József Bozsik facts for kids
Bozsik in 1954
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 28 November 1925 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kispest, Hungary | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 31 May 1978 (aged 52) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Budapest, Hungary | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Central midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1937–1943 | Budapest Honvéd | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 1943–1962 | Budapest Honvéd | 477 | (33) | ||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1947–1962 | Hungary | 101 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1967 | Budapest Honvéd | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1974 | Hungary | ||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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József Bozsik (born November 28, 1925 – died May 31, 1978) was a famous Hungarian footballer. He played as a central midfielder, which is a player who helps both attack and defense.
Bozsik spent his whole club career at Budapest Honvéd, his hometown team. He was a very important player for the legendary Golden Team of Hungary. This team was one of the best in the world. Honvéd even named their stadium, Bozsik József Stadion, after him.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
József Bozsik was born in Kispest, which is now a part of Budapest. His grandmother gave him the nickname "Cucu." He grew up playing football on local fields in Kispest. His best friend and neighbor was another famous player, Ferenc Puskás.
When he was 11 years old, Bozsik caught the eye of Budapest Honvéd. The club quickly signed him to their youth team.
Professional Playing Career
Bozsik made his first team debut for Honvéd in 1943. His first game was against Vasas SC. He played for Honvéd for many years, scoring 33 goals in 477 top-level games.
He joined the Hungarian national team when he was 21. His first international game was on August 17, 1947, against Bulgaria. He played his last national game on April 18, 1962, against Uruguay. In total, he played 101 games for Hungary and scored 11 goals. He held the record for the most games played for Hungary until 2016.
Major Achievements with Hungary
Bozsik won an Olympic gold medal with Hungary in 1952. This happened at the games in Helsinki. Two years later, in 1954, his team finished second in the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
He also played in two very famous matches against England. Hungary won 6–3 at Wembley in 1953. They also won 7–1 against England in Budapest in 1954.
Club Successes
After a winter tour in 1956–57, Bozsik returned to play in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. A year later, he helped Honvéd win the Mitropa Cup. This was another important trophy for his club.
Bozsik's Style of Play
In his best years, Bozsik was seen as one of the top attacking half-backs in the world. He had excellent technique and a lot of flair. He was also very smart about tactics and could pass the ball with great accuracy. His creativity on the field was amazing.
Even though he wasn't the fastest player, he was often used as a deep-lying playmaker. This meant he started plays from further back on the field. His ability to tackle and win the ball was also very helpful. Many people consider him one of the greatest Hungarian footballers ever.
Life After Playing Football
After retiring from playing, Bozsik continued to be involved in football. He became a member of the board at his old club, Honvéd. He also spent some time as the team's manager. He managed Honvéd for 47 matches between January 1966 and September 1967. After that, he went back to his role on the board.
In 1974, he was chosen to manage the Hungarian national team. However, he had to resign soon after starting due to illness. Besides football, Bozsik was also involved in politics for a time. He was even a Member of Parliament.
Death
József Bozsik passed away in Budapest on May 31, 1978. He was 52 years old. He died because of heart failure. After his death, he was made a Freeman of Kispest, which is a special honor from his hometown.
Honours and Awards
József Bozsik won many awards and titles during his career.
Budapest Honvéd
- Hungarian League: 1949–50, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955
Hungary National Team
- Olympic Champions: 1952
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1954
Individual Awards
- Hungarian Football Federation Player of the Year: 1952
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1954
- Ballon d'Or: 6th place 1956
Images for kids
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The resting place of József Bozsik
See also
In Spanish: József Bozsik para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
