MAGYARS

Hungary suffered a national "uprising" in October 1956, which devastated much of the country and ruined the nation's football. The HONVED football club was caught up in the middle of the revolt which ran from October 23rd to November 10th. 

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 Puskas, Sandor Kocsis, Joszef Boszik, Zoltan Czibor, and Guula Gosics 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.

In 1956, Honvéd, with starring legends like Ferenc Puskas, from Hungary's Army team, was seriously affected, while on a European Cup tour, as the Soviet invasion forced the team to scatter, with players choosing exile and never returning to play for Honvéd, a pivotal moment ending their golden era as they dispersed to top European clubs. Ferenc Puskas (never heard of him?? Sort yourself out!!) was wrongly reported to have been killed in the rebellious fighting. Thankfully, the national team remained alive and kicking, even when Soviet troops entered Budapest to quell the rioting. Honved was pleased to escape, travelling to Spain to play Athletic Bilbao in the First Round of the 1956/7 European Cup (now known as the European Champions League).

Honved lost the first leg of the tie 3-2 in Bilbao and with hostilities continuing in Budapest, it was impossible to play a return leg, so the clubs arranged a return home leg in the Heysel Stadium In Brussels which proved not to be a favoured venue for the Hungarian Champions. Early in the game, goalkeeper Lajos Farago was injured and no substitutes were allowed, so Zoltan Czibor had to don the gloves and soon the team was 1-3 down. Honved pulled two late goals back from Sandor Kocsis and Puskas, but they were not enough to save the tie. Honved were out and a great club had played its last competitive match. Below, the Magyars 1953. Puskas central front.

The players opted to return to Hungary, sending for their families in Italy, Portugal and Spain. before embarking to South America. Several of the squad decided to return to their homeland and goalkeeper, Gyula Grosics returned to Hungary to serve a two-year ban. Others, including Puskas, Czibor and Kocsis stayed away ending up in the Spanish League after serving FIFA bans following their defection. Honved's reign as one of the best clubs in Europe was dramatically over and the club would not win the Hungarian League again until 1984.