Hungary’s Magical Magyars of the 1950s are one of the iconic sides in the history of world football, but they rose against a backdrop of turmoil at home
Tag: hungary
The team that humbled Wembley and taught England that there was an entirely different footballing world out there, The Lob talks to David Bailey
Had Hungary lifted the 1954 World Cup, as they should have, Gusztáv Sebes would be lauded as one of the greatest of all time. He certainly was
Once a proud club in Hungary’s top flight, BAK rotted away over 70 years ago. Now they’re back, and a remarkable piece of history has been uncovered
IF HISTORY CROSSES its path, a good story can become a tragic one. This was the case for the story of Arpad Weisz. At the beginning of the 1937/38 season, this Hungarian…
The first of an eight-part series. Join host Jim Hart and World Cup experts Gary Thacker and Steven Scragg as they analyse the growth of the tournament, from the early powers, Uruguay…
IT MAY HAVE BEEN RONALD whose dreams to eventually coach Barcelona seemed to spectacularly combust at Goodison Park, but he wasn’t alone – his brother was also part of the journey. From…
NEVER BEFORE HAD one of English football’s great homes resounded with such natural fervour to the praise not of local heroes, but of a foreign team. “Hungary, Hungary,” yelled the crowd through…
Jonathan Wilson is the acclaimed author of Inverting The Pyramid, The Outsider and Angels With Dirty Faces, as well as the founder and editor of The Blizzard. Join host Jim Hart and…
Illustration by Federico Manasse The parameters for defining greatness are increasingly measured quantitatively. Players are judged by trophies won, goals scored and appearances amassed. But can such a mutable construct solely be…
IF YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF SÁNDOR KOCSIS, it’s likely that you’re not from Hungary or you’re not a die-hard Barcelona supporter. Held up as a cherished cult hero by both sets of fans,…
CLUTCHING FALSE PAPERS and disguised as Russian soldiers while sheltering from the bitter winter on the back of a truck, a group of Hungarian men passed through the Alps in search of…
This feature is part of The Masterminds: 10 Under 45 “Is it your birthday? No? Then you’re not getting it.” As the seven-year-old child glanced longingly at the table tennis set he…
This feature is part of The Masterminds When one thinks of the Mighty Magyars, thoughts often run to The Galloping Major Ferenc Puskás, the powerful army side Honvéd and England’s first defeat…
This feature is part of The Masterminds AS THE SMOULDERING WRECKAGE morbidly illuminated the snow-drenched gloom, one flame threatened to go out altogether. A few survivors scrabbled through the shredded shards of…
This feature is part of The Masterminds GFORE VIDAL ONCE WROTE: “Traitors who prevail are patriots; usurpers who succeed are divine emperors.” If this is the case, then Jimmy Hogan could be…
NEUER, VALDÉS, MENZO, GATTI AND JONGBLOED all mastered the art of the sweeper keeper; proactive goalkeepers that charge out of their box to intercept through balls from attacking teams, clearing the ball…
In sport, especially within the often wildly unpredictable world of football, there is rarely anything like a guaranteed winning bet. The Europa League final on May 14 2014, was, however, probably as close…