Sándor Egervári (born 15 July 1950) is a Hungarian
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
manager and former player.
He attended the
University of Physical Education in Budapest and qualified as a football coach in 1983. He has completed the
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
A and B course and as well as the pro license course. He has managed clubs to the domestic title and cup success.
Playing career
1971–1972 Hungarian First Division – Spartacus S.E
1972–1981 Hungarian First Division – Budapest Honvéd and MTK VM
1974 Member of the national Olympic team
Management career
Egervári's coaching career began as an assistant coach in Hungary's last appearance at a world cup. This was in the
Mexico 1986 tournament, when Hungary were one of the best European sides in the world. He was assistant coach for the national team for three years in total.
He then had a two-year spell, as assistant coach, to the
Kuwaiti national team from 1986–88. Egervári then returned home to Hungary, with a growing reputation as a top coach. He assisted József Both, for a season and then helped
György Mezey
György Mezey (born 7 September 1941) is a Hungarian former association football player, who played as a midfielder. He later became a well-regarded coach.
He was coach of the Hungary national team from 1983 to 1986, leading the team to the 19 ...
, over the next two years at
Honvéd, during the years 1988–91, where he helped the Budapest club to two titles among other successes. This was achieved with both managers, in the capacity of assistant manager. Honvéd also fared well in European competition during his time there.
With domestic success behind him, Egervári moved to the now extinct club,
BVSC Budapest
Budapesti Vasutas Sport Club-Zugló commonly known as BVSC-Zugló is a professional football club based in Zugló, Budapest, Hungary, that competes in the Nemzeti Bajnokság II.
The club was founded in 1911. Its football section became closed i ...
. He took over when they were bottom, but worked his magic with them. BVSC were league and cup runners-up in his successful time there. Egervári then spent a short time in
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
, coaching
Al-Ittihad Al-Ittihad may refer to:
Sports Football Men Teams
* Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
* Al Ittihad SCSC (Tripoli), Tripoli, Libya
* Al Ittihad Gheryan, Gharyan, Libya
* Al Ittihad Misurata SC, Misurata, Libya
* Al Ittihad SC ...
, before the lure of further success in Hungary followed. In 1998, he took over at
MTK and guided them to the title and
Hungarian Cup
The Hungarian Cup (, ), officially known as MOL Magyar Kupa for sponsorship reasons, is the Hungarian cup competition for football clubs. It was started by the Hungarian Football Association'','' in 1909, eight years after the commencement of ...
success.
Dunaújváros
One of his most notable successes followed when he moved to Dunaújváros in 1999. Once again his good coaching skills worked wonders and they were champions in his second season there. Dunaferr also enjoyed success in the European Cup, when they beat Hajduk Split on their journeys. The following season saw Egervári guide Dunaújváros to a runner-up spot.
MTK Hungária
He then returned to Budapest to once again manage MTK. He brought them the championship in his first year there. MTK also won that year's Super Cup trophy to bring the good times back to the famous Budapest club.
Vasas
A short stint in charge of Vasas SC then followed, before he packed his bags once more and headed back to Kuwait.
Al-Salmiya
He took the Al Salmiya Club to third spot and also managed to help them finish in the top 4 of the GCC cup.
Győr
In 2007, Egervári headed to
Győr
Győr ( , ; ; names of European cities in different languages: E-H#G, names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia, Western Transdanubia region, and – halfwa ...
, in Hungary, and took this club from close to bottom of the league to third spot, and qualification into the UEFA Cup. This was made even more special as it was the first time in 22 years that Győri ETO FC made it into Europe. He helped Győr beat Zestaponi of Georgia, over two legs, before meeting German giants VfB Stuttgart in the next round. His young Győr side suffered numerous injuries, with key captain Peter Stark, breaking his ribs, which resulted in him missing most of the season. Győr also suffered from fatigue after their involvement in the UEFA Cup, and the management of the club decided to do without his services in December 2008.
Hungary U-20
Egervári spent a short period of six months out of the game, deciding to focus on improving his English language skills during that time. He did receive offers from clubs for his services, but felt that he needed to properly recharge his batteries. He then received an offer that he simply could not refuse. The then President of the Hungarian FA, Istvan Kisteleki, offered him the U20 national team manager's job, with little over a month before the
2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 17th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which was hosted by Egypt from 24 September to 16 October 2009. The tournament was initially going to take place between 10 and 31 July. However, the 2009 FIFA Confede ...
finals in Egypt. He accepted, and began to work on his young squad with very little time allowed. Egervári once again proved his worth by guiding the little fancied Hungarians to a bronze medal position in the finals, which included big wins over the
Italy national under-20 football team
Italy national under-20 football team is the national under-20 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.
The team competes for the Under 20 Elite League, held annually and, if qualified, for the FIFA U-20 Worl ...
and
Czech Republic national under-20 football team
The Czech Republic national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of the Czech Republic and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, held ...
.
His young Hungarian side returned to Budapest airport amidst wild celebrations, with over a thousand people welcoming home his side. It was perhaps the best achievement from a Hungarian side since the
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup was the 5th edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football tournament for senior men's national teams of the nations affiliated to FIFA. It was held in Switzerland from 16 June ...
finals in Switzerland. He took on the additional role of U21 team manager and defeated the Italian U21 side in Hungary with a 2–0 win. The U21s currently sit in second place, with every chance of qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic games.
Hungary
The departure of Dutchman
Erwin Koeman
Erwin Koeman (born 20 September 1961) is a Dutch former professional football player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Netherlands national team.
As a midfielder, he played in three spells at Groningen and two at PSV Eindhoven, ...
resulted in Egervári being the obvious choice to manage the full Hungary national side for the first time. He was officially appointed on 23 July 2010, with his first task being to take the Hungary national side to England for a friendly at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
on 11 August 2010. Once again he had been given the challenge of preparing his side with very little time, but as his success in Egypt with the U-20 side showed, he was more than up to the challenge.
In the
Euro 2012 qualifying, Egervári debuted against
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
by losing 2–0 in Stockholm on 3 September 2010. On home turf his debut was a 2–1 win against
Moldova
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
. In their third match the team crushed
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...
8–0 at
Puskás Ferenc Stadium Puskás is a Hungarian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Ferenc Puskás (1927–2006), Hungarian football player and manager
**FIFA Puskás Award, the player judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant and "most beauti ...
. Their second away match was in
Helsinki Olympic Stadium
The Helsinki Olympic Stadium (; ), located in the Töölö district about from the centre of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country. The stadium is best known for being the centre of activities in the 1952 Summer ...
, where
Ádám Szalai scored the opening goal.
Mikael Forssell
Mikael Kaj Forssell (born 15 March 1981) is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is currently working as an assistant coach of HJK Helsinki, having previously worked as a youth coach for the club.
Forssell bega ...
equalized the result in the 88th minute, but Hungary won the match on a late goal by
Balázs Dzsudzsák
Balázs Dzsudzsák (; born 23 December 1986) is a Hungarian professional association football, footballer who plays as a winger (association football), winger for Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Debreceni VSC.
Dzsudzsák began his career at his home ...
in the 94th minute.
In 2011 Hungary played their first match against
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
in
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum (; 15 August 1943 – 4 January 2006) was an Emirati royal and politician who served as the second vice president, first and third prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, and ruler of Dubai. He was pr ...
,
Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
. In the 37th minute,
Gergely Rudolf
Gergely Rudolf (; born 9 March 1985) is a Hungarian former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Club career
Rudolf was born in Nyíregyháza.
Debrecen
Rudolf signed a contract with the Hungarian champion Debrecen in 2007.
His ...
scored a goal. The second goal was scored by
Tamás Hajnal
Tamás Hajnal (; born 15 March 1981) is a Hungarian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Club career
Born in Esztergom, Hungary, Hajnal started playing football at the local Zoltek SE in his hometown Nyergesú ...
in the 81st minute. Hungary beat Azerbaijan 2–0 in a friendly match. The first match in the
Euro 2012 Qualifiers was against the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
at home in the Puskás Ferenc Stadium on 25 March 2011. Hungary was beaten by 4–1 in front of 23,817 supporters. The second match was four days later on 29 March 2011. Hungary was beaten by 5–3 in a thrilling match. Gergely Rudolf scored the equalizer (1–1),
Gera Zoltán scored the second Hungarian goal (1–2) and the third goal (3–3). Finally, the Netherlands beat Hungary 5–3 in the
Amsterdam Arena
The Johan Cruyff Arena ( ; officially stylised as Johan Cruijff ArenA) is the main stadium of the Dutch capital city of Amsterdam and the home stadium of association football, football club AFC Ajax, Ajax since its opening. Built from 1993 to ...
. In March 2011, Hungary was third in their group. One of the most important success of Egervári's coaching career was the
Euro 2012 qualifying between Hungary and
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. Due to the injuries of key people like Balázs Dzsudzsák,
Roland Juhász
Roland Juhász (; born 1 July 1983) is a Hungarian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Career
MTK Budapest
Juhász spent his youth career in Tápiószecső playing for the local club Tápiószecső FC. He started his ...
, and
Zoltán Gera
Zoltán Gera (born 22 April 1979) is a Hungarian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder for Fulham F.C., Fulham, Pécsi Mecsek FC, Pécsi Mecsek and Harkány SE, as well as enjoying two spells at Ferencv ...
, nobody expected a victory against Sweden. On 2 September 2011, Szabics scored against Sweden at the Puskás Ferenc Stadium in the last minutes of the first half. However, Sweden equalized in the second half. A late goal by Szabics's fellow striker Gergely Rudolf resulted the celebration of 25,000 spectators after beating Sweden in the
Euro 2012 qualifying by 2–1.
On 11 October 2013, Egervári resigned immediately after an 8–1 defeat against the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
in Amsterdam in a penultimate game in the
FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying round, in which Hungary had the chance of securing a second place in Group D that could have entitled it to play-off games. He was remembered for the renaissance of modern Hungarian football, and contributed for Hungary's later success in
UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's association football, football ch ...
.
Diósgyőr
On 29 December 2015, he was appointed as the manager of
Nemzeti Bajnokság I
The Nemzeti Bajnokság (, ), also known as NB I or Fizz Liga after its title sponsor, OTP Bank's webshop subsidiary, is a professional association football league in Hungary and the highest level of the Hungarian football league system.
Twelve ...
club
Diósgyőri VTK
Diósgyőri Vasgyárak Testgyakorló Köre, more commonly Diósgyőri VTK () is a professional Association football, football club, part of the Hungarian sports club from Diósgyőr district of Miskolc. Founded in 1910 by the local working clas ...
.
Filmography
*''
Escape to Victory
''Escape to Victory'' (or simply ''Victory'') is a 1981 sports war film directed by John Huston and starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow and Pelé. The film is about Allied prisoners of war who are interned in a German ...
'' (1981) - German Team Player (uncredited)
Management award
Egervári has picked up many awards over his years as a top coach in both Hungary and the
Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
. He was manager of the year in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2009.
References
;General sources
* Ki kicsoda a magyar sportéletben?, I. kötet (A–H). Szekszárd, Babits Kiadó, 1994, 285. o.,
* Futballévkönyv 2008 (Aréna 2000 – Budapest, 2008) ISSN 1585-2172
{{DEFAULTSORT:Egervari, Sandor
1950 births
Living people
Hungarian men's footballers
Hungarian football managers
Budapest Honvéd FC players
MTK Budapest FC players
Dunaújváros FC managers
Vasas SC managers
Budapesti VSC managers
MTK Budapest FC managers
Győri ETO FC managers
Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah) managers
Diósgyőri VTK managers
Hungarian expatriate football managers
Expatriate football managers in Saudi Arabia
Hungarian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
Expatriate football managers in Kuwait
Hungarian expatriate sportspeople in Kuwait
Hungary national football team managers
People from Pomáz
Men's association football defenders
Al-Salmiya SC managers
Kuwait Premier League managers
Nemzeti Bajnokság I managers
Footballers from Pest County
20th-century Hungarian sportsmen