Ferencvárosi TC

Football club infobox
clubname = Ferencváros


fullname = Ferencvárosi Torna Club
nickname = Fradi, Zöld Sasok (Green Eagles)
founded = May 3, 1899
ground = Stadion Albert Flórián, Budapest
capacity = 18,100
Teamholder: Kevin Mccabe
chairman = Terry Robinson
manager = Bobby Davison
league = NB II (Eastern Group)
season = 2007-08
position = 3nd
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leftarm1=006633|body1=006633|rightarm1=006633|shorts1=006633|socks1=006633
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FF7000|body2=FF7000|rightarm2=FF7000|shorts2=FF7000|socks2=006633

Ferencvárosi Torna Club (FTC), also known as Ferencváros, nicknamed Fradi, is a sport club in Hungary, founded in 1899 by Ferenc Springer and a group of local residents of Budapest's ninth district, Ferencváros. By far the best-known part of the club is the well-supported men's football team - the most popular team in the country [Median's survey, 2006|url=http://median.hu/object.6e93b549-282b-4c37-8a94-f1250cc999a5.ivy] . Other divisions include the women's football, women's handball, men's ice hockey, men's water polo, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, wrestling and swimming teams, some of which are highly successful.

The club facilities are located in Ferencváros, the ninth District of Budapest. The club colours are green and white, and the club mascot is a green eagle; hence came another of the club's nicknames, 'The Green Eagles'.

Ferencváros, especially the football division stirs strong emotions among many fans in Hungary, backed by strong support but meeting some opposition. Its arch-rival is Újpest; the Ferencváros-Újpest rivalry has in the past ignited some of the worst scenes of football-related violence in the country. Ferencvaros and Újpest ultras were infamous for their vandalism and many of them for their racist behaviour. Other rivals include Debrecen, MTK, Kispest Honvéd, and Vasas SC.

The club runs a magazine named 100% Fradi.

Football

Ferencváros participated in all the first division championships since the start of Hungarian Football Championships in 1901 until the 2006/07 season in which they were relegated (demoted) to the NB II for not meeting financial criteria.

They are the only football club in Hungary that hold a major European trophy, having won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1965.

Ferencváros were the first - and as yet only - Hungarian team to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group phase in 1995 by beating Anderlecht in the qualifying matches. Ferencváros beat Grasshoppers on away ground and held Grasshoppers and Real Madrid to a draw at home, but were eliminated in the group stage.

Since the 1990s, the club has had problems with some of its unruly fans expressing xenophobic, racist and anti-Semitic sentiments.

Ferencvárosi TC's stadium is named after Flórián Albert and has a spectator capacity of 18,100.

In July 2006, the club was removed from the national first division as punishment for continued financial troubles. [http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news;_ylt=AkAzfCnXTpZvqKOLv374MfMmw7YF?slug=reu-hungaryferencvaros&prov=reuters&type=lgns] The club has recently challenged the legality of this move in court. Ferencváros has won the case as the verdict declared that the FA's move was against the law. An out-of-court agreement between the club and the Hungarian Football Federation has been reached.

In the season 2006/07, Nyíregyháza beat Ferencváros to promotion in a tight contest, ensuring that Ferencváros stayed in the second division.

Despite investments in players, including former Ferencváros stars, the season 2007/08 brought further trouble. This time Kecskemét and Szolnok both outrunned Fradi in the NB II (Eastern Group) title race; thus the club starts its third season away from the top division in 2008.

Recently, Ferencváros youth team has won the prestigious Foyle Cup.

In February 2008 Kevin McCabe, chairman of English football club Sheffield United, finalised an agreement with the club to buy its football team and with the Hungarian government to purchase and develop the ground around Stadion Albert Flórián. In April 2008, Ferencváros Torna Club officially agreed to sell the football club, Ferencváros Labdarúgó ZRt. to Esplanade Kft, McCabe's company in Hungary.

The development of a new all-seater football stadium with a capacity of 25,000 has been started. 'The Blades' already own a Chinese club - the Chengdu Blades and have an interest in clubs in Belgium, The Ivory Coast, and Australia, and an exchange of ideas relationship with São Paulo. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_utd/7243262.stm BBC News - Blades chief wins Ferencvaros bid]

Current squad

Honours

*sport honours|Hungarian League|28*|1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1934, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1949, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1976, 1981, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2004
*sport honours|Hungarian Cup|20*|1913, 1922, 1927, 1928, 1933, 1935, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1958, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2004
*sport honours|Hungarian Super Cup|4*|1993, 1994, 1995, 2004
*sport honours|Inter-Cities Fairs Cup|1|1965
*"Runner-up": 1968: 1
*sport honours|Mitropa Cup|2|1928, 1937
*"Runner-up": 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940: 4
*European Cup Winners' Cup
**"Runner-up": 1975: 1

* More than any other Hungarian club

Notable former players

Managers

* Bobby Davison (2008-)
* János Csank (2007-2008)
* Zoran Kuntic (2007)
* Imre Gellei (2005-2007)
* Csaba László (2004-05)
* Attila Pintér (2004)
* József Garami (2002-03)
* János Csank (2000-01)
* Stanko Poklepović (1999-2000)
* József Mucha (1999)
* Marijan Vlak (1999)
* Tibor Nyilasi (1997-98)
* Zoltán Varga (1996-97)
* József Mucha (1996)
* Dezső Novák (1994-96)
* Tibor Nyilasi (1990-94)
* Gyula Rákosi (1987-1990)
* Jenő Dalnoki (1985-87)
* Géza Vincze (1984-85)
* Dezső Novák (1980-83)
* Zoltán Friedmanszky (1978-80)
* Jenő Dalnoki (1973-78)
* Dezső Novák (1973)
* Ferenc Csanádi (1970-73)
* Jenő Dalnoki (1970)
* Géza Kalocsay (1970)
* Károly Lakat (1967-69)
* Sándor Tátrai (1966)
* Oszkár Vilezsál (1965)
* József Mészáros (1961-65)
* Sándor Tátrai (1958-61)
* Árpád Csanádi (1957)
* Károly Sós (1953-56)
* Ferenc Deák (1952)
* Gábor Urbancsik (1951)
* Miklós Vadas (1950)
* Antal Lyka (1948-50)
* Zoltán Opata (1947)
* Lajos Dimény (1946-47)
* Gábor Urbancsik (1945-46)
* István Mike (1940's)
* Pál Szabó (1945)
* Alfréd Schaffer (1943-44)
* István Tóth-Potya (1943)
* Lajos Dimény (1939-42)
* György Hlavay (1938-39)
* Emil Rauchmaul (1937-38)
* József Sándor (1937)
* Sándor Bródy (1937)
* Zoltán Blum (1930-37)
* István Tóth-Potya (1926-30)

Retired Numbers

* 2 flagicon|HUN Tibor Simon, defender, active 1985-1999, murdered in 2002
* 12 supporters, in 2007

References

External links

*hu icon [http://www.ftc.hu Official website]
*en icon [http://www.fanatical.hu/category/ferencvaros/ Fans of Ferencváros - Videoblog]
*hu icon [http://www.monsters.hu/ Ultra Group Site]
*hu icon [http://ftc-stat.hu/ Ferencváros Statistics Site]
*hu icon [http://www.mafoci.extra.hu/mafoci/index2.html] -Tovább:A magyar labdarúgas történetehez.
*hu icon [http://www.ftcpe.hu FTC Support Group Association]