Kispest Honvéd Football Club (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈkiʃpɛʃt ˈhonveːd ˈɛft͡seː]), commonly known as Kispest 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.
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| Full name | Kispest Honvéd Football Club | |||
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| Nicknames | Kispest Oroszlánok (Lions) | |||
| Founded | 3 August 1909 | |||
| Ground | Bozsik Aréna, Budapest | |||
| Capacity | 8,200 | |||
| Chairman | Tamás Leisztinger | |||
| Manager | Tamás Feczkó | |||
| League | NB I | |||
| 2025–26 | NB II, 2nd of 16 (promoted) | |||
| Website | honvedfc | |||
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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.[1]
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
editBudapest Honvéd FC were founded in 1909 as Kispesti AC.[2] 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. The club had played in the first division since 1916, until the club got relegated to the second division in 2003.[3]
Stadium
edit
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.[4] The stadium was demolished in 2019.[citation needed]
The new stadium of the club was opened in 2021.[5] 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.[6]
Crest and colours
edit
Naming history
edit- 1909–1926: Kispesti Athlétikai Club
- 1926–1944: Kispest FC
- 1944–1949: Kispesti AC
- 1949–1950: Honvéd Sport Egyesület
- 1950–1991: Budapesti Honvéd Sport Egyesület
- 1991–1996: Kispest-Honvéd FC
- 1996: Kispest-Honvéd TIG FC
- 1996–2003: Kispest-Honvéd Football Club
- 2003–2026: Budapest Honvéd Futball Club
- 2026–present: Kispest Honvéd FC[7]
Manufacturers and shirt sponsors
editThe following table shows in detail Budapest Honvéd FC kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors by year:
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1990–1992 | Adidas | Fiat |
| 1992–1994 | Matchwinner | Epson |
| 1994–1996 | Diadora | Gösser |
| 1996–1997 | Joma | |
| 1997–1998 | Faragó és Fiai Mystery | |
| 1998–2000 | Umbro | IBUSZ alapítása 1902 |
| 2000–2003 | Jako | Wilkinson Sword |
| 2003–2005 | Gems | – |
| 2005–2006 | Macron | |
| 2006–2008 | hummel | |
| 2008–2012 | Nike | |
| 2012–2013 | Givova | |
| 2014 | Ideasport | |
| 2014–2015 | – | |
| 2015–18 | Macron | |
| 2018– | Tippmix | |
Honours
edit- Nemzeti Bajnokság I
- Nemzeti Bajnokság II
- Winners (1): 2003–04
- Magyar Kupa
- UEFA Cup
- Quarter final (1): 1978–79
- Mitropa Cup
- Winners (1): 1959
Friendly
edit- Tournoi de Pâques du Red Star
- Winners (1): 1932[8]
- Trofeo Ciudad de Vigo
- Winners (1): 1974
Youth teams
editSeasons
edit
Players
editCurrent squad
edit- As of 20, February 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Retired numbers
edit10 – 
Ferenc Puskás, Forward (1949–56). Number retired in July 2000.
Notable former players
editHad senior international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Budapest Honvéd FC.
Abraham- József Andrusch
- Benjamin Angoua
- Zsolt Bárányos
- Balázs Bérczy
- Bertalan Bicskei
- János Biri
Igor Bogdanović- József Bozsik
Kris Bright- István Brockhauser
- László Budai
- Gábor Bukrán
Alfi Conteh-Lacalle- Aurél Csertői
- Zoltán Czibor
- László Dajka
- András Debreceni
- Lajos Détári
Mamadou Diakité- László Disztl
- Péter Disztl
Cristian Dulca- József Duró
- József Eisenhoffer
- Gábor Egressy
- Márton Esterházy
Emeka Ezeugo- László Farkasházy
- Pál Fischer
- Imre Garaba
Genito
Ivo Georgiev- Gyula Grosics
- Sándor Gujdár
Emir Hadžić- Gábor Halmai
- István Hamar
- Zoltán Hercegfalvi
- Ádám Hrepka
- János Hrutka
- Harmony Ikande
- Béla Illés
- Péter Kabát
- Mihály Kincses
- István Kocsis
- Lajos Kocsis
- Sándor Kocsis
- Imre Komora
- Antal Kotász
- Béla Kovács
- Ervin Kovács
- Kálmán Kovács
- Mihály Kozma
- László Kuti
Davide Lanzafame- Almiro Lobo
- Gyula Lóránt
Misheck Lungu- Ferenc Machos
- János Marozsán
- Gábor Márton
- János Mátyus
- József Mészáros
- Vasile Miriuță
- Hélder Muianga
- Antal Nagy (1944)
- Antal Nagy (1956)
- Norbert Németh
- István Nyers
- Sándor Pintér
- István Pisont
- Attila Plókai
- Ferenc Puskás
- László Pusztai
- István Sallói
- Ferenc Sipos
- Lajos Szűcs
- Ákos Takács
- Zoltán Takács
- Lajos Tichy
- Sándor Torghelle
- Mihály Tóth
- József Varga
- Gábor Vincze
- István Vincze
Paulo Albarracín- Bruno Enríquez
- César Mayuri
Dragan Vukmir
Lukáš Zelenka- Zalán Zombori
Philip Tarlue[10]
Non-playing staff
editManagement
editAs of 15 September 2024[11]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Proprietor | Tamás Leisztinger |
| Managing Director | Árpád Séllei |
| Director of Sports | Sándor Fórizs |
| Director of Facility | Dávid Szabó |
| Director of Finance | Mária Takács |
| Director of Communications | Benedek Rác |
First team staff
editAs of 6 June 2025
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Tamás Feczkó |
| Assistant coach | István Márton |
| Assistant coach | István Paulik |
| Goalkeeping coach | István Brockhauser |
| Fitness coach | Péter Tepliczky |
| Physiotherapist | Fanni Máriás |
Ownership
editIn 2022, Chris Docherty was appointed as the new sport director of the club.[12][13][14][15]
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.[16]
On 22 May 2023, Chris Docherty resigned as sports director.[17][18] 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.[19] Hemingway said that the solid financial background is not enough if there is no expertise.
On 27 April 2024, it was revealed that a Tamás Lisztinger-led business showed interest in purchasing the club.[20]
Owners
edit
Supporters
editBudapest Honvéd FC has been repeatedly sanctioned by UEFA and the Hungarian Football Association for racist chanting by their ultras supporters.[24] [25] In October 2022, Honvéd supporters made racist monkey noises against several opposition players during a match with Zalaegerszegi TE. Subsequently, the Hungarian FA suspended the Zalaegerszegi TE manager Ricardo Moniz for trying to take his team off the pitch in protest.[26] The Honvéd manager Tam Courts also subsequently stepped down over racism of the club's own supporters.[27]
See also
editSources
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Budapest Honvéd | Hungarian Football". HungarianFootball.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ↑ Magyar, PUSKAS COM :: The official website of the Magical. "110 YEARS OF KISPEST AC :: Topical". PUSKAS.COM. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ↑ "Budapest Honvéd | Hungarian Football". HungarianFootball.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ↑ "Győzelemmel búcsúzott a régi Bozsik-stadiontól a Honvéd". Nemzeti Sport. 5 August 2018. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ↑ "Minden (is), amit a stadionavatóról tudni kell". honvedfc.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ↑ "2021 Under-21 EURO". UEFA. 16 March 2021. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ↑ "Szurkolói szavazás után nevet vált a Budapest Honvéd". telex (in Hungarian). 24 January 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ García, Javier (2009). "International Tournaments (Paris) 1904–1935: Tournoi de Pâques du Red Star". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ↑ "Bajnoki múlt (Budapesti Honvéd FC)". magyarfutball.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ↑ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin (1 April 2023). "NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Philip Tarlue". National-football-teams.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ↑ "Budapest Honvéd Online". Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ↑ SZ, I. "Honvéd: skót sportigazgató irányítja a szakmai munkát - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ↑ A, CS. "Honvéd: nemcsak új játékosok, hanem sportigazgató is jöhet - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ↑ Palmer, Ben (28 May 2023). "'It was surreal. Our Ukrainian players were worried but I had to stay calm'". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ↑ Temple, Alan (5 July 2022). "'It was his destiny': Meet the former Dundee United tactical chief who tempted Tam Courts to Hungary". The Courier. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ↑ nemzetisport.hu. "Honvéd: Sajnos nincs lehetőségünk igazolni… – Chris Docherty - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ↑ nemzetisport.hu (2023). "Honvéd: változások a vezetőségben – távozik a sportigazgató - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Docherty távozik". honvedfc.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ↑ nemzetisport.hu (2023). "Gondatlanságból kiesés – Thury Gábor jegyzete - NSO". www.nemzetisport.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ↑ "Bp. Honvéd: megszületett az elvi megállapodás a klub eladásáról – Bozó Zoltán az NS-nek". Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 27 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ↑ "Új tulajdonos a Budapest Honvédnál". Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ↑ "Új tulajdonosa van a Budapest Honvéd labdarúgóklubnak". Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ↑ "Megszólalt az egyik új Honvéd-tulajdonos: A Fradival és a Vidivel versenyző csapatot akarnak építeni". 9 April 2019. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ↑ Homewood, Brian (6 September 2013). "Three East European teams sanctioned for racism". Reuters. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ Attila, Fiola (12 March 2026). "Rasszizmus? Nem csak a tömegbunyó miatt sújtott le az MLSZ a Honvédra". Magyar Nemzet. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "Hungarian FA suspends Dutch coach after his protest about racism". DutchNews. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ Burns, Scott (17 November 2022). "Tam Courts says Hungary racism drove him out at Honved as sickened ex Dundee United coach had to quit". Scottish Daily Express. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ Behind the Curtain: Travels in Football in Eastern Europe: Amazon.co.uk: Jonathan Wilson: Books. ASIN 0752869078.
- ↑ 50 Years of the European Cup and Champions League: Amazon.co.uk: Keir Radnedge: Books. ASIN 1844425290.
External links
edit
- Official website (in Hungarian)
- Kispest Honvéd FC on Facebook
- Official website (archived)
- Puskás on Puskás Rogan Taylor and Klara Jamrich (1998)
- Mitropa Cup 1959