On Being Ferenc Puskas

[KerPlunk]

On Being Ferenc Puskas (from 1972)

In the great Hungarian team of the fifties, the team that sensationally destroyed England’s unbeaten home record against foreign opposition, Hidegkuti was regarded as the perfect ball artist, Kocsis the master header of the ball. Yet it is Ferenc Puskas who is best remembered, because Puskas always had an air of the “con-man” about him, full of swagger and impudence , which made everything that he did just that bit better.

The Ferenc Puskas tale is the classic rags-to-riches story – but with a difference, for few players in the history of football have ever carved out two such separate, equally dazzling careers – both of them studded with remarkable achievement.

Puskas, the son of a mediocre footballer, was born on April 2nd 1926. His parents second son, he was immediately christened “Ocsi”, which means “kid brother”, and Puskas has always signed his letters, and even autographs, with this affectionate tag. The dusty streets of Kispest were not as picturesque as the sandy beaches of Copacabana in Brazil, but nevertheless barefoot boys still kicked a ball about – a ball made of rags and old socks – just as enthusiastically. ‘Ocsi’ often says that his father could only afford one pair of shoes between the 2 boys and he always wore the right one and did not dare kick a ball with it – and that was how he developed the greatest left foot in the game.

At the age of 13, Puskas joined the local First Division club, Kispest, as a ‘club’ player, and under the watchful eye of his father, who was then a coach, began a career which made the name Puskas famous throughout the world. It was obvious from the outset that this stocky little lad had exceptional talent, and after playing for Hungary at youth level he made his league debut for Kispest aged only 16. Immaculate ball control, a deadly shot and speed of thought were the hallmarks of Puskas’ play.
At age 17, Puskas made his full international debut against Austria wearing the number 10 shirt. Officially an inside-left, he was the general of the team which included such seasoned pros as the Ujpest pair, Szusza and Szengeller, the latter making Puskas a gift of a goal that gave him added confidence. Hungary won 5-2 and Puskas kept his place in the team for the next 11 years.

That match against Austria took place in 1945. Football in Hungary had been virtually unaffected by the war and players had suffered no restrictions; indeed, instead of calling them up, the government had found them alternative work and had been uncharacteristically liberal with leave to play football. Not until March 1944 and the siege of German-occupied Budapest by the Russians, did football have to make a temporary halt.
With the speedy resumption, a new era began in the history of Hungarian football, an era in which the young Puskas was to contribute much.

The Magyars, World Cup finalists in 1938, were past masters of the typical Central European game, one which suited Puskas. They shunned physical contact, relying instead on sheer ball control and clever, short passing moves. The emphasis was solidly on attack. By then, the ‘W’ formation was the universally accepted tactic for clubs and national teams. Within the rigidity of this system, forwards like Puskas thrived because they only had to beat one man, either with the ball or by intelligent positioning and the way to goal was clear.
Besides a style of play that suited Puskas, the Hungarian FA, following political directives, re-organised football and Kispest became the official Army team and were re-named Honved. In order to create exceptionally strong teams, several leading players were ordered to join either Honved or MTK, who had suffered a great deal during the previous 10 years.Suddenly, the hitherto struggling suburban teams, including the newly-christened Honved, became the stronghold of Hungarian football. Honved could field players such as goalkeeper Grosics, wing-half Boszik and forwards Kocsis, Puskas and Czibor – all members of the legendary Hungarian side. Now, at last, Ocsi found himself regularly playing with top class footballers and the responsibility of ‘carrying’ a team was lifted from his shoulders. As a result, his game improved dramatically because he could safely leave more of the donkey work to others and concentrate on scoring goals.

Puskas and his Honved team-mates were ostensibly members of the Peoples Army but they did very little military training. However, at times they were supposed to sleep in barracks – not the most comfortable accommodation – and so, after curfew, Puskas and co. would put on their best suits, wave a cheery goodbye to the understanding guards and stroll out for the nightlife of Budapest. They were caught only once, drinking in a bar at midnight by an officious captain who disliked football and was jealous of the freedom and the affluence of the players. The next morning the commander ordered Puskas and his team-mates to do a 50 mile march as a punishment. ‘Thank you, sir, but you realise that if we march we won’t be able to play against MTK tomorrow – we march or we play !’ Fortunately the commander was a football fan and readily succumbed to this piece of blackmail.

In the meantime, Gustav Sebes had taken over control of the national team and was working hard on a new tactical plan, a kind of 4-2-4. Nandor Hidegkuti became the first ever withdrawn centre forward and Sebes gave Puskas, as well as Kocsis, a free-wheeling, buccaneering role. The combination of this tactical ploy and a group of brilliant footballers made for an almost invincible team. Their magnificent football expressed the philosophy “No matter how many goals we concede, we can always score one more.”
Ocsi, by then known as “The Galloping Major”, was the lynchpin of this excellent Hungarian team, and was largely responsible for the effectiveness of their attacking style of play. Puskas scored 85 goals in 84 internationals for Hungary, an impressive average by anyone’s standards. He got most of his goals with that famous left foot, usually from well outside the penalty box.

Of Puskas’ 84 games for Hungary – he also played 4 for Spain later on – three games stand out, all from the golden era of Hungarian football; the 6-3 win over England at Wembley in 1953, the subsequent 7-1 thrashing of England in Budapest and Hungary’s tragic 3-2 defeat in the 1954 World Cup Final against West Germany.

Two years later he was on tour with Honved when the 1956 uprising erupted in Hungary. Puskas, along with Kocsis and Czibor, decided not to return home because of the possible personal consequences of the Russian invasion. Hungary was his home and in his own words, “Hungary had treated me like a king”. He had probably enjoyed a better standard of living than the head of state. He was paid well, if furtively, in goods. When he went abroad, he and the other players were allowed to bring back whatever they liked – 25 bolts of cloth or a few thousand razor blades for example – to be sold in Hungary. In this way they were able to live quite well.
Now, however, Puskas left all that behind to set up home in Vienna with his wife and daughter. After a year in the football wilderness – he could not get a player’s permit – he was approached by Emil Oestereicher, the ex-manager of his former club. Oestereicher, a likeable and able coach, was keen to go and work in Spain and saw in Puskas the trump card he needed to clinch a job there. So, with Puskas’ agreement, he offered a package deal to the greatest club side of the time, Real Madrid. The included an overweight 30 year-old footballer and a coach , neither of whom could speak Spanish, but despite these handicaps, the offer was accepted by Real’s president, Santiago Bernabeu and a partnership began which turned out to be as beneficial for Puskas as it was for Oestereicher and Real Madrid.

The initial problem that Ocsi faced at Madrid was regaining his match fitness. After losing weight, he then had to establish himself in the Real team – no easy task for even the most accomplished footballer. For this was the era of Alfredo di Stefano and he was the acknowledged boss of the dressing room. Any newcomer, no matter how much he cost or how good his credentials, had to earn the approval of the maestro before he was accepted as one of the team. Prior to Puskas arrival, such outstanding foreign internationals such as Brazil’s Didi and Sweden’s Simonsson had failed to impress di Stefano and their stay in Madrid had been both short and far from sweet. But Puskas still had a swagger and a personality which endeared him to the aficionados of Madrid. He did not go to Spain cap in hand but as a rival to di Stefano’s hitherto unchallenged leadership, and during the first few months there was an uneasy atmosphere in the Real camp. Di Stefano and Puskas hardly spoke to each other and both players had their small and separate group of friends. However, the issue was to be resolved in dramatic fashion.
In Spain, it is a great honour to finish a season as top goalscorer in the first division, more than in other European countries; the player is publicly crowned and receives cash and prizes from various sources. At the end of the 1962 season, Puskas and di Stefano were way ahead of their rivals with 26 goals each and Real had just one more game to play, against Elche. The championship was already won, as usual, and the crowd had turned up merely to celebrate and crown the king of goals. In the first half, both stars had scored one goal each and all depended on the final 45 minutes. Neither had increased their total when, just before the final whistle, Puskas waltzed past the defence and drew the keeper before rounding him. Then, however, instead of firing into the open goal, he squared the ball back to di Stefano, who banged the ball into the open goal. Di Stefano was top scorer but Puskas’ wits had cleverly settled the difference between them.

From then on they blended perfectly and no more so than when they destroyed Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the European Cup Final in Glasgow, Puskas bagging three and di Stefano four.
In 1962, Pancho(the Spaniard’s affectionate name for him) scored another hat-trick in a European Cup Final, al though Real were beaten by Benfica 5-3. Puskas was also top scorer for four of his seasons in Spain. He was hugely amused when Pele was feted as the only man to score 1000 goals. “I got at least 1,500, but who’s counting?” This kind of remark is typical Puskas. He is a difficult man to interview because he has the endearing habit of punctuating pompous questions with wry remarks.
“Was Wembley your best match?” “No, I played better in Turku, Finland, when we won 17-0.”
“Which team would you most like to manage?” “One which wins every game.”

However, Puskas is more open when talking about his old Hungarian team-mates. “Hidegkuti was the finest centre-forward I ever played with and Grosics certainly the best goalkeeper.”
Puskas himself outstayed his welcome as a player but he loved the game so much that he was reluctant to step down. After his retirement, he took to coaching with a small town Spanish club and afterwards he tried his luck in Canada.
Then came an offer to take over at Greek champions, Panathinaikos. It was worth £20,000 a year to Puskas, as well as a rent-free villa in Athens. He happily accepted this deal and commuted between Madrid and Athens. He used his immense personal prestige to arrange lucrative friendlies for this little known semi-professional team and this experience against strong foreign opposition, plus Puskas multi-lingual ability, transformed these part-timers and took them to the final of the 1970-71 European Cup – a competition where no Greek team had ever reached the semis before.
Puskas marched his team into a London hotel (the game was played at Wembley) like the manager of a travelling circus and Hungarians from all over the world, Spaniards who remembered his days at Madrid and Greek shipping magnates basking in the reflected glory, were there. As Puskas had previously quietly predicted, Panathinaikos lost the match but gave Ajax a hard fight.

Towards the end of 1971, Puskas was guest of honour at a dinner where he presented prizes to some outstanding players. Billy Wright and Bobby Moore, amongst others, made speeches in praise of Puskas’ contribution to football and he was given a standing ovation by all the guests. Puskas said afterwards “Until today, I thought of myself as a professional doing a job just like a dentist or a plumber but hearing Billy and Bobby Moore speak so highly of me makes me feel that perhaps it is a little bit special to be Ferenc Puskas.”

[500miles]

I remember watching a programme on BBC 3 (i think) about Politics and football. Most of it was about Puskas and the Hungarian uprising, but it didn't mention - or maybe I missed it - how he was able to play for Spain as well as Hungary

Anyone that can tell me?

[James.g]

He was basically exiled in spain and took spanish citizenship,he was playing
for real madrid at the time. He was an accomplished linguist so no trouble with
the lingo

[CadgeMac]

Originally Posted by KerPlunk

On Being Ferenc Puskas (from 1972)

In the great Hungarian team of the fifties, the team that sensationally destroyed England’s unbeaten home record against foreign opposition, Hidegkuti was regarded as the perfect ball artist, Kocsis the master header of the ball. Yet it is Ferenc Puskas who is best remembered, because Puskas always had an air of the “con-man” about him, full of swagger and impudence , which made everything that he did just that bit better.

The Ferenc Puskas tale is the classic rags-to-riches story – but with a difference, for few players in the history of football have ever carved out two such separate, equally dazzling careers – both of them studded with remarkable achievement.

Puskas, the son of a mediocre footballer, was born on April 2nd 1926. His parents second son, he was immediately christened “Ocsi”, which means “kid brother”, and Puskas has always signed his letters, and even autographs, with this affectionate tag. The dusty streets of Kispest were not as picturesque as the sandy beaches of Copacabana in Brazil, but nevertheless barefoot boys still kicked a ball about – a ball made of rags and old socks – just as enthusiastically. ‘Ocsi’ often says that his father could only afford one pair of shoes between the 2 boys and he always wore the right one and did not dare kick a ball with it – and that was how he developed the greatest left foot in the game.

At the age of 13, Puskas joined the local First Division club, Kispest, as a ‘club’ player, and under the watchful eye of his father, who was then a coach, began a career which made the name Puskas famous throughout the world. It was obvious from the outset that this stocky little lad had exceptional talent, and after playing for Hungary at youth level he made his league debut for Kispest aged only 16. Immaculate ball control, a deadly shot and speed of thought were the hallmarks of Puskas’ play.
At age 17, Puskas made his full international debut against Austria wearing the number 10 shirt. Officially an inside-left, he was the general of the team which included such seasoned pros as the Ujpest pair, Szusza and Szengeller, the latter making Puskas a gift of a goal that gave him added confidence. Hungary won 5-2 and Puskas kept his place in the team for the next 11 years.

That match against Austria took place in 1945. Football in Hungary had been virtually unaffected by the war and players had suffered no restrictions; indeed, instead of calling them up, the government had found them alternative work and had been uncharacteristically liberal with leave to play football. Not until March 1944 and the siege of German-occupied Budapest by the Russians, did football have to make a temporary halt.
With the speedy resumption, a new era began in the history of Hungarian football, an era in which the young Puskas was to contribute much.

The Magyars, World Cup finalists in 1938, were past masters of the typical Central European game, one which suited Puskas. They shunned physical contact, relying instead on sheer ball control and clever, short passing moves. The emphasis was solidly on attack. By then, the ‘W’ formation was the universally accepted tactic for clubs and national teams. Within the rigidity of this system, forwards like Puskas thrived because they only had to beat one man, either with the ball or by intelligent positioning and the way to goal was clear.
Besides a style of play that suited Puskas, the Hungarian FA, following political directives, re-organised football and Kispest became the official Army team and were re-named Honved. In order to create exceptionally strong teams, several leading players were ordered to join either Honved or MTK, who had suffered a great deal during the previous 10 years.Suddenly, the hitherto struggling suburban teams, including the newly-christened Honved, became the stronghold of Hungarian football. Honved could field players such as goalkeeper Grosics, wing-half Boszik and forwards Kocsis, Puskas and Czibor – all members of the legendary Hungarian side. Now, at last, Ocsi found himself regularly playing with top class footballers and the responsibility of ‘carrying’ a team was lifted from his shoulders. As a result, his game improved dramatically because he could safely leave more of the donkey work to others and concentrate on scoring goals.

Puskas and his Honved team-mates were ostensibly members of the Peoples Army but they did very little military training. However, at times they were supposed to sleep in barracks – not the most comfortable accommodation – and so, after curfew, Puskas and co. would put on their best suits, wave a cheery goodbye to the understanding guards and stroll out for the nightlife of Budapest. They were caught only once, drinking in a bar at midnight by an officious captain who disliked football and was jealous of the freedom and the affluence of the players. The next morning the commander ordered Puskas and his team-mates to do a 50 mile march as a punishment. ‘Thank you, sir, but you realise that if we march we won’t be able to play against MTK tomorrow – we march or we play !’ Fortunately the commander was a football fan and readily succumbed to this piece of blackmail.

In the meantime, Gustav Sebes had taken over control of the national team and was working hard on a new tactical plan, a kind of 4-2-4. Nandor Hidegkuti became the first ever withdrawn centre forward and Sebes gave Puskas, as well as Kocsis, a free-wheeling, buccaneering role. The combination of this tactical ploy and a group of brilliant footballers made for an almost invincible team. Their magnificent football expressed the philosophy “No matter how many goals we concede, we can always score one more.”
Ocsi, by then known as “The Galloping Major”, was the lynchpin of this excellent Hungarian team, and was largely responsible for the effectiveness of their attacking style of play. Puskas scored 85 goals in 84 internationals for Hungary, an impressive average by anyone’s standards. He got most of his goals with that famous left foot, usually from well outside the penalty box.

Of Puskas’ 84 games for Hungary – he also played 4 for Spain later on – three games stand out, all from the golden era of Hungarian football; the 6-3 win over England at Wembley in 1953, the subsequent 7-1 thrashing of England in Budapest and Hungary’s tragic 3-2 defeat in the 1954 World Cup Final against West Germany.

Two years later he was on tour with Honved when the 1956 uprising erupted in Hungary. Puskas, along with Kocsis and Czibor, decided not to return home because of the possible personal consequences of the Russian invasion. Hungary was his home and in his own words, “Hungary had treated me like a king”. He had probably enjoyed a better standard of living than the head of state. He was paid well, if furtively, in goods. When he went abroad, he and the other players were allowed to bring back whatever they liked – 25 bolts of cloth or a few thousand razor blades for example – to be sold in Hungary. In this way they were able to live quite well.
Now, however, Puskas left all that behind to set up home in Vienna with his wife and daughter. After a year in the football wilderness – he could not get a player’s permit – he was approached by Emil Oestereicher, the ex-manager of his former club. Oestereicher, a likeable and able coach, was keen to go and work in Spain and saw in Puskas the trump card he needed to clinch a job there. So, with Puskas’ agreement, he offered a package deal to the greatest club side of the time, Real Madrid. The included an overweight 30 year-old footballer and a coach , neither of whom could speak Spanish, but despite these handicaps, the offer was accepted by Real’s president, Santiago Bernabeu and a partnership began which turned out to be as beneficial for Puskas as it was for Oestereicher and Real Madrid.

The initial problem that Ocsi faced at Madrid was regaining his match fitness. After losing weight, he then had to establish himself in the Real team – no easy task for even the most accomplished footballer. For this was the era of Alfredo di Stefano and he was the acknowledged boss of the dressing room. Any newcomer, no matter how much he cost or how good his credentials, had to earn the approval of the maestro before he was accepted as one of the team. Prior to Puskas arrival, such outstanding foreign internationals such as Brazil’s Didi and Sweden’s Simonsson had failed to impress di Stefano and their stay in Madrid had been both short and far from sweet. But Puskas still had a swagger and a personality which endeared him to the aficionados of Madrid. He did not go to Spain cap in hand but as a rival to di Stefano’s hitherto unchallenged leadership, and during the first few months there was an uneasy atmosphere in the Real camp. Di Stefano and Puskas hardly spoke to each other and both players had their small and separate group of friends. However, the issue was to be resolved in dramatic fashion.
In Spain, it is a great honour to finish a season as top goalscorer in the first division, more than in other European countries; the player is publicly crowned and receives cash and prizes from various sources. At the end of the 1962 season, Puskas and di Stefano were way ahead of their rivals with 26 goals each and Real had just one more game to play, against Elche. The championship was already won, as usual, and the crowd had turned up merely to celebrate and crown the king of goals. In the first half, both stars had scored one goal each and all depended on the final 45 minutes. Neither had increased their total when, just before the final whistle, Puskas waltzed past the defence and drew the keeper before rounding him. Then, however, instead of firing into the open goal, he squared the ball back to di Stefano, who banged the ball into the open goal. Di Stefano was top scorer but Puskas’ wits had cleverly settled the difference between them.

From then on they blended perfectly and no more so than when they destroyed Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the European Cup Final in Glasgow, Puskas bagging three and di Stefano four.
In 1962, Pancho(the Spaniard’s affectionate name for him) scored another hat-trick in a European Cup Final, al though Real were beaten by Benfica 5-3. Puskas was also top scorer for four of his seasons in Spain. He was hugely amused when Pele was feted as the only man to score 1000 goals. “I got at least 1,500, but who’s counting?” This kind of remark is typical Puskas. He is a difficult man to interview because he has the endearing habit of punctuating pompous questions with wry remarks.
“Was Wembley your best match?” “No, I played better in Turku, Finland, when we won 17-0.”
“Which team would you most like to manage?” “One which wins every game.”

However, Puskas is more open when talking about his old Hungarian team-mates. “Hidegkuti was the finest centre-forward I ever played with and Grosics certainly the best goalkeeper.”
Puskas himself outstayed his welcome as a player but he loved the game so much that he was reluctant to step down. After his retirement, he took to coaching with a small town Spanish club and afterwards he tried his luck in Canada.
Then came an offer to take over at Greek champions, Panathinaikos. It was worth £20,000 a year to Puskas, as well as a rent-free villa in Athens. He happily accepted this deal and commuted between Madrid and Athens. He used his immense personal prestige to arrange lucrative friendlies for this little known semi-professional team and this experience against strong foreign opposition, plus Puskas multi-lingual ability, transformed these part-timers and took them to the final of the 1970-71 European Cup – a competition where no Greek team had ever reached the semis before.
Puskas marched his team into a London hotel (the game was played at Wembley) like the manager of a travelling circus and Hungarians from all over the world, Spaniards who remembered his days at Madrid and Greek shipping magnates basking in the reflected glory, were there. As Puskas had previously quietly predicted, Panathinaikos lost the match but gave Ajax a hard fight.

Towards the end of 1971, Puskas was guest of honour at a dinner where he presented prizes to some outstanding players. Billy Wright and Bobby Moore, amongst others, made speeches in praise of Puskas’ contribution to football and he was given a standing ovation by all the guests. Puskas said afterwards “Until today, I thought of myself as a professional doing a job just like a dentist or a plumber but hearing Billy and Bobby Moore speak so highly of me makes me feel that perhaps it is a little bit special to be Ferenc Puskas.”

He was born in 1927!

As I have said before and will say again:

The Greatest Footballer Ever to Play The Beautiful Game!

[KerPlunk]

"He was born in 1927!"

Aye, there's a pedant in every f*cking village, right enough.

Maybe you'd like to check for rogue commas and apostrophes while you are at it.