Budapest Honvéd FC

Budapest Honvéd

Full name	Budapest Honvéd Football Club
Nickname(s)	Kispest Oroszlánok (Lions)
Founded	3 August 1909
Ground	Bozsik Aréna, Budapest
Capacity	8,200
Chairman	Dániel Mendelényi
Manager	Aurél Csertői
League	NB II
2022–23	NB I, 11th of 12 (relegated)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Budapest Honvéd Football Club (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbudɒpɛʃt ˈhonveːd ˈɛft͡seː]), commonly known as Budapest Honvéd or simply Honvéd, is a Hungarian sports club based in Kispest, Budapest, with the colours of red and black. The club is best known for its football team. Honvéd means the Homeland Defence. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944.

The team enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s when it was renamed Budapesti Honvéd SE and became the Hungarian Army team. The club's top players from this era, Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik, Zoltán Czibor, and Gyula Grosics helped the club win the Hungarian League four times during the 1950s and also formed the nucleus of the legendary Hungary national team popularly known as the Mighty Magyars.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the club enjoyed another successful period, winning a further eight Hungarian League titles. They also won league and cup doubles in 1985 and 1989. In 1991, the club was renamed Kispest Honvéd FC and adopted its current name in 2003.

When the club was originally formed in 1909, it also organised teams that competed in fencing, cycling, gymnastics, wrestling, athletics, boxing, and tennis. Later, the Honvéd family was extended to include a water polo team, now known as Groupama Honvéd, a 33-times basketball-champion team and a handball team that were European Champions in 1982.

History

Budapest Honvéd FC were founded in 1909 as Kispesti AC. At domestic level they first entered the Nemzeti Bajnokság I in the 1916–17 season. Their first success came in the 1926 Magyar Kupa season when they beat Budapesti EAC in the final.

Stadium

Budapest Honvéd's first stadium was opened in 1913. On 5 August 2018, the last match was played at the stadium. The match was won by Honvéd against Paksi FC on the 3rd match day of the 2018–19 Nemzeti Bajnokság I. The only goal was scored by Danilo in the 48th minute. The referee was Viktor Kassai. The stadium was demolished in 2019.

The new stadium of the club was opened in 2021. The first match was played between Budapest Honvéd FC II and Szekszárdi UFC in the 2020–21 Nemzeti Bajnokság III season. The stadium was selected to host the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Crest and colours

Manufacturers and shirt sponsors

The following table shows in detail Budapest Honvéd FC kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors by year:

Honours

• Nemzeti Bajnokság I
  • Winners (14): 1949–50, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1992–93, 2016–17
• Magyar Kupa
  • Winners (8): 1925–26, 1964, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2019–20
• UEFA Cup
  • Quarter final (1): 1979/79
• Mitropa Cup
  • Winners (1): 1959

Friendly

• Tournoi de Pâques du Red Star
  • Winners (1): 1932
• Trofeo Ciudad de Vigo
  • Winners (1): 1974

Youth teams

• Puskás Cup:
  • Winners (5): 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016

Players

Current squad

As of 16 September 2023

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Players with multiple nationalities

• Ivan Lovrić

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Retired numbers

10 – Ferenc Puskás, Forward (1949–56). Number retired in July 2000.

Notable former players

Had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Budapest Honvéd FC.

Non-playing staff

Management

As of 6 July 2023

First team staff

As of 6 July 2023

Ownership

In 2022, Chris Docherty was appointed as the new sport director of the club.

Chris Docherty said in an interview that the club cannot sign any new players for financial problems in the middle of the 2022-23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.

On 22 May 2023, Chris Docherty resigned as sports director. In an article published by Nemzeti Sport, George F. Hemingway, former owner of the club, heavily criticized the management of the club for their relegation to the Nemzeti Bajnokság II after finishing 11th in the 2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season. Hemingway said that the solid financial background is not enough if there is no expertise.

Owners

• 2006–2019: Quinex America LLC (George F. Hemingway)
• 2019–present: Reditus Equity (Zoltán Bozó)

See also

• History of Budapest Honvéd FC
• List of Budapest Honvéd FC seasons
• Budapest Honvéd FC in European football
• List of Budapest Honvéd FC managers

Sources

• Behind The Curtain – Travels in Eastern European Football: Jonathan Wilson (2006)
• 50 Years of the European Cup and Champions League: Keir Radnedge (2005)