Ladislao Kubala
Encyclopedia
László Kubala Stecz also referred to as Ladislav Kubala, Ladislao Kubala, was a footballer, who played as a forward with, among others, Ferencvárosi TC, ŠK Slovan Bratislava
, Vasas SC
, FC Barcelona
and RCD Espanyol
. He also played for three different national teams, Czechoslovakia
, Hungary
and Spain
, as well as a Europe XI
and the Catalan XI
. During the 1950s he was a leading member of the successful FC Barcelona
team. During his playing career with that club he scored 194 goals in 256 appearances. In 1999, during the club's centenary celebrations, a fan's poll declared him the best player ever to play for the club. After retiring as a player he began a career as coach. He had two spells as coach of FC Barcelona
and he also coached both the senior Spain national team
and the Spain Olympic Team
.
A striker with great passing qualities, Kubala also had an uncommon dribbling ability, combining pace and skill. Kubala's composure in finishing, and power when striking for goal were also highly renowned. Also, he was one of history's greatest free kick specialists, able to bend the ball with pace and accuracy.
, as his parents, coming from a mixed backround. His mother, Anna Stecz, a factory worker, had Polish, Slovak and Hungarian roots, while his father, Pál Kubala Kurjas, a bricklayer, belonged to the Slovak minority
of Hungary. Kubala described himself as a "cosmopolitan". He began his career as a junior player with Ganz TE, a factory that played in the Hungarian third division. At the age of 11 he was playing in teams with other players who were three to five years older. At the age of 18 he signed for Ferencvárosi TC where he was a teammate of Sándor Kocsis
. In 1946 he moved to Czechoslovakia
, allegedly to avoid military service, and joined ŠK Slovan Bratislava
. In 1947 Kubala married Anna Viola Daučík, the daughter of the ŠK coach, Ferdinand Daučík. In 1948 he returned to Hungary
, again to allegedly avoid military service, and joined Vasas SC
.
, Kubala fled the country in the back of a truck. Initially he arrived in the United States zone of Allied-occupied Austria and then moved on to Italy
. While he played briefly for Pro Patria
. In May 1949 he also agreed to play for Torino
in a testimonial against S.L. Benfica but pulled out after his son became ill. On the way back from Lisbon
the plane carrying the Torino team crashed into the Superga hills
, killing all 31 people on board.
Meanwhile the Hungarian Football Federation
accused him of breach of contract, leaving the country without permission and failure to do military service. FIFA
backed them and imposed a one-year international ban. In January 1950 Kubala, with Ferdinand Daučík
as coach, formed his own team Hungaria. The team was made up of fellow refugees fleeing Eastern Europe
. In the summer of 1950 the team arrived in Spain
to play a series of friendlies against a Madrid XI, a Spain XI
and RCD Espanyol
.
During these games, Kubala was spotted by both Real Madrid
and Josep Samitier
, then chief scout at CF Barcelona
. Kubala was offered a contract by Real but was persuaded by Samitier to sign for CF Barcelona. It has been suggested that Samitier used his connections within the Franco
regime to help arrange the transfer. In the midst of the Cold War
, Kubala’s escape to the West was used as propaganda by the Franco regime and was made into a film The Stars Search for Peace which saw Kubala and Samitier playing themselves.
on 15 June 1950 and as part of the deal Ferdinand Daučík also became the FC Barcelona coach. However the ban imposed on Kubala was still in place and he did not make his La Liga
debut until 1951. However he was permitted to play friendlies and in two consecutive games against Frankfurter S.V., which FC Barcelona won 4-1 and 10-4, he scored six goals and set-up another five. He also played in the Copa del Generalísimo and helped the club win the trophy in 1951.
In his first La Liga season, 1951-52
, Kubala scored 26 goals in 19 games. This included 7 goals in a 9-0 win over Sporting de Gijón
, 5 against Celta de Vigo
and hat-tricks against Sevilla
and Racing de Santander
. His 7 goals against Sporting de Gijón remain the record for most goals scored in a single match in La Liga. He also scored in the Copa final as FC Barcelona beat Valencia CF
4-2. This season proved to be one of the clubs most successful. Coach Daucik and Kubala, together with players like Emilio Aldecoa
, Velasco
, Joan Segarra
and Ramallets, inspired the team to win five different trophies including La Liga
, the Copa del Generalisimo, the Latin Cup
and the Copa Eva Duarte
. Kubala missed much of the 1952-53
season after contracting tuberculosis
, which threatened to end his playing career. However he made a miraculous recovery and returned to help FC Barcelona retain both La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo. He also scored again in the Copa final win, a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao
.Su carrera en el barca termino con 14 hat-trick.
In 1958 Kubala persuaded two fellow Hungarian refugees, Sándor Kocsis
and Zoltán Czibor
to join him at FC Barcelona and together with a young Luis Suárez
and Evaristo
, they formed the nucleus of the team that won a La Liga/ Copa del Generalísimo double in 1959 and a La Liga /Fairs Cup
double in 1960. However Kubala found himself out of favour with coach Helenio Herrera
and lost his place in the team. As a result he missed the 1960 European Cup
semi-final against Real Madrid
which FC Barcelona lost 6-2 on aggregate. The result saw Herrera lose his job and Kubala restored to the team. In the 1961 European Cup, FC Barcelona became the first club to beat Real Madrid
in the competition. Inspired by Kubala they won 4-3 on aggregate and subsequently reached the final where they lost to Benfica 3-2. Kubala briefly retired as a player in 1961 and initially became a youth coach at FC Barcelona before becoming coach of the senior team for the 1962-63
season. However after losing a Fairs Cup
game to Red Star Belgrade
he was dismissed.
, Hungary
and Spain
. While playing with ŠK Slovan Bratislava
, he played 6 times and scored 4 goals for Czechoslovakia
between 1946 and 1947. After returning to Budapest in 1948, he played 3 games for Hungary
but failed to score. After adopting Spanish nationality he played 19 times and scored 11 goals for Spain
between 1953 and 1961. The highlight of his international career was a hat-trick for Spain against Turkey
in 3-0 win in November 1957. Despite playing for three different countries, Kubala never played in the finals of a major international tournament. He was included in the Spain squad for the 1962 World Cup
but, along with Alfredo Di Stéfano
, he did not play due to injury.
As well as playing for three different international teams, Kubala also played for both a Europe XI
and the Catalan XI
. On 21 October 1953, England
played a Europe XI at Wembley Stadium to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the FA and Kubala scored twice in the 4-4 draw. He also played 4 games and scored 4 times for the Catalan XI. On 26 January 1955 in a game against Bologna
at Les Corts
, he was joined by guest player Alfredo Di Stéfano
. The Catalan XI won 6-2 with two goals from Kubala and one from Di Stéfano. His last game for the Catalan XI was his own testimonial on 4 March 1993 at the Montjuïc Stadium against an International XI. He played the opening ten minutes of the game at age 65.
, Kubala accepted a contract as a player/coach with RCD Espanyol
and teamed up with Alfredo Di Stéfano
. During his time at RCD Espanyol he gave a La Liga
debut to his son, Branko. In 1966 he joined FC Zürich, again as player/coach, and made his last appearance in a European Cup
game against the competitions eventual winners, Celtic
. In 1967 Kubala went to Canada
, where at Toronto Falcons
he enjoyed something of family reunion with his father-in-law, Ferdinand Daučík, his brother-in-law, Yanko Daucik
and his son Branko.
By the end of 1968 he had returned to La Liga
, and after a brief spell at Cordoba CF
, he became coach of Spain
. Kubala ended the team's 12-year absence from the World Cup in when he guided the team to the 1978 World Cup
, but he could not steer them through the first-round group stage. He also managed them at Euro 80, where they again went out in the first round.
In 1980 he returned to FC Barcelona
as a manager for a second short spell before moving to Saudi Arabia
where he managed Al-Hilal
. He subsequently managed three other La Liga
clubs, including CD Málaga
whom he guided to the Segunda División
title in 1988
. His last coaching position was with Paraguay
in 1995.
CF Barcelona
Manager
CD Málaga
ŠK Slovan Bratislava
ŠK Slovan Bratislava is a football club based in Bratislava, Slovakia, that plays in the Corgoň liga. Founded as 1. ČsŠK Bratislava in 1919, the club changed its name to Slovan Bratislava in 1953...
, Vasas SC
Vasas SC
Vasas SC is one of Hungary's major sports clubs. Most of its facilities are situated in Budapest's 13th district in the north of the town. Members of the Hungarian Union of Iron Workers founded the club as Vas-és Fémmunkások Sport Clubja, the "Sport Club of Iron and Steel Workers", on 16 March 1911...
, FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
. He also played for three different national teams, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
, Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, as well as a Europe XI
Europe XI
The Europe XI is a football team mainly consisting of players from the UEFA region, but sometimes players from other continents playing for European teams are invited to play. The European XI play one-off games against clubs, national teams, collectives of other confederations or a World XI made...
and the Catalan XI
Catalonia national football team
Catalonia national football team is the official football team of Catalonia. It is organized by the Catalonia Football Federation. The team has been referred to by various names including Selecció Catalana, Selecció de Barcelona and the Catalan XI...
. During the 1950s he was a leading member of the successful FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
team. During his playing career with that club he scored 194 goals in 256 appearances. In 1999, during the club's centenary celebrations, a fan's poll declared him the best player ever to play for the club. After retiring as a player he began a career as coach. He had two spells as coach of FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and he also coached both the senior Spain national team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and the Spain Olympic Team
Spain national under-21 football team
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...
.
A striker with great passing qualities, Kubala also had an uncommon dribbling ability, combining pace and skill. Kubala's composure in finishing, and power when striking for goal were also highly renowned. Also, he was one of history's greatest free kick specialists, able to bend the ball with pace and accuracy.
Childhood and youth
Kubala was born in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, as his parents, coming from a mixed backround. His mother, Anna Stecz, a factory worker, had Polish, Slovak and Hungarian roots, while his father, Pál Kubala Kurjas, a bricklayer, belonged to the Slovak minority
Slovaks in Hungary
Slovaks in Hungary , are the minority in Hungary. The number of people belonging to the Slovak national minority is estimated to be from 17,692 , to 56 107 Slovak speakers and 110,000...
of Hungary. Kubala described himself as a "cosmopolitan". He began his career as a junior player with Ganz TE, a factory that played in the Hungarian third division. At the age of 11 he was playing in teams with other players who were three to five years older. At the age of 18 he signed for Ferencvárosi TC where he was a teammate of Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis Péter was a Hungarian footballer who played for Ferencváros TC, Budapest Honvéd, Young Fellows Zürich, FC Barcelona and Hungary. During the 1950s, along with Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti, he was a member of the Mighty Magyars...
. In 1946 he moved to Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, allegedly to avoid military service, and joined ŠK Slovan Bratislava
ŠK Slovan Bratislava
ŠK Slovan Bratislava is a football club based in Bratislava, Slovakia, that plays in the Corgoň liga. Founded as 1. ČsŠK Bratislava in 1919, the club changed its name to Slovan Bratislava in 1953...
. In 1947 Kubala married Anna Viola Daučík, the daughter of the ŠK coach, Ferdinand Daučík. In 1948 he returned to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, again to allegedly avoid military service, and joined Vasas SC
Vasas SC
Vasas SC is one of Hungary's major sports clubs. Most of its facilities are situated in Budapest's 13th district in the north of the town. Members of the Hungarian Union of Iron Workers founded the club as Vas-és Fémmunkások Sport Clubja, the "Sport Club of Iron and Steel Workers", on 16 March 1911...
.
Refugee
In January 1949, as Hungary became a communist statePeople's Republic of Hungary
The People's Republic of Hungary or Hungarian People's Republic was the official state name of Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the guidance of the Soviet Union. The state remained in existence until 1989 when opposition forces consolidated in forcing the regime to...
, Kubala fled the country in the back of a truck. Initially he arrived in the United States zone of Allied-occupied Austria and then moved on to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. While he played briefly for Pro Patria
Pro Patria Calcio
Aurora Pro Patria 1919 is an Italian association football club, based in Busto Arsizio, Lombardy. They currently play in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.In Latin, Pro Patria translate to "For the Fatherland"....
. In May 1949 he also agreed to play for Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
in a testimonial against S.L. Benfica but pulled out after his son became ill. On the way back from Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
the plane carrying the Torino team crashed into the Superga hills
Superga air disaster
The Superga air disaster took place on Wednesday, 4 May 1949, when a plane carrying almost the entire Torino A.C. football squad, popularly known as Il Grande Torino, crashed into the hill of Superga near Turin killing all 31 aboard including 18 players, club officials, journalists accompanying the...
, killing all 31 people on board.
Meanwhile the Hungarian Football Federation
Hungarian Football Federation
The Hungarian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Hungary. It organizes the Hungarian league and the Hungarian national team. It is based in Budapest.György Szepesi was Chairman of the Hungarian Football Association from 1978 to 1986....
accused him of breach of contract, leaving the country without permission and failure to do military service. FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
backed them and imposed a one-year international ban. In January 1950 Kubala, with Ferdinand Daučík
Fernando Daucik
Ferdinand Daučík is a former Slovak football player and manager. Daucik was the manager of several La Liga clubs, most notably CF Barcelona, Atlético Bilbao, Atlético Madrid and Real Zaragoza...
as coach, formed his own team Hungaria. The team was made up of fellow refugees fleeing Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. In the summer of 1950 the team arrived in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to play a series of friendlies against a Madrid XI, a Spain XI
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
.
During these games, Kubala was spotted by both Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and Josep Samitier
Josep Samitier
Josep Samitier Vilalta , also known as José Samitier , was a Spanish footballer, manager and scout who played for FC Barcelona, Madrid CF, OGC Nice, the Catalan XI and Spain...
, then chief scout at CF Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. Kubala was offered a contract by Real but was persuaded by Samitier to sign for CF Barcelona. It has been suggested that Samitier used his connections within the Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
regime to help arrange the transfer. In the midst of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Kubala’s escape to the West was used as propaganda by the Franco regime and was made into a film The Stars Search for Peace which saw Kubala and Samitier playing themselves.
FC Barcelona
Kubala signed for FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
on 15 June 1950 and as part of the deal Ferdinand Daučík also became the FC Barcelona coach. However the ban imposed on Kubala was still in place and he did not make his La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
debut until 1951. However he was permitted to play friendlies and in two consecutive games against Frankfurter S.V., which FC Barcelona won 4-1 and 10-4, he scored six goals and set-up another five. He also played in the Copa del Generalísimo and helped the club win the trophy in 1951.
In his first La Liga season, 1951-52
La Liga 1951-52
La Liga 1951-52 season, the twenty-first since its establishment, started on 9 September 1951 and finished on April 13, 1952.The division was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-Pichichi Trophy:- References :****...
, Kubala scored 26 goals in 19 games. This included 7 goals in a 9-0 win over Sporting de Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
, 5 against Celta de Vigo
Celta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
and hat-tricks against Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
and Racing de Santander
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santander, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio El Sardinero, with a capacity for 22,400 spectators....
. His 7 goals against Sporting de Gijón remain the record for most goals scored in a single match in La Liga. He also scored in the Copa final as FC Barcelona beat Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
4-2. This season proved to be one of the clubs most successful. Coach Daucik and Kubala, together with players like Emilio Aldecoa
Emilio Aldecoa
Emilio Aldecoa Gómez was a Basque/Spanish professional footballer who played, mainly on the left-wing, in the English and Spanish football leagues and later managed in Spain and coached in England. He was born in born the Zorroza neighbourhood of Bilbao, Vizcaya.He arrived in England as a Spanish...
, Velasco
Juan Zambudio Velasco
Juan Zambudio Velasco, was a Spanish football goalkeeper. He played for Mollet and FC Barcelona. He retired playing in CE Sabadell FC....
, Joan Segarra
Joan Segarra
Joan Segarra Iracheta was a Catalan footballer, captain of the "Barça of the Five Trophies", one of the best teams that FC Barcelona have had in their history...
and Ramallets, inspired the team to win five different trophies including La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, the Copa del Generalisimo, the Latin Cup
Latin Cup
The Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Latin European nations of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and launched their own club competition...
and the Copa Eva Duarte
Copa Eva Duarte
The Copa Eva Duarte was a Spanish football tournament organized by the RFEF and contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo. In 1940, it had the name of Copa de Campeones, and was not played again until 1945, when the ambassador of Argentina, due to the good relations with the...
. Kubala missed much of the 1952-53
La Liga 1952-53
La Liga 1952-53 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:...
season after contracting tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, which threatened to end his playing career. However he made a miraculous recovery and returned to help FC Barcelona retain both La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo. He also scored again in the Copa final win, a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
.Su carrera en el barca termino con 14 hat-trick.
In 1958 Kubala persuaded two fellow Hungarian refugees, Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis Péter was a Hungarian footballer who played for Ferencváros TC, Budapest Honvéd, Young Fellows Zürich, FC Barcelona and Hungary. During the 1950s, along with Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti, he was a member of the Mighty Magyars...
and Zoltán Czibor
Zoltán Czibor
Zoltán Czibor Suhai , 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, good...
to join him at FC Barcelona and together with a young Luis Suárez
Luis Suárez Miramontes
Luis Suárez Miramontes , also known by the diminutive Luisito, is a Spanish former footballer and manager. He played as a midfielder for Deportivo de La Coruña, CD España Industrial, CF Barcelona, Internazionale, Sampdoria and Spain. Suárez is regarded as one of Spain's greatest players; as a...
and Evaristo
Evaristo de Macedo
Evaristo de Macedo Filho is a former Brazilian footballer and coach. He was capped by Brazil 14 games scoring 8 goals. He played for Barcelona until 1962. Then, the Catalan officials tried to talk him into taking Spanish citizenship so he can play for Spain, but he refused...
, they formed the nucleus of the team that won a La Liga/ Copa del Generalísimo double in 1959 and a La Liga /Fairs Cup
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1958-60
The second Inter-Cities Fairs Cup took place between 1958 and 1960 and was won by Barcelona for the second consecutive time in a two-legged final against Birmingham City. Once again, a number of countries sent a representative team for one of their main cities, although London sent Chelsea instead...
double in 1960. However Kubala found himself out of favour with coach Helenio Herrera
Helenio Herrera
Helenio Herrera Gavilán was a Franco-Argentine football player and manager.Although born in Argentina, Herrera's parents were both Spanish, his father being a well-known Spanish anarchist in exile...
and lost his place in the team. As a result he missed the 1960 European Cup
European Cup 1959-60
The 1959–60 European Cup was the fifth season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football tournament. The competition was won by Real Madrid, who beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7–3 in the final, a record score for the European Cup final...
semi-final against Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
which FC Barcelona lost 6-2 on aggregate. The result saw Herrera lose his job and Kubala restored to the team. In the 1961 European Cup, FC Barcelona became the first club to beat Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in the competition. Inspired by Kubala they won 4-3 on aggregate and subsequently reached the final where they lost to Benfica 3-2. Kubala briefly retired as a player in 1961 and initially became a youth coach at FC Barcelona before becoming coach of the senior team for the 1962-63
La Liga 1962-63
Statistics of La Liga in 1962/63 season. It was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-Pichichi Trophy:-References:...
season. However after losing a Fairs Cup
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1962-63
The fifth Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was played over the 1962–63 season. There were five representative teams for some major European cities, four of which lost out in the first round...
game to Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
he was dismissed.
International career
Kubala played for three different international teams - CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
, Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
. While playing with ŠK Slovan Bratislava
ŠK Slovan Bratislava
ŠK Slovan Bratislava is a football club based in Bratislava, Slovakia, that plays in the Corgoň liga. Founded as 1. ČsŠK Bratislava in 1919, the club changed its name to Slovan Bratislava in 1953...
, he played 6 times and scored 4 goals for Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
between 1946 and 1947. After returning to Budapest in 1948, he played 3 games for Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
but failed to score. After adopting Spanish nationality he played 19 times and scored 11 goals for Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
between 1953 and 1961. The highlight of his international career was a hat-trick for Spain against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in 3-0 win in November 1957. Despite playing for three different countries, Kubala never played in the finals of a major international tournament. He was included in the Spain squad for the 1962 World Cup
1962 FIFA World Cup squads
-USSR :Head coach: Gavril Kachalin-Yugoslavia :Head coaches: Ljubomir Lovrić and Prvoslav Mihajlović-Uruguay :Head coach: Juan Carlos Corazzo-Colombia :Head coach: Adolfo Pedernera...
but, along with Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
, he did not play due to injury.
As well as playing for three different international teams, Kubala also played for both a Europe XI
Europe XI
The Europe XI is a football team mainly consisting of players from the UEFA region, but sometimes players from other continents playing for European teams are invited to play. The European XI play one-off games against clubs, national teams, collectives of other confederations or a World XI made...
and the Catalan XI
Catalonia national football team
Catalonia national football team is the official football team of Catalonia. It is organized by the Catalonia Football Federation. The team has been referred to by various names including Selecció Catalana, Selecció de Barcelona and the Catalan XI...
. On 21 October 1953, England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
played a Europe XI at Wembley Stadium to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the FA and Kubala scored twice in the 4-4 draw. He also played 4 games and scored 4 times for the Catalan XI. On 26 January 1955 in a game against Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
at Les Corts
Camp de Les Corts
Camp de Les Corts , commonly referred to as Les Corts, was a sports stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was the home ground for FC Barcelona until the club moved to the Camp Nou in 1957....
, he was joined by guest player Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
. The Catalan XI won 6-2 with two goals from Kubala and one from Di Stéfano. His last game for the Catalan XI was his own testimonial on 4 March 1993 at the Montjuïc Stadium against an International XI. He played the opening ten minutes of the game at age 65.
Coaching career
After leaving FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, Kubala accepted a contract as a player/coach with RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
and teamed up with Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
. During his time at RCD Espanyol he gave a La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
debut to his son, Branko. In 1966 he joined FC Zürich, again as player/coach, and made his last appearance in a European Cup
European Cup 1966-67
The 1966–67 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Celtic for the first time in the final against Internazionale, who eliminated defending champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals...
game against the competitions eventual winners, Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. In 1967 Kubala went to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where at Toronto Falcons
Toronto Falcons
The Toronto Falcons were a soccer team based in Toronto, Canada. They played only two years, 1967 in the National Professional Soccer League and 1968 in the North American Soccer League . Their home field was Varsity Stadium....
he enjoyed something of family reunion with his father-in-law, Ferdinand Daučík, his brother-in-law, Yanko Daucik
Yanko Daucik
Yanko Daucik Ciboch was a professional footballer during the 1960s and 1970s. Yanko played for Real Betis, Real Madrid, the Toronto Falcons and RCD Español...
and his son Branko.
By the end of 1968 he had returned to La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, and after a brief spell at Cordoba CF
Córdoba CF
Córdoba Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Córdoba, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1954, it plays in Segunda División, holding home matches at Estadio Nuevo Arcángel, with a capacity of 18,280 seats....
, he became coach of Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
. Kubala ended the team's 12-year absence from the World Cup in when he guided the team to the 1978 World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup squads
-Argentina:Head coach: César Luis MenottiNote that this squad is numbered alphabetically by surname, unlike traditional numbering systems where the goalkeeper has shirt number 1 and so forth.-France:Head coach: Michel Hidalgo...
, but he could not steer them through the first-round group stage. He also managed them at Euro 80, where they again went out in the first round.
In 1980 he returned to FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
as a manager for a second short spell before moving to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
where he managed Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club...
. He subsequently managed three other La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
clubs, including CD Málaga
CD Málaga
Club Deportivo Málaga was a Spanish football club based in Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It played twenty seasons in La Liga, before being dissolved in 1992....
whom he guided to the Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
title in 1988
Segunda División 1987-88
The 1987-88 Segunda División season saw 20 teams participate in the second flight Spanish league. CD Málaga, Elche CF and Real Oviedo were promoted to Primera División...
. His last coaching position was with Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
in 1995.
Honours
PlayerCF Barcelona
- Inter-Cities Fairs CupInter-Cities Fairs CupThe Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
: 2- 1955-58, 1958-60Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1958-60The second Inter-Cities Fairs Cup took place between 1958 and 1960 and was won by Barcelona for the second consecutive time in a two-legged final against Birmingham City. Once again, a number of countries sent a representative team for one of their main cities, although London sent Chelsea instead...
- 1955-58, 1958-60
- Latin CupLatin CupThe Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Latin European nations of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and launched their own club competition...
: 1- 1952
- La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 4- 1951-52La Liga 1951-52La Liga 1951-52 season, the twenty-first since its establishment, started on 9 September 1951 and finished on April 13, 1952.The division was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-Pichichi Trophy:- References :****...
, 1952-53La Liga 1952-53La Liga 1952-53 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:...
, 1958-59La Liga 1958-59Statistics of La Liga in season 1958/1959.La Liga 1958-59 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:...
, 1959-60La Liga 1959-60Statistics of La Liga in season 1959/1960. It was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:...
- 1951-52
- Copa del Generalísimo: 5
- 1951, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1959
- Copa Eva DuarteCopa Eva DuarteThe Copa Eva Duarte was a Spanish football tournament organized by the RFEF and contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo. In 1940, it had the name of Copa de Campeones, and was not played again until 1945, when the ambassador of Argentina, due to the good relations with the...
: 2- 1952, 1953
Manager
CD Málaga
- Segunda DivisiónSegunda DivisiónThe Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
: 1- 1987-88Segunda División 1987-88The 1987-88 Segunda División season saw 20 teams participate in the second flight Spanish league. CD Málaga, Elche CF and Real Oviedo were promoted to Primera División...
- 1987-88
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
1950-51 La Liga 1950-51 Statistics of La Liga in season 1950-51.La Liga 1950-51 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:... |
0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | – | – | 7 | 6 | ||
| 1951-52 La Liga 1951-52 La Liga 1951-52 season, the twenty-first since its establishment, started on 9 September 1951 and finished on April 13, 1952.The division was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-Pichichi Trophy:- References :****... |
19 | 26 | 7 | 12 | – | 2 | 1 | 28 | 39 | ||
| 1952-53 La Liga 1952-53 La Liga 1952-53 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:... |
11 | 7 | 6 | 5 | – | – | 17 | 12 | |||
| 1953-54 La Liga 1953-54 Statistics of La Liga in season 1953/1954.La Liga 1953-54 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:... |
28 | 23 | 3 | 3 | – | – | 31 | 26 | |||
| 1954-55 La Liga 1954-55 Statistics of La Liga in season 1954/1955.La Liga 1954-55 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:... |
19 | 14 | 3 | 5 | – | – | 22 | 19 | |||
| 1955-56 La Liga 1955-56 Statistics of La Liga in season 1955/56. It was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:... |
25 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 28 | 16 | ||
| 1956-57 La Liga 1956-57 La Liga 1956-57 season, the twenty-sixth since its establishment, started on September 9, 1956 and finished on April 21, 1957. It was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :1 CD España Industrial was renamed CD Condal in 1956.... |
18 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 | 14 | ||
| 1957-58 La Liga 1957-58 Statistics of La Liga in season 1957/1958.La Liga 1957-58 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:... |
21 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | – | 29 | 19 | ||
| 1958-59 La Liga 1958-59 Statistics of La Liga in season 1958/1959.La Liga 1958-59 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:... |
20 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 23 | 9 | ||
| 1959-60 La Liga 1959-60 Statistics of La Liga in season 1959/1960. It was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:... |
12 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 9 | – | 23 | 20 | ||
| 1960-61 La Liga 1960-61 Statistics of La Liga in season 1960/1961.La Liga 1960-61 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-References:... |
13 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 1 | – | 25 | 14 | ||
| Total | 186 | 131 | 48 | 49 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 256 | 194 | |
| Espanyol RCD Espanyol Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009... |
1963-64 La Liga 1963-64 Statistics of La Liga in season 1963/1964.La Liga 1963-64 season was composed of the following clubs:- Final table :-Relegation playoff:-References:... |
29 | 7 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 33 | 7 | ||
| Total | 29 | 7 | 4 | 0 | |– | 33 | 7 | ||||
| Career Total | 215 | 138 | 52 | 49 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 289 | 201 | |