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Gusztav Sebes

Gusztav Sebes

Name: Gusztav Sebes
Born: 22 January 1906
Gusztav Sebes was the brains behind Hungary's 'Magical Magyars' of the 1950s. His revolutionary attacking tactics - a prototype of total football - inspired a golden generation of players who, for four years up to the 1954 FIFA World Cup, proved unbeatable.
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He Was My Coach

"We came to have a tremendous understanding of everything required to play the game."
Ferenc Puskas, Hungary forward

Did You Know?

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  • Sebes was a successful player in the 1920s for Vasas and MTK Budapest. After going into management he earned the nickname ‘Uncle Guszhi’.
  • A leading Communist Party figure warned Sebes the night before Hungary’s 1952 Olympic final triumph: “Failure will not be tolerated.”
  • Sebes showed he was one of the great technical pioneers by introducing his team to new lightweight boots, which were cut under the ankle.
  • Sebes reportedly suffered a gashed cheek in the infamous ‘Battle of Berne’ bust-up between Brazil and Hungary in the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
  • Gusztav Sebes was President of the Hungarian Olympic Committee from 1948 to 1960 and was also Vice President of UEFA from 1954 to 1960.

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