- Miklós Fehér
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The native form of this personal name is Fehér Miklós. This article uses the Western name order.
Miklós Fehér Personal information Full name Miklós Fehér Date of birth 20 July 1979 Place of birth Tatabánya, Hungary Date of death 25 January 2004 (aged 24) Place of death Guimarães, Portugal Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) Playing position Striker Youth career Győri ETO Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1995–1998 Győri ETO 62 (23) 1998–2002 Porto 10 (1) 2000–2002 Porto B 7 (2) 2000 → Salgueiros (loan) 14 (5) 2000–2001 → Braga (loan) 26 (14) 2002–2004 Benfica 29 (7) Total 145 (51) National team 1996–1997 Hungary U18 8 (3) 1996–2000 Hungary U21 5 (0) 1998–2004 Hungary 25 (7) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).Miklós "Miki" Fehér (20 July 1979 — 25 January 2004) was an Hungarian footballer who played as a striker.
On 25 January 2004, Fehér died of a cardiac arrest during a match between Vitória de Guimarães and his team Benfica in Guimarães, Portugal.[1]
Contents
Club career
Born in Tatabánya, Fehér started his playing career at Győri ETO FC, where he was spotted by F.C. Porto scouts. He was signed in 1998 but never really made a breakthrough onto the team. Relatively young, he was loaned to gain experience, to another two northern sides, S.C. Salgueiros and Sporting de Braga.
At Braga, Fehér had his best professional season, netting 14 goals in 26 matches in 2000–01. After Porto chairman Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa quarreled with his agent José Veiga, the player refused to part with his agent and left, joining Lisbon side S.L. Benfica, going on to score seven goals in 29 matches during two seasons.
Death
On 25 January 2004, Benfica travelled to Guimarães to play against Vitória de Guimarães. The game was being broadcast live on television, and Benfica were leading 1–0. Fehér had just come on as a substitute, and assisted another player brought from the bench, Fernando Aguiar, for the match's only goal, but received a yellow card in injury time and suddenly bent forward, seemingly in pain. He then fell backwards to the ground.
Members of both teams rushed immediately to aid Fehér before medical personnel arrived on the pitch. CPR was performed as match participants looked on in visible distress. An ambulance arrived on the pitch and Fehér was rushed to the hospital. His condition was covered by the Portuguese media throughout the day. However, before midnight, his death was confirmed, the cause of death being cardiac arrhythmia, brought on by Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.[2] In his memory, Benfica retired the number 29 shirt, which he wore during his time at the club. He was remembered by many and his death caused a profound shock in Portuguese sports. Among others, Porto director of football Reinaldo Teles and manager José Mourinho paid their respects at the Estádio da Luz, where the player's body remained before his burial in his native Hungary.
A club delegation, which included the entire squad, travelled to Hungary, presenting Fehér's parents with the 2004–05 league championship medal, in respect for the player and his time with the club.[3]
On 9 October 2009, the day before their World Cup qualifier against Portugal in Lisbon, the Hungarian national team squad laid a wreath next to a metal bust of Feher at Benfica's homeground Estádio da Luz, in tribute to his memory.[4]
International career
Fehér made his first international appearance for Hungary in October 1998 against Azerbaijan, and went on to score seven goals in 25 international matches.
On 11 October 2000, he netted a hat-trick in a 6–1 away thrashing of Lithuania, in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
International goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 10 October 1998 Baku 
Azerbaijan4–0 Win Euro 2000 qualifying 2 11 October 2000 Kaunas 
Lithuania6–1 Win 2002 World Cup qualification 3 11 October 2000 Kaunas Lithuania6–1 Win 2002 World Cup qualification 4 11 October 2000 Kaunas Lithuania6–1 Win 2002 World Cup qualification 5 15 November 2000 Skopje 
Macedonia1–0 Win Friendly 6 17 April 2002 Debrecen 
Belarus2–5 Loss Friendly 7 20 August 2003 Murska Sobota 
Slovenia1–2 Loss Friendly Club statistics
Club performance League Cup Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Hungary League Hungarian Cup Total 1995–96 Győri ETO Hungarian League 8 2 1996–97 29 8 1997–98 25 13 Portugal League Taça de Portugal Total 1998–99 Porto Portuguese League 5 0 2 0 7 0 1999–00 5 1 1 0 6 1 1999–00 Salgueiros Portuguese League 14 5 0 0 14 5 2000–01 Braga Portuguese League 26 14 0 0 26 14 2001–02 Porto B 3 1 0 0 3 1 2002–03 Benfica Portuguese League 17 4 1 0 18 4 2003–04 12 3 1 0 13 1 Total Hungary 62 23 Portugal 82 28 5 0 87 26 Career total 144 51 5 0 236 77 Honours
Team
- Porto:
- Portuguese League: 1998–99
- Portuguese Supercup: 1998
- Benfica:
- Portuguese Cup: 2003–04
Individual
- Young Hungarian Player of the Year: 1997
- Ferenc Puskás Award: 2001
See also
References
- ^ Benfica's Miklós Fehér dies after heart attack on pitch; The Guardian, 26 January 2004
- ^ Fehér death stuns football; UEFA.com, 26 January 2004
- ^ Benfica trip a tribute to Fehér; UEFA.com, 31 May 2005
- ^ Hungary squad honours late striker Feher; Reuters, 9 October 2009
External links
- Stats and profile at Zerozero
- Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
- Miklós Fehér at National-Football-Teams.com
Categories:- 1979 births
- 2004 deaths
- Hungarian footballers
- Association football forwards
- Primeira Liga players
- F.C. Porto players
- S.C. Salgueiros players
- S.C. Braga players
- S.L. Benfica footballers
- Hungary international footballers
- Hungarian expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Portugal
- Association football players who died while playing
- Filmed deaths in sports
- Sport deaths in Portugal
- Porto:
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