Flórián Albert
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Flórián Albert (15 September 1941 – 31 October 2011) was a Hungarian professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player, manager and sports official, who was named
European Footballer of the Year The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (foun ...
in 1967. Nicknamed "The Emperor", he played as a
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...
, and has been described as one of the most elegant footballers of all time. A club legend of
Ferencvárosi TC Ferencvárosi Torna Club, known as Ferencváros (), Fradi, or simply FTC, is a professional football club based in Ferencváros, Budapest, Hungary, that competes in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, the top flight of Hungarian football. Ferencváros wa ...
, Albert joined the team as a schoolboy and spent his whole playing career at ''Fradi''. He also starred for Hungary, winning 75 international caps and scoring 31 goals. He was joint top-scorer at the 1962 World Cup with four goals and played a key role in Hungary's third-place finish at the European Championship in 1964. He stayed loyal to Ferencváros after his retirement as well, actively participated in the club's life and also held administrative positions. Since 2007 the stadium of Ferencváros bears his name. Albert died in October 2011, aged 70, in a hospital in Budapest after complications following heart surgery carried out a few days earlier.


Early life

The son of a blacksmith, Albert was born and brought up in the little town of
Hercegszántó Hercegszántó ( hr, Santovo, sr, Сантово) is a village in the Bács-Kiskun County of Hungary, famous for being the birthplace of footballer Flórián Albert. Residents are Magyars, with minority of Serbs and Croats. Until the end of Worl ...
near the border with the former
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, where he got his first taste of the game playing with his two brothers. His mother was Hungarian Croat, from the group of
Šokci Šokci ( sh, / , italics=yes, , ; , ; hu, Sokácok) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to historical regions of Baranya, Bačka, Slavonia and Syrmia. These regions today span eastern Croatia, southwestern Hungary, and northern Serbia. ...
.Hrvatski glasnik br.33/2007.
Počasni građanin Santova, 16 August 2007, p. 5
She died when he was two. When the family later moved to
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, Albert participated on a talent day held by
Ferencváros Ferencváros () is the 9th district of Budapest ( hu, Budapest IX. kerülete), Hungary. Name The southern suburb of Pest was named after King Francis I on 4 December 1792 when he was crowned king of Hungary. History The development of Fe ...
. He impressed the coaches and was selected by the club. Albert was 11 years old at the time.


Career

Albert spent his entire club career with
Ferencvárosi TC Ferencvárosi Torna Club, known as Ferencváros (), Fradi, or simply FTC, is a professional football club based in Ferencváros, Budapest, Hungary, that competes in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, the top flight of Hungarian football. Ferencváros wa ...
, where he played from 1952 to 1974. He came through the ranks quickly and made his debut in the senior team on 2 November 1958 against
Diósgyőr Diósgyőr (Hungarian: dioːʒɟøːr is a historical town in Hungary, today it is a part of Miskolc. The medieval castle in Diósgyőr was a favourite holiday residence of Hungarian kings and queens; today it is a popular tourist attraction. The ...
, in a match in which he hit the back of the net two times. The forward was also spotted by Hungarian national team manager
Lajos Baróti Lajos Baróti (; 19 August 1914 – 23 December 2005) was a Hungarian football player and manager. With eleven major titles he is one of the outstanding coaches of his era. Career Baróti played from 1928 until 1946 for Szegedi AK and from 19 ...
in a youth match between Hungary and Yugoslavia, and not much later Albert already received his first call-up. His first appearance in the national selection came on 28 June 1959 against Sweden, who finished runners-up in the World Cup a year earlier. Albert contributed with two assist to Hungary's 3–2 win over the Scandinavians. He scored 31 goals in 75
caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...
for the Hungarian team, with them he has collected the bronze medal on both of the Olympic Games in 1960 and the European Championship in 1964. At the
1962 World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup was the seventh edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for senior men's national teams. It was held from 30 May to 17 June 1962 in Chile. The qualification rounds took place be ...
, despite Hungary being knocked out in the quarter-finals, Albert, tied with five others, managed to win the
Golden Boot Award Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...
with four goals. On club level, his biggest success came in 1965, when in the
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, sometimes referred to as the European Fairs Cup, Fairs Cities' Cup, or simply as the Fairs Cup, was a European Association football, football competition played between 1955 and 1971. It is often considered the predecess ...
, Ferencváros, that knocked-out among others
AS Roma ' (''Rome Sport Association''), commonly referred to as Roma (), is a professional football club based in Rome, Italy. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma has participated in the top tier of Italian football for all of its existence, except for ...
and
Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd), or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The club competes in the Premier League, ...
en route to the final, triumphed over
Juventus F.C. )''I Bianconeri'' (The White and Blacks)''Le Zebre'' (The Zebras)''La Signora Omicidi'' (The Killer Lady)''La Gheuba'' (: The Hunchback) , founded = as Sport-Club Juventus , ground = Juventus Stadium , capacity = 41,507 , owner = Agnelli ...
1–0 in the decisive match and obtained the cup title. Albert appeared in his next World event in 1966 in England, where he produced an excellent display against Brazil in a duel that is regarded as one of the greatest matches in the history of the World Cup. The Magyars, after losing to Portugal in their first round encounter, entered a must-win match against Brazil. Hungary eventually beat the South Americans 3–1, to keep alive their hopes, and Albert, who received a standing ovation from the supporters, made the fans forget the absence of Pelé with his performance. By winning their final group match, Hungary made it to the quarter-finals, just to fall short against the Soviet Union. The year 1967 was a special one for Albert, who not only won the Hungarian Championship with Ferencváros and collected the Hungarian Player of the Year title, but in December first celebrated the birth of his son, and later he was awarded the
Ballon d'Or The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (fo ...
in recognition of his outstanding attributes. Albert topped the voting with 68 points, twenty-eight ahead of
Bobby Charlton Sir Robert Charlton (born 11 October 1937) is an English former footballer who played either as a midfielder or a forward. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, he was a member of the England team that won the 1966 FIFA World Cu ...
, who came second. In 1968 Albert appeared in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final again, this time against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
, but lost by a one-goal margin (0–1). On 15 June 1969, in a World Cup qualifier against Denmark, Albert collided with Knud Engedal, goalkeeper of the Scandinavians, and suffered a serious fractured leg injury. Following that he was sidelined for almost a year and could never win back his form any more. Albert returned into action in the Hungarian Championship on 27 April 1970 against Salgótarján and on 4 April 1971 he played his first international match after the injury, a friendly match against Austria. His final major event was the 1972 European Championship, where he captured fourth place with Hungary, recording two appearances in the tournament. In the same year he captured the Hungarian Cup title for the first time, thus making his collection of domestic silverware complete. Albert played his final league match on 17 March 1974 against Zalaegerszeg. He came on as a substitute in the second half and contributed to the 3–0 victory with a goal, the last one in his career. Albert, after receiving greetings and gifts from the old boys, the opponents and his son, ran to the stands, bowed for the fans and left the field on the shoulders of his teammates. Following his retirement, he had two short spells as a manager in Libya with
Al-Ahly Benghazi Al-Ahly Sports Cultural & Social Club () known as Al-Ahly SCSC is a Libyan Sports club based in Benghazi, Libya. Al-Ahly SC has its roots in a political party, the Omar al Mukhtar society. History Al-Ahly SC Libya was made a professional footba ...
, however, with only limited success. After returning from North Africa, Albert worked for Ferencváros in several positions, such as technical director, department leader and later honorary chairman. In 2007, Ferencváros' stadium was named after him. In the same year, he received a prize in his village of birth, Hercegszántó, becoming an honorable citizen. In 2010
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, a year later,
Ferencváros Ferencváros () is the 9th district of Budapest ( hu, Budapest IX. kerülete), Hungary. Name The southern suburb of Pest was named after King Francis I on 4 December 1792 when he was crowned king of Hungary. History The development of Fe ...
awarded him honorary citizenship.


Personal life

Albert married Irén Bársony, an actress, on 30 November 1963. The couple had two children, a girl, Magdolna, and a son,
Flórián Albert Jr. Flórián Albert Jr. (born 12 December 1967) is a Hungarian football coach and former player. Playing career The son of Ballon d'Or-winning footballer Flórián Albert Sr., Albert played professional club football in Hungary, Israel, and Fr ...
, who, like his father, became a football player with Ferencváros, and later had spells in Israel and France and also played for the Hungarian national team. Albert's grandchild, Flórián Patrik, aims to become a professional footballer as well.


Death

On 27 October 2011, Flórián, after suffering a vasoconstriction, underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. Although a press release the following day by his former club Ferencváros stated that the operation had been successful, he subsequently suffered a heart attack and died in the early hours of 31 October 2011. His funeral took place on 6 November 2011 in the Cemetery of Óbuda. Hundreds of mourners accompanied Albert to his final rest, including
Viktor Orbán Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian politician who has served as prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has presided over Fidesz since 1993, with a brief break between 20 ...
, Prime Minister of Hungary;
Pál Schmitt Pál Schmitt (; born 1942) is a Hungarian Olympic fencer and politician who served as President of Hungary from 2010 until his resignation in 2012, following his academic misconduct controversy. Schmitt was a successful fencer in his ...
, President of Hungary; Sándor Csányi, president of the Hungarian Football Federation; Gábor Kubatov, president of Ferencvárosi TC; and former teammates
Kálmán Mészöly Kálmán Mészöly (16 July 1941 – 21 November 2022) was a Hungarian professional football player and coach. He played his entire career at Vasas SC, where he operated as a centre-back. His nickname was "The Blond Rock". Mészöly played ...
,
Gyula Rákosi Gyula Rákosi (born 9 October 1938) is a former Hungarian footballer. During his club career he played for Ferencvárosi TC. He earned 41 caps and scored 4 goals for the Hungary national football team from 1960 to 1968, and participated in ...
, Lajos Szűcs and
Tibor Nyilasi Tibor Nyilasi (born 18 January 1955) is a retired Hungarian football player and manager. He signed with Ferencváros in 1972 and played there until transferring to Austria Wien in 1983. He made 70 appearances for the Hungary national team from ...
. The event was also live broadcast by Hungarian public television
Magyar Televízió Magyar Televízió (''Hungarian Television'') or MTV is a nationwide public television broadcasting organization in Hungary. Headquartered in Budapest, it is the oldest television broadcaster in Hungary and today airs five channels: M1 HD, M ...
. In the afternoon same day, Ferencváros played a league clash against
Paksi SE Paksi FC (''Paks'') () is a Hungary, Hungarian association football, football club based in Paks. Since its founding in 1952, it has played at either a county or national level. In 2006, it ascended to ''Borsodi Liga'', or NB I, the top division i ...
. Before the match the floodlights were switched off and the stadium turned into dark, with candles lit by the fans are being the only lights in the arena. Ferencváros players wore a special all-black kit in the occasion and fans paid tribute to Albert with a banner saying "God shall be with you Emperor". Supporters of
SK Rapid Wien Sportklub Rapid Wien (), commonly known as Rapid Vienna, is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid has won the most Austrian championship titles (32), including the first title in the season 1911–12, ...
, who have close ties with Ferencváros, also shown honor to Albert with a transparent in their game against SV Ried. The friendly match against
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
played on 11 November was declared a memorial game for Albert by the Hungarian Football Federation. The clash was originally scheduled to take place at the Sóstói Stadion, but later was moved to the
Ferenc Puskás Stadium The Ferenc Puskás Stadium ( hu, Puskás Ferenc Stadion), or formerly People's Stadium (''Népstadion'') was a multi-purpose stadium in the 14th district (Zugló) of Budapest, Hungary. It was situated between the Puskás Ferenc Stadion and th ...
to give more people the opportunity to attend the event. In the four corners of the arena memorial places were erected, where the supporters could pay their tribute to the Golden Ball winner. A five-minute-long compilation of the best moments of Albert was also projected before the kick-off. Hungary eventually won the match 5–0 in front of a sold-out crowd with two goals by
Balázs Dzsudzsák Balázs Dzsudzsák (; born 23 December 1986) is a Hungarian professional footballer who plays for Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Debreceni VSC. Dzsudzsák began his career at his hometown club Debreceni VSC, winning consecutive league titles in e ...
, and further strikes from Tamás Priskin,
Vladimir Koman Vladimir Koman Jr. (born 16 March 1989) is a Ukrainian-born Hungarian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Hungarian second-tier NB II team Diósgyőr. Club career Koman was born in Uzhhorod, Zakarpattia Oblast, Uk ...
and Róbert Feczesin. Dzsudzsák commented after the match that he is sure that Flórián would have been happy if he could have seen the match, and added that he hopes they rejoiced him in Heaven.


Career statistics


Club


International


Honours

Ferencváros *
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, sometimes referred to as the European Fairs Cup, Fairs Cities' Cup, or simply as the Fairs Cup, was a European Association football, football competition played between 1955 and 1971. It is often considered the predecess ...
: 1964–65 *
Hungarian League Hungarian may refer to: * Hungary, a country in Central Europe * Kingdom of Hungary, state of Hungary, existing between 1000 and 1946 * Hungarians, ethnic groups in Hungary * Hungarian algorithm, a polynomial time algorithm for solving the assignme ...
1963, 1964, 1967 and 1968 *
Hungarian Cup The Hungarian Cup ( hu, Magyar Kupa) is the Hungarian cup competition for football clubs. It was started by the Hungarian Football Association, the ''Magyar Labdarúgó Szövetség,'' in 1909, eight years after the commencement of the Hungarian ...
1972 Individual * Best Young Player Award:
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
1962 * Top Scorer (Golden Boot): FIFA World Cup 1962 (shared with five other players at 4 goals) * All-Star Team: FIFA World Cup 1966 * Team of the Tournament:
UEFA European Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...
1964 * Top Scorer:
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
1966 * Top Scorer: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1967 * Top Scorer: Hungarian Championship 1960, 1961, 1965 * Hungarian Footballer of the Year 1966, 1967 *
Ballon d'Or The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (fo ...
(European Footballer of the Year) 1967 * Officier's Cross of
Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary The Hungarian Order of Merit ( hu, Magyar Érdemrend) is the fourth highest State Order of Hungary. Founded in 1991, the order is a revival of an original order founded in 1946 and abolished in 1949. Its origins, however, can be traced to the O ...
1994 * Middle Cross of the Order Merit of the Republic of Hungary 2011 * Sportsperson of the Nation (A Nemzet Sportolója) 2004 * The
stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
of Ferencvarosi TC was renamed to Albert-stadium in his honor in 2007 * Honorable Citizen of Hercegszántó 2007 * Honorable Citizen of Budapest 2010 * Honorable Citizen of Ferencváros 2011


References


External links

*
Portrait of Flórián Albert
– Thury, Gábor (2011), Nemzeti Sport Online {{DEFAULTSORT:Albert, Florian 1941 births 2011 deaths 1962 FIFA World Cup players 1966 FIFA World Cup players Association football forwards Ballon d'Or winners Expatriate football managers in Libya Ferencvárosi TC footballers Footballers at the 1960 Summer Olympics Hungarian footballers Hungarian football managers Hungary international footballers People from Hercegszántó Olympic footballers of Hungary Olympic bronze medalists for Hungary Olympic medalists in football 1964 European Nations' Cup players UEFA Euro 1972 players Officer's Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (civil) Nemzeti Bajnokság I players Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Hungarian people of Croatian descent Sportspeople from Bács-Kiskun County UEFA Champions League top scorers