Guest alex Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Hungary legend Puskas dies at 79 Hungary and Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskas has died at the age of 79. Puskas, who was in hospital for six years with Alzheimer's disease, died in Budapest at 0600 GMT on Friday after suffering from a fever and pneumonia. Puskas led Hungary's golden team of the early 1950s, before taking Spanish citizenship and becoming part of Real Madrid's all-conquering team. Puskas scored 83 goals in 84 games for Hungary from 1945 to 1956 and later played for Spain in the 1962 World Cup. After leading Hungary to the 1952 Olympic Gold medal, he was part of the Mighty Magyars who became the first overseas team to beat England on home soil in 1953, scoring twice in the 6-3 win at Wembley. FERENC FACTFILE Born: 2 April 1927, Budapest, Hungary Clubs: Kispest Honved (354 apps, 357 goals) & Real Madrid (528 apps, 512 goals) Honours: Hungarian league (5), Spanish league (5), Spanish Cup, European Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Olympics Hungary then rolled England over 7-1 in Budapest and were consequently installed as favourites for the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. But injury to Puskas severely hampered the Magyars and they lost in the final to Germany. Puskas joined Real Madrid and, along with Alfredo di Stefano, was the inspiration behind a string of domestic and European titles. He scored four goals in Real's 7-3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in a remarkable final at Hampden Park in 1960, and won the European Cup three times with Madrid side. In all, he scored 512 goals for Real in 528 matches and in 1962 he took out Spanish citizenship in time to play for his adopted country in the 1962 World Cup. Puskas retired in 1967, going on to coach clubs in several countries, leading Greek side Panathanaikos to the European Cup final in 1971. As the last millennium drew to a close, Puskas was voted the 20th century's fourth best player by the International Federation for Football History and Statistics. From the Beeb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14011 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 aye it was on SSN they interviewed Jimmy Hill and he just said the same thing for ages.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 I've actually got the DVD of the 1960 European Cup Final and when you compare it to the 1955 FA Cup Final (in which the Toon beat Man City) the standard of football in the later match is light years ahead. Well worth watching (the 1955 final is gash though ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14011 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 lol even when we win we are gash then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 I won it on a competition no N-O ages ago and got a PM from HTT banging on about how good it was and how the current team would get a pasting off the '55 team (this was when we had a decent team under SBR). It's practically unwatchable man! It almost looks normal pace at x2 speed too. Jesus wept tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14011 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Yeh well if you look at how football has changed a team like Chelsea now would tear apart champions in the 50's Its a totally different game tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinofbeans 91 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 all the same look at those statistics. probably the best goalscorer in the european game ever, despite having no pace, being one footed(in footballing terms not actually) and short. off the record they've got him nailed in PES 6, use him as an inside forward and shoot from anywhere and he always hits the target... only thing is he aint very quick RIP Ferenc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Carr's Gloves 3788 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 An absolute legen who had serious problems with his legs. Makes me hate todays stars even more. ANd as for the modern game. The premiership is crap. It's just fast. There is relatively little skill and ball control everyone just relies on power. Except maybe Arsenal and sometimes Man U. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish Mag 3 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Who? If he never played for Newcastle from 1992 to present date I will not have heard of the lad tbh.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 What a legend, the way he embarrassed Billy Wright with that drag back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc-mag 1 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 An absolute legen who had serious problems with his legs. Makes me hate todays stars even more. ANd as for the modern game. The premiership is crap. It's just fast. There is relatively little skill and ball control everyone just relies on power. Except maybe Arsenal and sometimes Man U. Agreed on Puskas and agreed on the Premiership. We look inept at International level cos when a team gets us playing at their speed the difference in craft and technical ability is startling. RIP to a genuinely gifted footballer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 What a legend, the way he embarrassed Billy Wright with that drag back. I remember a few years ago when him and Billy Wright were special guests at a Wolves match and there was a feature on Football Focus. They were stood together near the tunnel and someone in the crowd shouted "That's as close as you ever got to him Billy". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 30167 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Sad that he appeared to end up pennyless at the end and Madrid fucked him over with the "fundraising" game they played for him. Still he's better off now after being ill for so long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 I'm not sure being dead is better off like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 30167 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 I'd prefer it than spending 6 years in hospital desperately ill just waiting for the inevitable. Still I suppose it depends what you believe happens afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Surely you wouldn't be in a position to make a proper judgement if you were suffering from Alzheimer's though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 30167 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Aimaad told me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Aimaad told me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetleftpeg 0 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 My old man and grandad used to go on about how class he was like. Short, fat, brilliant footballer by all accounts. One of these footballers from the past you wish you'd been able to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now