungary was very successful, the members, coaches, staff became privileged in the regime. For example, they could bring Western products and sell them, which was a profitable business behind the Iron Curtain.

Moreover, Puskás was so famous that he could visit the dreaded communist Defense Minister, Mihály Farkas, any time. Though the generals had to schedule an appointment, Puskás only had to call the minister and he was always welcomed. Therefore, he could help his teammates and other athletes, he could even bring them out from jail. Pál Dániel Rényi, the author of Győzelmi kényszer, a book about PM Orbán’s relationship to football, said that Puskás had an instinct how to deal with white-collar leaders, or instruct his teammates on the football pitch. He was a born diplomat despite he finished only a couple of classes at school – György Szepesi, the famous football commentator of the era, told about him.

4. He became the target of angry fans after the lost world cup final

The love and respect he got from the Hungarian fans could turn easily into anger. The Hungarian national 11 lost the second world cup final in 1954 against West Germany. Hungary defeated the Nationalelf in the group stage 8-3, but could not do so in the final despite their 2-0 lead in the 10th minute. People suspected that Puskás and his teammates sold the match for 50 Mercedes cars and money. Many say that the defeat contributed a lot to the outbreak of the 1956 revolution. Riots lasted for three days in Budapest after the defeat and people scolded the coach, Gusztáv Sebes and Ferenc Puskás, the captain of the team.

5. Puskás, the traitor

The Communists used the Golden Team of Hungary and the Golden Team used the Communists. However, that was true only during the period of victories. When the 1956 revolution was crushed by Soviet tanks, the Honvéd was in Spain. The new Communist leadership demanded Puskás and his team return to Hungary but they refused. They started a European tour, played matches for money, they even travelled to Brazil. The clubs and countries welcomed them as superstars, so many of them did not return to Hungary including Puskás. As a result, Communist daily Népszabadság wrote on 21 March 1957, that he was a traitor. The media started a hate campaign against him reporting regularly about his “crimes.”

The Golden Team of Hungary
The Golden Team of Hungary. Photo: Fortepan / Erky-Nagy Tibor

+1 This is how his wife and daughter could join him

Of course, the football players did not take their families with them to their international matches. In a Communist dictatorship, that served a special purpose: the leaders could always blackmail their players with their families. If Puskás wanted to remain abroad he needed to smuggle out his wife and 4-year-old daughter. With the help of human smugglers, they could finally join the Hungarian superstar in Vienna in December 1957 after several unsuccessful attempts to cross the Austrian border on foot.

 

Puskás and his daughter
Puskás and his daughter after the reunion. Photo: Wikipedia
puskás
Read also5+1 things you did not know about Ferenc Puskás! – PHOTOS

Ronaldinho expressed his support to a Hungarian party – VIDEO

teqball ronaldinho

Ronaldinho expressed his support to the MEMO party in a short video in which he was asking voters to support the movement founded by his two friends, György Gattyán and Viktor Huszár.

The former Brazilian football player became teqball ambassador in 2016 and has been actively promoting the Hungarian sport in Europe for years. This is how Ronaldinho met György Gattyán and Viktor Huszár, founders of the freshly introduced MEMO movement and the teqball sport. According to Mandiner,

the world-class footballer is asking voters to support the movement founded by György Gattyán by signing recommendation forms.

“Dear friends Gyuri and Viktor! You are true role models around the world as sports leaders. We were brought together as good friends by the love of sport. I am with you now and I assure you of my full support.”

As the Hungarian news portal Világgazdaság reports, György Gattyán has launched a knowledge centre for which he is looking for 106 Hungarian representatives. According to the businessman, the primary aim of his initiative is to digitise Hungary. Based on this principle, he wanted to elevate his initiative into a movement and, if necessary, a party by 2022. Even though Gattyán did not intend to contest his idea in the elections,

the so-called Solution Movement (MEMO) has become a party by now.

Gattyán, who is among the TOP10 richest Hungarians, has made a fortune from his internet businesses which include erotic and fortune-telling online services. He also actively took part in charitable activities. Furthermore, it seems that the Hungarian businessman also has political ambitions.

teqball ronaldinho
Read alsoRonaldinho expressed his support to a Hungarian party – VIDEO

Differences and similarities between Azerbaijan and Hungary – PHOTO GALLERY

Azerbaijan

Although the two countries are 2,000 kilometres apart, there are many similarities. Of course, differences can also be discovered. Here are some examples of these similarities and differences.

Baths – Similarity

Although Azerbaijan is the country of fire, there is a long tradition of spas, a part of the Muslim cleansing culture. In Budapest, in the Hungarian capital, you can find the recently reopened Veli Bej, as well as the Rudas and Király baths. While in Baku, HamamBath, Taze Bey Baths, and Almaz Qadin Klubu are popular places. It is interesting that

the population of Azerbaijan is around 10 million people, same as Hungary’s.

In addition, examining the capitals, we can state that both Baku and Budapest have about 2 million inhabitants.

Transport – Difference

In Hungary, we often think that the traffic is crazy. Especially in Budapest, traffic jams are common. However, Azerbaijan’s main export is oil, so the country has very cheap fuel. As a result, everyone is driving. Even though 8 or even 10-lane roads have been built, this is not enough for the amount of traffic. Everyone is trying to get to their destination on time, so the lanes easily fill up. This can be strange to the Hungarian eye, but the locals are driving their car in the safest way in this orderly chaos.

 

History – Similarity

There are geographical similarities between the two countries, and it was not only the Turks who appeared in the history of both countries. One of the most significant points in Hungarian history is the Trianon Peace Treaty of 1920. As a result, millions of Hungarians have been living outside Hungary ever since. In the lives of the Azerbaijanians, the peace treaty ending the 1828 Russian–Persian wars is similar. Azerbaijanian people believe that

50 million of their Azeri compatriots live outside the country.

Of these, 30 million live in Iran. In addition, the Soviet Union and Russia had a great influence on the past and present of both countries.

Gastronomy – Difference

Azerbaijan has a long tradition of soups. One of their famous soups is the dushbara, which has noodles stuffed with minced lamb. Also,

you should not miss the different homemade breads and the real, authentic Azerbaijani kebabs.

Their famous dish is dolma, which is minced meat stuffed into grape leaves. They also make stuffed tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. The latter is a popular dish in Hungary as well, even though the method of preparation differs significantly from the recipe of the Azeri version.

There is an old tradition of consuming tea in the country. A tea session is essential after every meal. In addition to hot tea poured into special glasses, it is customary to consume sugar cubes or other hard candies. An interesting tradition is Şirin çay. When the engaged couple’s parents first meet, and the girl’s parents give sweet tea to the boy’s parents, it means giving their blessing to the union.

Loving sports – Similarity

Like Hungary, various sports are popular in Azerbaijan. Of course, football is also the most popular here. In addition to the national team, the Qarabağ Futbol Klub team may be familiar to many, as they often get into one of the European Cup series. It is not only football that is popular, but they are also at the forefront in chess and wrestling.

Azerbaijan has seven Olympic champions.

When it comes to sports, we cannot miss the Formula One race in Baku, organised since 2016.

Other curiosities include the fact that the Azerbaijani language is agglutinating, just like the Hungarian language. That is, the suffix comes at the end of the word. We have several words in common, such as ‘alma’ (apple), and ‘szakál’ (beard).

Azerbaijan
Read alsoThe Armenian – Azerbaijani war through a Hungarian eye — PHOTO GALLERY

Puskás Arena wins yet another award

puskas arena champions league 2026 russia match

Puskás Arena won yet another award. This time it was awarded at Mapei World Competition for Reference Buildings.

The reconstruction of the Puskás Arena in Budapest won an award at the world competition of reference buildings. –writes Hello Magyar. Béla Markovich, managing director at Mapei Kft. said that the Hungarian building competed with monumental investments. Hello Magyar also writes that hundreds of outstanding entries from around the world have participated in the competition. The Reference Grand Prix competition was organized for the 19th time among the Mapei Group subsidiaries.

The reconstruction of Puskás Arena was one of the biggest investments of the past few years in Hungary. The award at the The Reference Grand Prix was not the first acknowledgement of the building.

The building won the Red Dot. The arena was voted Stadium of the Year 2019 by the public’s votes of Stadium Database. The jury voted to give the building second place. – writes pestbuda.hu. Hello Magyar writes that the arena won the Special Prize for the Most Beautiful Sports Facility at the Prix Versailles Architecture Awards in 2020. In 2021, the iconic Hungarian stadium was chosen as a candidate for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.

puskas arena
Facebook/ Puskás Aréna
Viktor Orbán inaugurating a swimming pool in Gödöllő
Read alsoViktor Orbán: Hungary spent €5.8 billion to support sports since 2010

It is no surprise that the arena won an award, as Hungary invests a lot of money in sports facilities.

Budapest Multifunctional Sports and Event Hall is built in Budapest’s Népliget. The building will be able to host 22,000 visitors. The modern building will have 49 VIP boxes, 14 lifts, 8 escalators and a display that weighs a total of 12 tons and has more than 14 million pixels.

Budapest Handball Arena, Hungary’s biggest sports hall, was already inaugurated in Budapest. The sports hall would be suitable for competitions in 26 branches of sport. The impressive arena occupies a total area of over 50,000sqm and has 20,022 seats for spectators.

Pick Arena in Szeged is another impressive building. Pick Arena can host 8,143 spectators. The building’s size is over 28,000 square meters.

ferencváros socces club hungary
Read also5 best Hungarian soccer clubs in history

Govt to further help Hungarian sports projects in Romania

Sports Transylvania Romania Dániel Gyurta Péter Szijjártó
The Hungarian government will continue to support sports infrastructure projects in Transylvania, including Szekler Land, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s minister of foreign affairs and trade, said on Thursday after talks with Károly Eduárd Novák, Romania’s minister of sports.
 
“Sports is a tool to preserve and consolidate national identity and pride,” Szijjártó told a joint press conference in Budapest.
 
So far the government has provided 30 billion forints (EUR 83m) of support for sports projects in the region inhabited by many ethnic Hungarians, including the construction of a soccer stadium for Sepsi OSK in Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy) and an ice hockey rink in Sangeorgiu de Mures (Marosszentgyörgy), he noted.
 
Similar large-scale plans are in place this year to support the construction of Partium Soccer Academy in Szatmárnémeti (Satu Mare) and a boarding school for the Szekler Land’s Ice Hockey Academy in Carta (Csíkkarcfalva), Szijjártó said.
 
Stressing the need for reforms in Romanian sports, Novák said he hoped that Hungary would promote the process by sharing its best practices.
Sports Transylvania Romania Dániel Gyurta Péter Szijjártó
Read also Govt to further help Hungarian sports projects in Romania

Hungarian football fan club among the world’s best! – VIDEO

Ferencváros

Ultras World has released the list of the best football fan clubs recently. In the 58-minute-long video, we can see many choreographies that took weeks of work to organize for the given fan club. Thus, all of them earned respect for their performance. Moreover, a successful preparation consumes a lot of money, only to attract fanatics.

Use of pyrotechnics should be legalized in stadiums?

According to Helló Magyar, Ultras World, followed by more than one million people, released the newest list of the world’s best football fan clubs a few days ago. Though using pyrotechnics in stadiums is forbidden in most countries, it still amuses millions to watch how thousands of people can cooperate to create something spectacular to support their favourite teams. Football federations punish such equipment harshly. Meanwhile, Helló Magyar argues they should instead

introduce strict regulations regarding the use of pyrotechnics, Greek fires, firecrackers, fireworks in the stadiums.

That would be important because supporters, fans and fanatics represent the other important half besides the football players and the match itself. For those watching the events on the spot, organized support for the team can be as memorable as the goals. Moreover, the photos and videos made of the fans’ performances become viral on the Internet many times. 

Read also: Hungarian talent in Verstappen’s former team!

Here is the best Hungarian football fan club, Ultras World says

Helló Magyar says that the Hungarian Football Federation did not realize that such choreographies are attractive for many.

If they regulate and enable the use of pyrotechnic equipment, more people would come to the stadiums –

the news outlet says. 

Interestingly, “illegal” fan performances are popular in the media. Furthermore, the Hungarian News Agency (MTI) regularly shares photos of such events. 

The fans of Ferencváros, one of the oldest clubs in Hungary, are among the world’s best again. In 2020, they were 9th on the Ultras World list, and they could preserve that position this year. In the third place, there is the Zenit from Saint Petersburg. The silver medal went to the Red Star in Beograd.

The winner is the Legia Warsawa, which is very popular in Hungary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAhZCZ9VqIs

Ferencváros
Read alsoHungarian football fan club among the world’s best! – VIDEO

Russian Stanislav Cherchesov appointed manager of Ferencváros

Soccer - Stanislav Cherchesov appointed manager of Ferencvaros

Stanislav Cherchesov of Russia has become manager of Hungary’s defending soccer champion Ferencváros, the club announced on Monday.

Cherchesov, 58, takes over managing the team after a five-year spell at the helm of Russia’s national eleven, culminating in a quarter-final in the 2018 World Cup tournament.

Cherchesov, a one-time eminent goalkeeper, previously coached several European teams, including Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Moscow of Russia, and Legia Warsaw of Poland.

The former manager of Ferencváros, Peter Stöger of Austria, stepped down earlier this month, after six months with the team. Read more here.

After the autumn season, Ferencváros tops the standings of the first-division championship with a one-point lead and one match in hand. The duration of Cherchesov’s contract has not been disclosed.

Winter break

In round 17 of OTP Bank League, FTC hosted Budapest Honvéd at the Groupama Arena. After this weeks’ decision to part ways with former head coach Peter Stöger, on this last match, assistant Head Coach Csaba Máté directed the team.

Although the match was not specifically spectacular, Fradi did have several dangerous attacks in both the first and second half, especially by Ryan Mmaee, Tokmac, Uzuni and Zubkov. The first half ended 0-0 and in the second half Ferencváros did all to score a winning goal which quite late, but anyways arrived in the 91st minute. Szánthó won the ball from an insecure Honvéd defender and centered to Uzuni, who scored from close. With this goal and win, Fradi close 2021 in a positive spirit.

Is The Next Premier League Star From Hungary?

vancsa

Football never sleeps. Scouting agents are always looking for fresh talent to join some of the biggest clubs in the world. Everyone wants to discover the next Jack Grealish or Kylian Mbappé, and it seems like scouts have found their next target: Hungary’s own Zalán Vancsa.

Already there have been many standout moments in the 2021/22 NB I season. For instance, we recently saw mid-table team Debrecen beat Ferencváros 2-0 on December 12th. Ferencváros are serial winners, winning three consecutive NB I seasons. Before the match, Ferencváros had odds of 1.36 to win on Paddy Power, which is an online sportsbook that also offers online bingo for real money and live casino games. Debrecen had odds of 6 to win on the platform. It’s worth mentioning Ferencváros was also coming into the match against Debrecen with momentum after their surprise win against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Yet perhaps the most talked-about moment from this season of top-flight Hungarian football is the development of MTK Budapest’s winger, Zalán Vancsa. Vancsa has reportedly caught the attention of several clubs in the English Premier League. A potential move would see online sportsbooks offering transfer odds for the Hungarian and Vancsa joining the Premier League’s long list of foreign players.

News of Premier League interest comes on the back of super-agent David Manasseh signing Vansca to his company ICM Stellar Sport. ICM represents talents like Jack Grealish. The company was also the genius behind Gareth Bale’s world-record transfer (£85.3m) to Real Madrid from Tottenham. Vancsa has been praised for his ability to counter-press and his extreme agility. He also has ruthless finishing and a high defensive work rate. He has especially exploded in the UEFA Youth League while playing for MTK Budapest’s U19 side.

What Premier League Club Suits Vancsa?

Vancsa’s future is still unclear, and he could very well stay in Hungary. However, there is one Premier League club that makes sense for the winger. Vancsa’s high-defensive work rate would match Liverpool’s ‘gegenpressing’ system, and his explosive playing style would complement Liverpool players like Mo Salah.

It also makes sense for Vancsa to go to Liverpool since the club already has an established relationship with MTK Budapest. For instance, between 2007 and 2012, eight Hungarians transferred to Liverpool from MTK Budapest, including Krisztián Németh and Péter Gulácsi. Gulácsi now plays for RB Leipzig and is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Vancsa is still an inexperienced player, which means if he leaves MTK Budapest, his agency should ensure that he goes to a club that will nurture and develop his talent. Academy boys turned international stars like Steven Gerrard and Trent Alexander Arnold — and the current form of Mo Salah — prove that Liverpool officials know what they’re doing in the gym and on the training pitch.

The world of football is always changing, and there’s new budding talent emerging with every passing game. For the moment, all eyes are on Hungary’s Zalán Vancsa. It will be interesting to see if he moves to England in the coming years and if Liverpool reignites its relationship with MTK Budapest.

Soccer manager Peter Stöger to leave Ferencváros

stöger ferencváros

Peter Stöger, the Austrian manager of Hungarian first-division club Ferencvaros, is stepping down after just over six months with the team, Ferencváros announced on Monday.

His assistants, Gerhard Fellner and Alexander Bade, are also leaving the club, according to a statement on Ferencváros’s website.

Stöger took over managing the team in early June this year after successful spells at Borussia Dortmund and FC Cologne, the statement noted.

The 55-year-old coach led Ferencváros to the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, defeating Czech club Slavia Praha, among others, in the Champions League qualifiers.

The highlight of the last week for sure has been winning over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League group stage, but afterwards they still had an important league game againts DVSC.

They left Debrecen with zero points.

Ferencváros currently is second in the standings of Hungary’s first-division soccer championship with one match in hand.

Football fans
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