Budapest Honvéd Football Club (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbudɒpɛʃt ˈhonveːd ˈɛft͡seː]), commonly known as Budapest Honvéd or simply Honvéd, is a Hungarian sports club based in Kispest, Budapest, with the colours of red and black. The club is best known for its football team. Honvéd means the Homeland Defence. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944.

Budapest Honvéd
Full nameBudapest Honvéd Football Club
Nickname(s)Kispest
Oroszlánok (Lions)
Founded3 August 1909; 115 years ago (1909-08-03)
GroundBozsik Aréna, Budapest
Capacity8,200
ChairmanTamás Leisztinger
ManagerZsolt Laczkó
LeagueNB II
2023–24NB II, 9th of 18
Websitewww.honvedfc.hu

The team enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s when it was renamed Budapesti Honvéd SE and became the Hungarian Army team. The club's top players from this era, Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik, Zoltán Czibor, and Gyula Grosics helped the club win the Hungarian League four times during the 1950s and also formed the nucleus of the legendary Hungary national team popularly known as the Mighty Magyars.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the club enjoyed another successful period, winning a further eight Hungarian League titles. They also won league and cup doubles in 1985 and 1989. In 1991, the club was renamed Kispest Honvéd FC and adopted its current name in 2003.[1]

When the club was originally formed in 1909, it also organised teams that competed in fencing, cycling, gymnastics, wrestling, athletics, boxing, and tennis. Later, the Honvéd family was extended to include a water polo team, now known as Groupama Honvéd, a 33-times basketball-champion team and a handball team that were European Champions in 1982.

History

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Budapest Honvéd FC were founded in 1909 as Kispesti AC.[2] At domestic level they first entered the Nemzeti Bajnokság I in the 1916–17 season. Their first success came in the 1926 Magyar Kupa season when they beat Budapesti EAC in the final. The club had played in the first division since 1916, until the club got relegated to the second division in 2003. [3]

Stadium

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The first stadium was demolished in 2019

Budapest Honvéd's first stadium was opened in 1913. On 5 August 2018, the last match was played at the stadium. The match was won by Honvéd against Paksi FC on the 3rd match day of the 2018–19 Nemzeti Bajnokság I. The only goal was scored by Danilo in the 48th minute. The referee was Viktor Kassai.[4] The stadium was demolished in 2019.[citation needed]

The new stadium of the club was opened in 2021.[5] The first match was played between Budapest Honvéd FC II and Szekszárdi UFC in the 2020–21 Nemzeti Bajnokság III season. The stadium was selected to host the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[6]

Crest and colours

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Budapest Honvéd FC crest during the Hemingway era, used until 2020.

Manufacturers and shirt sponsors

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The following table shows in detail Budapest Honvéd FC kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors by year:

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1990–1992 Adidas Fiat
1992–1994 Matchwinner Epson
1994–1996 Diadora Gösser
1996–1997 Joma
1997–1998 Faragó és Fiai Mystery
1998–2000 Umbro IBUSZ alapítása 1902
2000–2003 Jako Wilkinson Sword
2003–2005 Gems
2005–2006 Macron
2006–2008 hummel
2008–2012 Nike
2012–2013 Givova
2014 Ideasport
2014–2015
2015–18 Macron
2018– Tippmix

Honours

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Friendly

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Youth teams

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Players

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Current squad

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As of 3 August, 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   HUN Gellért Dúzs
4 DF   HUN Alex Szabó
6 MF   HUN István Átrok
7 MF   HUN Dávid Holman
8 MF   HUN Ákos Sigér
11 MF   HUN Zalán Kerezsi
13 MF   HUN Tamás Csilus
14 DF   ROU Cornel Ene
17 FW   HUN Ábel Krajcsovics
18 MF   HUN Attila Lőrinczy
19 DF   UKR Vyacheslav Kulbachuk
22 MF   HUN Noel Keresztes
23 FW   HUN Zoltán Medgyes
No. Pos. Nation Player
29 MF   HUN Kevin Polák
30 MF   HUN Bence Nyitrai
44 DF   HUN Barna Benczenleitner
49 DF   SRB Branko Pauljevic
55 MF   HUN Gergely Kocsis
65 FW   HUN Norbert Kundrák
72 FW   HUN László Benkő
74 FW   HUN Benedek Simon
83 GK   SVK Tomáš Tujvel
90 GK   HUN Márk Gyetván
98 DF   HUN Tibor Szabó
99 DF   HUN István Pekár

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Retired numbers

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10  Ferenc Puskás, Forward (1949–56). Number retired in July 2000.

Notable former players

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Had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Budapest Honvéd FC.

Non-playing staff

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Management

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As of 15 September 2024[9]

Position Name
Proprietor   Tamás Leisztinger
Managing Director   Árpád Séllei
Marketing Director   Martin Petrevics
Director of Facility   Dávid Szabó
Director of Finance   Mária Takács
Director of Communications   Benedek Rác

First team staff

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As of 15 September 2024

Position Name
Head coach   Zsolt Laczkó
Assistant coach   István Paulik
Assistant coach     Djordje Kamber
Goalkeeping coach   István Brockhauser
Assistant goalkeeping coach   Viktor Szentpéteri
Fitness coach   Zsolt Lázár
Physiotherapist   Attila Hajdu
Video analyst   Balázs Sinkó

Ownership

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In 2022, Chris Docherty was appointed as the new sport director of the club.[10][11][12][13]

Chris Docherty said in an interview that the club cannot sign any new players for financial problems in the middle of the 2022-23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.[14]

On 22 May 2023, Chris Docherty resigned as sports director.[15][16] In an article published by Nemzeti Sport, George F. Hemingway, former owner of the club, heavily criticized the management of the club for their relegation to the Nemzeti Bajnokság II after finishing 11th in the 2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.[17] Hemingway said that the solid financial background is not enough if there is no expertise.

On 27 April 2024, it was revealed that a Tamás Lisztinger-led business showed interest in purchasing the club.[18]

Owners

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  • 2006–2019:   Quinex America LLC (George F. Hemingway)
  • 2019–2024:   Reditus Equity (Zoltán Bozó)
  • 2024-present:   ARAGO-SPORT Kft. (Tamás Leisztinger)

[19][20][21]

See also

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Sources

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  • Behind The Curtain – Travels in Eastern European Football: Jonathan Wilson (2006)[22]
  • 50 Years of the European Cup and Champions League: Keir Radnedge (2005)[23]

References

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  1. ^ "Budapest Honvéd | Hungarian Football". HungarianFootball.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  2. ^ Magyar, PUSKAS COM :: The official website of the Magical. "110 YEARS OF KISPEST AC :: Topical". PUSKAS.COM. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Budapest Honvéd | Hungarian Football". HungarianFootball.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Győzelemmel búcsúzott a régi Bozsik-stadiontól a Honvéd". Nemzeti Sport. 5 August 2018. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Minden (is), amit a stadionavatóról tudni kell". honvedfc.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  6. ^ "2021 Under-21 EURO". uefa.com. 16 March 2021. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  7. ^ García, Javier (2009). "International Tournaments (Paris) 1904–1935: Tournoi de Pâques du Red Star". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  8. ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin (1 April 2023). "NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Philip Tarlue". National-football-teams.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Budapest Honvéd Online". Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  10. ^ SZ, I. "Honvéd: skót sportigazgató irányítja a szakmai munkát - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  11. ^ A, CS. "Honvéd: nemcsak új játékosok, hanem sportigazgató is jöhet - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  12. ^ Palmer, Ben (28 May 2023). "'It was surreal. Our Ukrainian players were worried but I had to stay calm'". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  13. ^ Temple, Alan (5 July 2022). "'It was his destiny': Meet the former Dundee United tactical chief who tempted Tam Courts to Hungary". The Courier. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  14. ^ nemzetisport.hu. "Honvéd: Sajnos nincs lehetőségünk igazolni… – Chris Docherty - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  15. ^ nemzetisport.hu (2023). "Honvéd: változások a vezetőségben – távozik a sportigazgató - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  16. ^ "Chris Docherty távozik". honvedfc.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  17. ^ nemzetisport.hu (2023). "Gondatlanságból kiesés – Thury Gábor jegyzete - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Bp. Honvéd: megszületett az elvi megállapodás a klub eladásáról – Bozó Zoltán az NS-nek". Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 27 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Új tulajdonos a Budapest Honvédnál". Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Új tulajdonosa van a Budapest Honvéd labdarúgóklubnak". Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Megszólalt az egyik új Honvéd-tulajdonos: A Fradival és a Vidivel versenyző csapatot akarnak építeni". 9 April 2019. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  22. ^ Behind the Curtain: Travels in Football in Eastern Europe: Amazon.co.uk: Jonathan Wilson: Books. ASIN 0752869078.
  23. ^ 50 Years of the European Cup and Champions League: Amazon.co.uk: Keir Radnedge: Books. ASIN 1844425290.
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