Zoltán Czibor

Football player infobox
playername= Zoltán Czibor


fullname = Zoltán Czibor Suhai
dateofbirth = August 23 1929
cityofbirth = Kaposvár
countryofbirth = Hungary
dateofdeath = death date and age|1997|8|1|1929|7|8
cityofdeath = Kaposvár
countryofdeath = Hungary
height = 1.69m (5ft 7in)
position = Left winger
years = 1942-45
1945-48
1948-50
1950
1951-52
1953-56
1956
1958-61
1961-62
1962
1961
1962
1965
clubs= Komárom AC
Komárom MÁV
Ferencváros TC
ÉDOSZ
Csepel SC
Honvéd
AS Roma
CF Barcelona
RCD Español
CE Europa
FC Basel
FK Austria Wien
Toronto City
caps(goals) = X(X)
X(X)
X(X)
X(X)
X(X)
X(X)
X(X)
38 (17)
10 (2)
X(X)
X(X)
X(X)
X(X)
nationalyears = 1949-56
nationalteam = Hungary
nationalcaps(goals) = 43 (17)

Zoltán Czibor Suhai (August 231929 – July 8 1997)Fact|date=August 2008, also referred to as Czibor Zoltán, was a Hungarian footballer who played for several Hungarian clubs, including Ferencváros TC and Honvéd, and Hungary before joining CF Barcelona. Czibor played as a left-winger or striker and was notable for having a powerful shot, world class finishing and for his superb dribbling. He was also known for his ability to score goals in major finals. During the 1950s, along with Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti, he was part of the legendary "Mighty Magyars". After the 1956 Hungarian Revolution he moved to Spain where he became a prominent member of the successful FC Barcelona team of the late 1950s. After three seasons at CF Barcelona, he joined their local rivals RCD Español for the 1961/62 season. After brief spells at FC Basel, FK Austria Wien and Primo Hamilton FC, he retired as a professional footballer and returned to Hungary. He died there in 1997, aged 68.

Early career

As a youth Czibor played for Komárom AC and Komárom MÁV and was working as a train engine driver before he was noticed by Sándor Mezei, the coach of the Hungary youth team. He subsequently played for Ferencváros TC where he won his first Hungarian League title in 1949. After a spell with Csepel SC he conscripted into the army team, Honvéd. During his playing career in Hungarian club football, Czibor scored 100 goals in 175 matches.

The Mighty Magyars

Czibor made his debut for the senior Hungary team in 1949. He went onto play 43 times for Hungary and scored 17 goals. Together with Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti, he formed the nucleus of the legendary team that went unbeaten for an incredible 32 consecutive games. This record still stands today. During this run they became Olympic Champions in 1952, beating Yugoslavia in the Helsinki final. Czibor scored the second goal in a 2-0 win. They also twice gave England a footballing lesson. In 1953 they stunned England with a 6-3 win at Wembley Stadium and then in 1954 they gave them a 7-1 hammering in Budapest. In 1953 they also won the Central European International Cup. The run came to an end in the 1954 World Cup Final when they lost 3-2 to Germany. Czibor scored the second Hungary goal, only to see the Germans embark on a stunning comeback.

Honvéd

In 1953 Czibor joined Honvéd where his team mates included fellow internationals Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis and József Bozsik. During his time at the club he won a further two Hungarian League titles in 1954 and 1955. He finished 1955 as top goalscorer in the league after scoring 20 goals. In 1956 Honvéd FC entered the European Cup and in the first round they were drawn against Atlético Bilbao. Honvéd FC lost the away leg 2-3, but before the home leg could be played, the Hungarian Revolution had erupted back in Budapest. The players decided against going back to Hungary and arranged for the return with Atlético to be played at the "Heysel Stadium" in Brussels. However early in the game the Honvéd FC goalkeeper was injured and, with no substitutes permitted, Czibor had to go into goal. Despite drawing 3-3 they went out on 6-5 on aggregate.

Elimination left Honvéd limbo. The players summoned their families from Budapest and, despite opposition from FIFA and the Hungarian football authorities, they organised a fundraising tour of Italy, Portugal, Spain and Brazil. After returning to Europe, the players parted ways. Some, including Bozsik, returned to Hungary while others, including Czibor, Kocsis and Puskás, found new clubs in Western Europe.

CF Barcelona

Czibor initially went to Italy and played a couple of unofficial games for AS Roma before another Hungarian refugee, Ladislao Kubala, persuaded him and Sándor Kocsis to join him at CF Barcelona. He subsequently scored on his La Liga debut in a 6-0 win over Valencia CF and as part of a legendary team that also included Ramallets, Evaristo and Luis Suárez, Czibor won a Copa del Generalísimo/La Liga double in 1959 and a La Liga/Fairs Cup double in 1960. Although he didn’t play in the Copa final, he scored twice in the Fairs Cup final as CF Barcelona beat Birmingham City 4-2. CF Barcelona also reached the final of the European Cup in 1961 and this saw Czibor and Kocsis return to the Wankdorf Stadium in Berne, where in 1954, while playing for Hungary, they had lost the World Cup Final. Despite both of them scoring, they finished on the losing side once again. They also lost by the same 3-2 score again, this time to SL Benfica.

Honours

Hungary
* Olympic Champions
**1952
*Central European Champions: 1
**1953
*World Cup
**"Runner-up": 1954

Ferencváros TC
*Hungarian Champions: 1
**1949

Honvéd
*Hungarian Champions: 2
**1954, 1955

CF Barcelona
*Spanish Champions: 2
**1958-59, 1959-60
*Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1
**1958-60

ources

*"Behind The Curtain - Travels in Eastern European Football": Jonathan Wilson (2006) [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0752869078]
*"The World Cup - The Complete History": Terry Crouch (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1845131495]
*"50 Years of the European Cup and Champions League": Keir Radnedge (2005) [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1844425290]

External links

* [http://www.lfp.es/historico/primera/plantillas/historial.asp?jug=2444 La Liga stats]
* [http://www.sportmuzeum.hu/aranycsapat/labdarugo.php?id=16 Hungary stats]
* [http://fr.uefa.com/uefa/history/OnThisDay/index,newsid=216558.html Czibor at UEFA]
* [http://www.komarom.hu/czibor.php Memorial in Komárom]