
Gusztav Sebes
Name: Gusztav SebesBorn: 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.
Did You Know?
- 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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