"Wasn't he a basketball player or a football player?" "Not a Czechoslovakian violinist?" "No, no, he was a football player." "Quite a few years ago..." "I think he played for Real Madrid." "I think Puskás was one of the best coaches Panathinaikos had." " We considered him as one of us." " Yes, he was one of us." "Puskás was a genius." "A world-class player." "There'll never be a player... like him." "When you travel abroad and people find out that you come from Hungary, their first reaction is bound to be:" "Puskás." "They don't even know whether Hungary exists or not." "But Puskás definitely does." "When I was a child, I loved to score." "The more you score the less nervous you are." "Most of us grew up with this mentality..." "Our dad was the type of person who never praised us." " "Öcsi" Puskás's sister..." "And when he was asked if he thought he would become a football player," "Dad said, "No, I don't think so." "I can't see a bright future for him." "He's lazy..."" "Dad said he was lazy and he didn't like running." "Excerpt from Puskás's autobiography" " Childhood..." "Their house... must have stood somewhere around here." "A house like theirs..." " Puskás's childhood friend... would have been no more than 35 square metres." "We lived right next to the football field." "I don't even think it was fenced off..." "It was an enormous playing field and our kitchen window overlooked the stands." "Lots of children lived there." "We were the only family with no more than two children." "Back then that was something special." "Nobody owned a proper football." "Everybody was poor." "He took our mum's silk stockings and got into big trouble for that." "The boys collected dry grass and stuffed it into the stockings." "Then he whacked them on the ground a few times to make it as hard as possible and took a needle and some thread." "Beautiful!" " "Öcsi" Puskás's sister..." "Really fantastic!" "He came home from school and Mum said lunch would soon be ready..." ""Fine, I'll be back!"" "He cut a slice of bread, put some dripping on it and some onions..." "That was his favourite." "Then he was gone." "His father... almost... "bred" his son for football." "It's true." "He could see something very special in his son." "When the big teams came out to warm up, Puskás came out, put the ball down on the 18-yard line and tried to hit the goalpost." " one time football player..." "He wasn't so good at first." "Then he had to run and fetch the ball." "He brought it back, put it down, kicked it, missed the goalpost and had to go fetch it again." "He started to hit it and was soon hitting six or seven out of ten." "He kept on aiming at the goalpost." "He could have stuck to simple training but he was always practicing because he knew that the aim of football was to entertain the public." "One day, Dodó came to tell the kids to go to the match on Sunday." " Öcsi Puskás's friend..." "He said it was worth going because there was this little kid, playing outside left, who was set to become a great player." "He was fast as lightning." "He ran off with the ball and he was 2 metres ahead of anyone else within 5 metres." "The "Swabian" scored 4 goals." "His nickname was the "Swabian"." " Szent László Cup (1944)..." " excerpt from Puskás's autobiography..." "The most important sporting event was the first match in seven years" " Budapest, 19 August 1945... between Austria and Hungary." "I didn't play in the first match..." " Ferenc Puskás's voice (1995)..." "I was put in for the second match and I scored the first goal." "The first championship match between Vasas and Kispest was held on a very windy day." "The two captains and the referee, Harangozó..." "The Hungarian national team triumphed over Romania in Bucharest..." "Another goal from Puskás seals the fate of the Romanian side..." "President Zoltán Tildy appeared among the spectators..." "Budai passes and Puskás scores with a fantastic header..." "Puskás jumps for a header and it flies like a cannonball..." "In front of a crowd of 40,000, the match began after the captains Puskás and Schöne swapped pennants." "Puskás has the ball, Hidegkúti passes... 100,000 spectators applaud enthusiastically..." "A corner, a scuffle for the ball..." "Puskás shoots, and scores!" " Torino, 11 May 1947..." " president of Juventus, owner of Fiat factory..." "They offered me 100,000 dollars." "They had the papers and everything ready and I said, "No way!"" " Ferenc Puskás's voice (1995)..." "I didn't want to lose my family." "My family, my parents and my sister, were afraid that they would be resettled." "They were Swabian, you see." "Our name was Hungarianized in 1937." "Dad took his coaching exam and he had to Hungarianize his name." "All his ancestors and relatives were Swabian, they hardly spoke any Hungarian." "It's quite possible that they would have been affected by such a political decision even though young Puskás had already achieved a great deal and perhaps that would have saved the family from such atrocities." "Several members of the Golden Team changed their names." "Puskás's original name was Purczeld," " sports historian..." "Lóránt was Lipovics, Lantos was Lindermayer," "Budai was Bednarik and Palotás was Poteliczky." "They couldn't give them a salary so they opened..." " one-time teammate of Puskás's... a hardware store for him in Kispest, on Üllõi Street." "Bozsik  Puskás Hardware Store." " People poured into it..." " They went bankrupt within a year." "It's no wonder." "His pals came to play cards, and a woman came in, Puskás said," ""It's right there, next to the counter." "Just leave the money."" " "Take it." - "Take it."" "Zoltán Vass sent for me one day." "He knew I was a football player" " ex office manager, National Planning Office... and he knew I was in touch with Puskás and Bozsik." "He said, "What kind of friends do you have?"" "I said, "What's the problem?"" "They were given a hardware store in Kispest and they didn't do much work." "They went in every day and took money from the till." "So soon there was nothing left." "I said, "Maybe this wasn't the way to help them."" "Those in charge of sport, and especially the ones responsible for football," " Puskás's teammate... decided that Hungary should have an elite football team." "It soon became clear that they managed to get together the best club team of the world." "Puskás did the parade march like I did." "It was Bikics's company - he was the captain - he did like anybody else, three steps this way, three steps the other way, saluting..." " Puskás's teammate in Kispest..." "There was no two ways about it." "He came in his uniform and did his service." "There were some obligatory seminars." "They usually sent good, intelligent presenters." " Lieutenant colonel, ex editor in chief of the paper Néphadsereg..." "To be honest, the boys kind of listened and they kind of didn't." "They never asked too many questions." "There were famous workers' contests for production." "The political powers often exploited the opportunity for propaganda and said, for example that..." "Ferenc Puskás, whom everyone thought of as a personal friend, should call upon the foundries in Csepel to fulfill their quota." "He knew how to behave like a diplomat." " reporter of the Hungarian Radio..." "This kid, after I don't know how many grades in elementary school, had just as much talent in this area." "He sensed who would grow fond of him for what." "That is how he got close to Mihály Farkas." "He had deep respect for Puskás's game and his talent." "Mihály Farkas was an exceptionally important member of the political elite at that time." "Puskás was a saint in Mihály Farkas's eyes." "I was really astonished when, after one of the championship matches, we were waiting for Farkas and they came in together." "That was the first time he wore a snow-white officer's uniform." " wife of Puskás's teammate..." "And then Puskás shouted," ""Look at you, damn it, you ice-cream kid!"" "We all thought we'd die on the spot or at least faint." "He said, "Don't mess with me!" "I'll go down there and kick your arse so hard, you won't get up!"" "That was his reaction." "Kotász, Czibor, Komáromi, Hegyi and the other excellent Hungarian players step out of the plane in a great mood at Moscow Airport." "Ferenc Puskás, the captain, is soon surrounded." "The greatest scene he performed was at the Moscow match that we won 1:0." "The losing Russian team presented a three-hour cultural programme with sketches and all." "The whole team was starving and thirsty." "Puskás and I were sitting by a side table alone." "The leaders were sitting at the other end of the table." "They had waiters serving them." "And the boys shouted to Puskás, one after the other," ""We're hungry and thirsty." "You're the captain, go and tell them!"" " ex correspondent of the newspaper Népsport..." "Suddenly Puskás had enough, he stood up from this corner and walked across the big hall to the leaders, he went down on his knees before Martin, put his hands together and said," ""Comrade Martin, please tell the Russians that they should at least feed the Party members."" "Martin, whose hands were trembling as if he had Parkinson's disease, said," ""For the love of God, stand up,"" "we'll go to the hotel, I'll pay for everything, but stand up," ""don't embarrass me here!"" "I think he enjoyed being the one who could organise everything and he made the most of every opportunity." " ex national team member..." " sports journalist..." "He stood up for his teammates whenever he could." "He protected the whole team as if they were his children." "I said to him, "You'll get into trouble!"" "He said, "As long as I score goals, I won't get into trouble."" "What happened to Szûcs did scare Puskás though." "That was when he realised that politics were stronger, even for football players." " wife of Puskás's teammate..." "If you went against the political authorities they'd have you." "In the 1950s, several famous Hungarian players tried to leave the country." "That's why they decided to make a stand and they chose Sanyi Szûcs as their victim." " football player of Újpesti Dózsa and the national team..." "It was a show trial intended to deter any other players from even attempting to go abroad or stay abroad after a tour or a visit." " excerpt from Puskás's autobiography..." "I met him when he was 21." "We went to the same sports club." "We were getting changed in the changing rooms and nobody had a comb." " Mrs. Ferenc Puskás..." "And I called out, - the boys were standing outside..." ""Does anyone have a comb?"" "And he was the first one who came running." "The whole city, the squares and streets are decorated with flags to welcome visitors arriving by ship or by plane." "Will we beat the Italians?" "How many people asked this question when it turned out that we would play the Italian national team at the Olympics." "It's the 36th minute and things are getting very exciting." " Helsinki, 2 August 1952..." "Puskás's penalty, he shoots and Beara the Yugoslavian goalkeeper saves." "Puskás was so upset that he stood on the left side by the sideline" " Puskás's teammate on the national team... and we could hardly use him anymore." "It doesn't feel good to miss a penalty when the score is 0:0." "Of course, only the one who kicks it can miss." "Those who don't kick, won't miss." "So, in the other half, the Hungarian team had the strength to win the match 2:0 against an outstanding Yugoslavian team." "Victory is certain now." "Ours is one of the greatest victories." " commentary..." "Our national team is Olympic champion." "And millions cheer as the Hungarian flag is raised and the Hungarian national anthem plays." "Our players have fulfilled their duty towards their country and our working people and achieved a great success." "Never before has such a huge crowd celebrated the Hungarian champions." "Sport has become a noble cause for a wide layer of our society." "The national team that rose to the top so quickly actually started in 1949 when Grosics, Buzánszky, Lóránt, Lantos, Bozsik, Zakariás, Budai," "Kocsis, Hidegkúti, Puskás and Czibor were almost together." "Then Palotás and Sándor and Csordás." "The Golden Team was born in 1953 at Wembley Stadium when we defeated England after 90 years and on their home turf." "In the morning, Guszti Sebes told us what he thought about England." "He knew what he was talking about." "He was a good player." "Then we went out onto the pitch." " Have you been to the Wembley today?" " Yes, this morning." " a report with Puskás made by the BBC..." ""Nice pitch, good soil, we'd like to win on it."" " You don't speak a word of English?" " No." " Next time you come..." " I'll learn." "The stadium was full, 100,000 people." "We're getting changed, we've got hardly any time left and then Bozsik says to me, "Go, see what they look like."" ""There's nobody there." "Somebody might come out."" "I went out and saw a short, blond kid," "Taylor, the inside right, who was a good player." "I said to Bozsik, "Listen, they're shorter than us."" "We were really lucky." "What made us really calm was that Hidegkúti scored in the 47th second." "Then I scored the third one and Bozsik the fourth." "When it got to 4:1, we were fine." "We played really well." "The spectators kept applauding and they stayed in their seats until we left..." "If you watch a the England-Hungary match, the goal Puskás scored after his famous dribble," " Öcsi's teammate on the national team... then Zoli Czibor - who was playing outside left - ran down outside right and Puskás - who was originally inside left - scored the goal from the right side." "So it was the team's attitude and interpretation of the game that surprised the world first." " Hungary" " England 6:3 London, 25 November 1953..." "It was a tremendous success." "The national 11 of Hungary, the Olympic champion team, has defeated England at home for the first time!" " commentary..." "Six months later, we beat them 7:1 but nobody talks about that." "It could have easily been 10 or 12 if we hadn't had so much fun." "Puskás is the first to greet Wright, the England captain." "The English came to Budapest to win." "That's what they said." "At the end, they said, "There was nothing we could do..."" "The inside left for Hungary surges forward and shakes off" " Hungary" " England 7:1 Budapest, 23 May 1954... the English defenders, he is already near the 18-yard line and now he shoots and scores!" "A wonderful, fabulous Puskás goal." "The arena resounds with cheers as the English players are the first to congratulate the Hungarians who have won one of the greatest victories in Hungarian football and defeated England 7:1." "The fans refuse to leave." "They applaud and cheer their heroes." "The spectators give the Hungarian team a standing ovation." "The leaders at that time helped sport a lot as best they could." "There was no money, there was nothing at all." "Football players had more opportunity to travel abroad." "We managed to do a bit of business because we were promised that we wouldn't get into trouble." "Mihály Farkas gathered the players of the national team to tell them that the state was unable to reward their achievement financially so we could bring any goods into the country unhindered." "A man called Schwartz was in charge of these "business transactions"." "Puskás said to me, "Feri, aren't you taking anything?"" "I said I would, but I had no money." ""Sanyi, " he said to Schwarz, "Help Kovács." "I'll vouch for him." "He'll pay next time."" " ex national team member..." "They bought new suitcases in Brussels." "Nándi said the suitcase wasn't so heavy but he could hardly lift it into the car." "He could hardly carry it up the steps." "We got in and he threw it down and swore." "It rattled." "Something was odd." "We opened the suitcase and it was packed with watches." "Full." "Gold Doxas." "Full." "He got really scared." "We didn't even know whose suitcase it was but he said that four of them had bought similar cases." "So it must have belonged to Budai, Lóránt or Kocsis." "He called Budai first." "All he said was, "Have you got it?"" "Nándi said yes." ""I'll be right there." "Bye."" "They could bring anything..." "within limits." "ex office manager, National Planning Office..." "Because those in power turned a blind eye to their dealings." " World Championship..." "On 20 June, Basel was the centre of attention" " World Championship June-July 1954... for sports fans from all over the world." "Puskás leads Hungary, Fritz Walter heads the German team." "The two captains swap pennants as cameras flash." "Ferenc Puskás and Fritz Walter." " Hungary" " West Germany World Championship, group match..." "He kicks the ball to Hidegkúti, who passes it to Puskás." "Liebrich knocks him over by the 18-yard line." "It's only the referee who doesn't notice the foul." "There's no warning and no penalty kick." "The defence pass to Puskás who's back on his feet." "The ball hasn't reached him when Liebrich kicks Puskás on the ankle." "Puskás is on the ground." "He's lying on the ground and being tended to." "He hit him so hard the third time that Puskás was unable to go on playing." "The match is being broadcast in 16 countries." "The players are coming out with Bozsik and Bauer heading their teams." "He was unable to play against either Brazil or Uruguay due to his injury." "The ball bounces back to Czibor." "And now Czibor, he jumps over the keeper and Hidegkúti scores!" "We defeated the world-famous Brazilian team 4:2." "It hurt really badly." "And he had to miss games against Uruguay and Brazil." " ex player of Honvéd and Atlético Madrid..." "But in the final, he wanted to take the cup." " ex player of the West German national team..." "After the 8:3, we knew we were in trouble." "It was quite obvious that only one team could win the world championship and that was Hungary." "We were positive about that." "Today we will see a new world champion." "Hungary and West Germany are to play again." "But I should have started with:" ""Puskás is back!"" " Hungary-West Germany final, World Championship..." "Last night, the Hungary captain told their manager Gusztáv Sebes" " commentary... that although he still feels some pain, he is ready to play." "I wasn't a hundred percent." "I kicked the ball, I trained and the opinion of the four coaches was that I was fit to play." "The shot he's just taken shows that Puskás's left leg is fine." "Now he is receiving the kisses happily." "Kocsis's shot bounced back off Kohlmayer to Puskás who came running and scored into the left bottom corner with his left, from about 12 yards." "And when Comrade Sebes came into the team talk and said that Puskás was not 100 percent, only about 80 percent healthy," "Buzánszky, who has a great sense of humour, said:" ""That's plenty!"" "Kocsis tries to get past, but Kohlmayer passes to the keeper." "Czibor shoots and scores." "Bravo, Zoli!" "Wonderful!" "Great!" "Our second goal, listeners!" "We're leading 2:0 in the 8th minute of the first half." "When we took the kickoff after the second goal," "Fritz called out to me and Max Morlock." ""The match will be decided after 90 minutes, no sooner."" " ex player of the West German national team..." "Then we stopped, and began to have a great time." "We missed 3-4 chances to score..." "Lantos kicks a long pass, Kocsis forwards it with his head," "Hidegkúti shoots and the keeper fists the ball above the bar." "Hidegkúti's pass was absolutely great." "He headed the ball right into the left corner of the goal." "The ball is with Czibor." "Nándi, on your chest!" "Now a shot and the ball bounces back from the post." "Turek was beaten and the ball bounced out from the goalpost." "Perhaps we lost the final because we grew lazy after 2:0." " ex player of the West German national team..." "In the 10th minute, we scored a consolation goal so it was 2:1 and we saw that the Hungarians began to argue among themselves." "Goal, goal, too bad..." "That was a goal, listeners." "We equalised in the 18th minute and that made us try harder." "We could sense the chance..." "Now the second one's gone in!" "It rained in the second half." "The rain was heavy, which was better for them..." "They take the ball down, Rahn shoots, he pulls it off by the 18-yard line, shoots and scores." "Bozsik, what did you do?" "Bozsik, what did you do?" "Rahn's shot is right there in the right-hand corner 6 minutes before the end of the match." "It was Bozsik, unfortunately, who missed the ball, although he was the best on the whole team." "The boys are standing there broken." "I equalised 4 minutes before the end." "Puskás, the ball's yours!" "He shoots and scores!" "Ling, the English referee allowed the goal to stand" " Ferenc Puskás's voice (1995)... but much later, when we were in the middle of the pitch with the ball, the Welsh linesman raised his flag indicating that if was offside." "That was how we lost the world championship." "Offside, offside, offside..." "Griffith has declared it offside..." "Offside... what a pity..." "what a pity..." "The Hungarian players are very upset." "We've lost the match." "Hungary defeated Brazil and Uruguay and they went out with those matches in their feet, thinking they'd easily beat West Germany." "We had been undefeated for 4 years and now we lost." "But don't despair back home, listeners, because whatever the result here, the Hungarian team has achieved something truly great." " The Times London, 7 July 1954..." "There was a slightly rough reception here in Hungary" " Ferenc Puskás's voice (1995)... that the team didn't deserve." "Even later people said things like:" ""Those bastards sold the match for 5 Mercedes!"" " Puskás's teammate on the national team..." "Some said we had sold it for 50 Mercedes, others that we sold it for a Lanscort tractor..." " wife of Puskás's teammate..." "People were unable to accept that the Hungarian team would be the runner-up in the world." "The whole country expected the Hungarian team" " the stamp printed before the final... to get to the top and win the world championship and it didn't happen." "So, despair led to national outrage and rebellion" " sports historian... and people worried about the players." "Their flats were guarded." "Policemen sat in Puskás's flat." " reporter of the Hungarian Radio..." " Mrs. Ferenc Puskás..." "A security guard in civilian clothes accompanied us wherever we went." "On the night of the match," " ex journalist of Népsport... there was an unbelievable commotion in the streets." "Crowds were swarming and cursing and they even overturned a tram." " The Stars and Stripes New York, 22 July 1954..." "The despair..." " sports reporter of the Australian SBS television, an émigré of 1956... the despair at 3:2 in the final of the world championship" "is what led the people, to a certain extent, to the 1956 revolution." "Because, after the defeat, people were so desperate, that" ""... we are terribly poor, we are oppressed politically"" "and morally, and so on..." "and..." ""we don't even have a good football team anymore."" " Over the top..." "He'd achieved everything by then" " sports journalist... that he could achieve and also, well... he liked to drink." "Wine and soda makes your belly grow and his belly began to grow." " ex journalist of Népsport..." "He simply made his belly swing and he had already tricked the defender." "He was sneered at because of his belly at several matches." "He was called the "Major with a Hump"." "He started out at the Erzsébet Hotel." "One glass of beer." "By the time he got to Emke, he had a large beer." "Then he ordered another at the Rozmaring." " ex member of the national team..." "And by the time he got to the end of Andrássy Avenue, to Keringõ, or wherever, his belly was full of beer." "He leant against the bar and entertained the whole place." "He could give an answer to everything and everyone." "He could stand by the bar for hours." " the Hungarian national team on tour in the Middle East February 1956..." " Budapest, 23 October 1956..." "After the morning training," " Tata, state training camp, 60 kilometers of Budapest... we switched the radio on and we heard the first news from Budapest." " Puskás's teammate..." "Listening to the radio, the players began to feel rather uncertain about what was going on in the city while they were away training." "And as a result, the management and players decided" " ex national team member... that they should go home from Tata." "We left Thursday morning and came all the way to Kelenföld." "Puskás spotted a small truck and he agreed with the driver that, for a certain amount, he would drive us over to the Pest side." "When we got to the middle of the bridge, a green Pobeda passed us by." "We heard gunshots and the car suddenly stopped." "I suppose the people in it had been hit." "Puskás jumped out of the car put up his hands and told the people at the foot of the bridge, who were armed of course," ""Don't shoot, we're the Hungarian national team." "I'm Puskás."" "They cursed the Russians, the political system and everybody but they cheered us." "One night the boys were called and told to go to Dózsa György Street the next day to leave for abroad." "We officially left the country on 1 November 1956 to play a European Cup match in Bilbao with government permission." "They were given a bus to take them somewhere where they could find some accommodation and it was their job to book matches in Europe wherever they could..." " Puskás's teammate..." "The aim was to go and help the new Hungarian government as much as we could." ""You'll get a bonus, but the rest will be sent back to the government."" "That was the promise given to Imre Nagy." "But that was no easy trip, because, after every 5 kilometres, armed revolutionaries checked our bus, where we were going, so we told Puskás to sit in the front." ""Call out to them, make them go away and let us pass..."" " Magyar Ifjúság Budapest, 3 November 1956..." "While they reached Spain and played the match in Bilbao," " Mrs. Ferenc Puskás... my daughter and I also left Hungary." "Knowing that this is what he wanted, I rushed to leave." "She arrived on 24 November with the girl in her arms." "She crossed the border on foot." " Arriba Madrid, 29 November 1956..." " Sport Budapest, 21 December 1956..." "After we'd played the matches in Europe," " Ferenc Puskás's voice (1995)... we received an offer from Brazil." "They invited us to play matches there." "They made a group decision that they would not come back home if possible and they would like to play in Brazil." " Sport Budapest, 20 January 1957..." "The arrival itself... there were 6-8 thousand people at the airport..." "All that fuss, photographers, radio correspondents..." "It took us almost an hour to get to the building then to the bus." "There were 4 policemen on motorbikes, they did tricks and stood up, put on the handbrake and rode like that into the city." "We stayed at a really elegant hotel..." "Puskás and his mates were taken to Hungarian families." "He went to 3 christenings in 2 weeks." "He went to christenings all the time." "There were so many Hungarian clubs." "And he went to them all!" " Sport Budapest, 21 January 1957..." "There, for the first time in our career, we were given more money than we'd ever imagined in the past." "Earlier, our per diem was huge." " Puskás's teammate..." "Sometimes as much as 4 dollars!" "But there, Budapest Honvéd received 10,000 dollars after each match!" "Sure enough, they tried to bring Puskás home, together with the money." " ex national team member..." "So he said, "You can't talk to us like that, we're not going home..."" ""We'll share the money... this is the first time that we can keep it!"" "And he divided the money fairly among all the members." "He was never forgiven for this back in Hungary." " Sport Budapest, 25 January 1957..." " L'equipe Paris, February 1957..." " Sport Budapest, 22 March 1957..." "At Vienna Airport, we found newspapers with articles about Budapest Honvéd and many were negative." "Just rubbish..." "That he smuggled out stamps, all kinds of accusations were invented, that he stole..." "They tried to defame him in any way they could." "It was obvious." "So he thought, "Is it worth going home for that?"" " workers' rally Csepel, May 1957..." "The time has come that, after the events of 23 October, we talked to the communists and workers freely and honestly with no beating about the bush." "You see, he was an army officer." "He was a major and Marosán said" " secretary of the Central Committee of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party... that Puskás wouldn't be able to avoid punishment, either." "Something was even said about Puskás dying in a puddle." "When Puskás read that part about him in the paper, which was disgraceful, he announced that he wasn't going home." "He'd been undecided up to then." "If Puskás had been banned from playing or sent to prison, it would have been the end of him." "He said that the two of us should decide what to do." "And I was happy to agree to not coming back home." " The beginning of emigration..." " Daily Mail London, 18 March 1957..." "What would like to do now?" "Play football." "Anyway, I'm very glad if English television records the training and I can express my wishes." "I would like to play friendly matches at the Wiener Sport Club," "I hope FIFA will give me permission." "I would like to develop my skills and, when I get the permission..." "Sure enough, I got scared a bit." " Ferenc Puskás's voice (1995)..." "I wasn't officially allowed on the pitch." "If you're banned, you can't even go to a football pitch let alone train." "But we tricked them." "They trained in the afternoon, I trained in the morning." "Unfortunately, I gained some weight." " Ferenc Puskás's letter to Tibor Zabolay 16 October 1957..." " Ferenc Puskás's letter to Tibor Zabolay 9 December 1957..." "He lived under rather difficult circumstances... a hectic life for almost a year..." "You couldn't tell that he was hard up even though he was." " ex member of the national water polo team..." "I know that when he was still in Vienna, he didn't have a penny left." "We lived on borrowed money for a while, Kubala gave us some..." "He had gastric haemorrhage in Vienna, ex correspondent of the newspaper Népsport he was in a critical condition..." "But I didn't experience it..." "only from his letters." "When he came to join me, he had already cured himself with a diet." " The Puskás secret..." "Monsieur Puska, please tell us about the victory for the Gazette de Lausanne." " We played well." " And tell me, Monsieur," " excerpt from the film The Miraculous Football Player... that sudden attack before the fifth goal..." "Everything depends on training." "A little stretching, short sprints..." "Is that so important, Monsieur Puska?" " Good training - half victory." " Thank you." "Monsieur Hidegkúti, please tell us about the victory for the Gazette de Lausanne." " excerpt from the film The Miraculous Football Player 1957 version..." " We played well." " And tell me, Monsieur, that sudden attack before the fifth goal..." "Everything depends on training." "A little stretching, short sprints..." " a report by the superior of agent "Zuglói"..." "The phone rang." "Emil Österreicher was calling from Spain." "He said, "Do you want to play in Madrid?"" "I said, "Don't fool with me!"" ""I'm not, Bernabeu wants you to come."" "I signed the paper and he gave me an advance of 5,000 dollars." "I went home and said to my wife, "Hey, you're rich again, here's the money." ""I have to go to Madrid in two weeks."" "So I went." "The old man met me." "Just the two of us, him and me." "He spoke no Hungarian, I didn't speak Spanish." "I said to him, "Mr. President, thank you very much but... the problem is that I am 18 kilos overweight..."" "He said, "That's not my problem, it's yours..."" "I saw Puskás arrive." "The press at the time was very much against him." "In their opinion, Real made a very big mistake by hiring a player whose career was practically over, who was overweight..." " Puskás's teammate in Madrid..." "Earlier, he was called the "Galloping Major"." "When he arrived, the Spanish christened him the "Belly Major"." "He was already 31, I think, 30-31 years old." "He missed 2 years." "He told me, that the 6 or 8 weeks he spent dieting" " sports correspondent of the Australian SBS television channel, a 1956 refugee... was the hardest period of his life." "Péter Ilku, Jóska Csabai and I went out." " a player of Atlético Madrid, a 1956 refugee..." "It was about 40 degrees in Chambard Stadium." "We wrapped a long nylon bandage around him." "He jumped around and swore a lot but lost at least 8 kilos." "He gritted his teeth but he did it." " player of Real Zaragoza, a 1956 refugee..." "I said it was enough." ""Not yet..." he said." ""I've got plenty here!"" "It was all up to him what would happen." "Either he would do what was expected of him, or he could go." "We soon got used to the meals over there." "Vegetables, salads and the meat, which I still love and he did too." "And fruit." "Once he told us a story about Bernabeu because we were curious about it all." ""Don't even mention it." "Imagine, my wife and I were in a café."" "She ordered a beer and I ordered this thing with lemon." "Then the president sent for me and reprimanded me." "Why did I drink beer when I agreed not to have a drop?" "I told him it was my wife's beer" ""but he still fined me a month's salary."" "But Bernabeu adored Puskás and wanted him to play again." " Puskás's teammate in Madrid..." "He started training and his first game was in Buenos Aires on the American tour." "In an absolutely winning position, where a weaker player could have scored, he kicked the ball back to Di Stefano and Di Stefano equalised." "This was an entirely different story." " a 1956 refugee living in Argentina..." "If Puskás had scored as a substitute, he would have made 3 or 4 enemies on the team." "Di Stefano centre forward, Betancour goalkeeper," "Santamaria centre back," "Araquistáin goalkeeper, Gento outside left, and Puskás inside left." "He was intelligent enough to accept that he was a longstanding member, and "I have to fit in"." "And when Di Stefano realised that "He doesn't want to take my place... to push me aside,"" "he very quickly accepted him and said," ""The two of us are the kings of Real Madrid!"" " an ex player of Atlético Madrid, a 1956 refugee..." "I became best friends with Kopa, Di Stefano, Rial, Gento and everybody." "I didn't immediately say that I wanted to be in the first row." "I was always the last." "I didn't make a fuss and didn't pick any quarrels." "I did as I was told." "Usually every Christian name has a nickname, right?" " Puskás's teammate in Madrid..." "For example José is called Pepe here, Francisco is called Paco." "In Argentina it's Pancho." "It's a half-Italian word." "So, to differentiate him from Franco whose nickname was Paco, we called him Pancho." "And it stuck." "We could say it became a symbol of his success." "It was in Madrid that Puskás was made into a really serious and valuable individual football player." "I played 26 matches that year." "I was second on the goal list." "Then I was first 4 times and second twice." "So I think I didn't do so very badly." " Puskás's letter to Tibor Zabolay 10 March 1960..." "Before the match, when we arrived in the changing room, we began to play cards." "We'd finished the game, put the cards away, and only then began to concentrate on the match and talk about the opponent." " Puskás's teammate in Madrid..." "I taught them to play rummy with 14 cards." "Kopa and I won 15 dollars from them." "That was a lot of money then." "We played on a one-cent basis." "He cursed me and my mother, saying what a stupid game I'd introduced." "Then he learnt to play." "That's how we passed the time." "We enjoyed ourselves, we never argued or quarrelled whether we won or lost." "I played there for 3 years, with Puskás in the last one." "In 3 years, we only lost 1 match." "1 lost match in 3 years - that had never happened before." "He was unable to lose." "But it wasn't just Pancho, none of us were." " Puskás's teammate in Madrid..." "Pancho got the maximum out of everything because he liked playing more than eating." "His physical condition, technique and ball-handling were excellent." "He was a very well-trained player." "He would always find his place and used his head on the pitch." "When we played Atletico Madrid at Bernabeu Stadium, the referee gave us a penalty kick 19 metres from the goal." " historian of Real Madrid..." "Ferenc Puskás kicked the ball and it landed in the corner of the goal." "The referee made him repeat it because the line was moving." "Then Puskás called out to the others," ""I'll kick it to the same place as before."" "And he repeated the shot." "He kicked the ball into the same corner as before." "Before the referee could say anything he asked," ""Well, shall I do it again?"" "He was nicknamed "Boom Little Cannon"." "Because he was like a gun and not only because of the way he shot but also because he threatened the opponent's goal." "He had a style I have never seen since." " president of Real Madrid..." "He got the ball, he didn't hesitate but immediately shot at the goal, precisely and with strength, like lightning." "We had never had a player like that before." "That's why he became our most successful scorer." "When he got inside 35 metres, defenders began to tremble." "His shot was not only precise but it had enormous power." "He shot very well, he was "goal-strong", he was able to hit the goalpost 7," "8, even 10 times in a row." "We made a bet at the world championship when we were training" " the training of the Spanish national team May 1962, World Championship... that he wouldn't be able to hit the bar 10 times in a row..." "But he did it." "The final of the 5th European Cup." "From the outside the enormous stadium looks like a Scottish castle." " European Cup final Glasgow, 18 May 1960..." "I remember the match against Eintracht Frankfurt." "They won 7:3." "It was really something how Di Stefano and Puskás scored goals." "It was a pleasure to watch." "Puskás scored 4 goals." "It was a match the fans of Real Madrid would never forget." "The referee awards a penalty kick." "Puskás grabs the opportunity to the Germans' great regret..." " coach of Manchester United..." "I'm proud that I could play for Real Madrid, and the Spanish national team and that after 9 years, I was given a testimonial match." "I think you can't expect more even from Madrid..." " Puskás's farewell match, two years after finishing his active career 1969 Bernabeu stadium..." "This match is played in his honour against Rapid Wien." "Football is a big family, a happy game, a beautiful game, and Puskás was one of its greatest artists." "If there had been the same possibilities as today, new technology, television, the internet, no doubt he would be the greatest player even on the Moon." "He was able to adapt." "He became a Spaniard right away." "Right away, in every respect..." "He played himself into the minds of the people where he was living." " Puskás's teammate in Madrid..." "Be it Spain, Hungary, Italy, Greece or Australia." "Wherever he was." "No doubt, he was a Spanish Hungarian." "He enjoyed our customs," " maid of the Puskás family... our cuisine and a lot of other things as well." "He went to matches and to the cinema..." " Mrs. Ferenc Puskás..." "A lot..." "to run-down cinemas, we started there where they screened three films one after the other..." "When we went by train to play somewhere, he often bought American pulp fiction with a lot of shooting and such like, and when he found a word he didn't understand he always asked what it meant," "so he learnt Spanish very quickly." "What Pancho learnt first in Spanish were the swear words." " international director of Real Madrid..." "But people enjoyed hearing swear words from his mouth because he said them in a very sweet way." "Everybody liked that." " Puskás's friend in Madrid..." "He enjoyed cracking jokes very much, he never missed a good joke." "But he always remained within the limits of politeness whoever it was he was talking to." "He turned into a gentleman." "It is hard to explain briefly the difference between the Puskás of Budapest and that of the Real Madrid as far as his behaviour was concerned but his basic habits never changed." "People were continuously asking him for money... for food or for their children..." "and Puskás always gave." " housekeeper of the Puskás family in Madrid..." "He gave money to people because he was slightly foolish in this respect." "Slightly foolish because he gave some to everyone." "Really." "When he saw a Hungarian, anyone who spoke in Hungarian, he went up to him, chatted with him and if he needed anything, he immediately reached into his pocket." "So much so that I once even saw him give his coat to someone who was hard up." "He received many letters, several thousand letters." "I didn't understand Hungarian, but the others told me that people asked him for money for this and that." "I argued with him a lot because I wanted to throw them all out." "But he didn't let me throw a single one out." "I said to him, "Pancho you can't help just everyone in the world!"" " interview on the Italian television (RAI, 1962)..." " You don't live in Hungary." " Since 1956." "Since 1956..." "Have you seen your relatives since then?" "No." "Just letters or telephone..." "Can your fame and popularity you have gained in Spain make you forget how you feel for your country?" "In Spain, the people are great, not to mention the team." "He was very modest and he had a big heart." "He was not like a typical football star." "He was more than that." "He was like a simple customer." "Because he was really normal, he didn't affect the airs of a star." "He was very friendly and open with everyone." "Whoever came in, he greeted them." " Puskás's goddaughter..." "He always had a good word or just a funny line for everyone." "Puskás had to love the people around him with all his heart." " maid of the Puskás family..." "When Christmas came, we had dinner with them." "All of us at the table as if we were one big family." "And one Christmas he gave me and Pepi a gold bracelet." "It must have been very expensive." "Yes, he was that kind of man." "Always..." "He always brought presents for everyone, not just my family!" "Depending on where he'd been, he always brought presents that were typical of the place." "Like a little dress for me, or delicacies... always..." "He always brought something." "Every time." "But not just for us." "For the staff in the bar, or a lady over there, the neighbours, friends..." "His heart was as big as his belly." "Pancho often invaded the kitchen in the afternoon," " Natividad's mother... put on an apron and started to cook." "Seafood as well as Hungarian dishes." "I remember best the way he laughed." "How he laughed, my God...!" "The joy of life was in his laughter." "And his laughter filled the space around him." "Of course, they sang." "Jesus and how!" "Of course, they sang." "A lot." "They sang a lot." "He had a strong voice but I don't think he would "score" as a singer." "My husband heard Puskás humming tunes." "And he said let's talk him into singing a song on a record." "But he just couldn't." "He was simply unable to." " Puskás's friend in Madrid..." "He lost his voice..." "he got nervous..." "We didn't say a word but brought a bottle of red wine." "Then he cheered up, he found his voice... and he began "My dear mother, put on your headscarf..."" "and "My father liked to sing..."" ""My father liked to sing," "He spent many a night living it up..."" "I remember they established a salami factory." "They even brought an employee from Hungary to supervise the factory, an elderly man..." "Debreceni sausage..." "We usually got the place free of charge, the machines free of charge, the permit, we got everything." "It worked for 4 years I think but then changes came, money was devalued, the price of meat went up and it didn't seem worthwhile anymore." "There were around 30 workers employed... so after a while, it was better to give up otherwise it would have been lost money." "We told him he'd be robbed with the restaurant and he was." "The sausage factory was the same." "He had no business sense." "He gave the sausages away." "He hardly let anyone pay in the restaurant." "It was obvious that you couldn't run a business like that long." "It was behind the Real Madrid stadium, about 100 metres." "The real big shots visited there..." "American actors and the like, they all went in." "He was an excellent cook, everything was white, white chairs, everybody dressed in white." "This was upstairs, they could seat 120 people and downstairs there was a bar." "Excellent Hungarian, Spanish, French meals, whatever they ordered, everything." "It was beautiful..." "I still regret... this is the only thing I regret, that I was a fool." "But never mind... the ball carried me on better than the restaurant." "Chiquifru is opposite." "We went there after training and matches." "We were in the open air, if you like, because there is a window there." "We ate our tortillas, drank beer or wine, played "frogs" and dominoes." "Pancho lived his life there." "In 2002, some people from Real came to Budapest to visit him on his 75th birthday." " owner of Chiquifru..." "They gave him presents." "Chiquifru is also mentioned here in this article." "You can see Di Stefano and Pancho in this picture." "In Madrid, we knew that he was ill." "Naturally, we were told." "When he died, I don't remember exactly, perhaps it was 9 in the morning, my son called me." "And we cried." "We cried like idiots." "Like idiots." "Oh, Niko, Niko!" " Green, white and green." " Panathinaikos." " Athens..." " Puskás memorial evening Athens, 27 February 2007..." " Mrs. Ferenc Puskás with ex players of Panathinaikos..." "Jasu, he hasn't changed, he still has that sweet face." "She's my mother." " Puskás's interpreter in Athens..." "Ferenc was my father, you are my mother." "I became a football player in his hands." "When the question of money came up, all he said was," " ex president of Panathinaikos..." ""How much do I get if we get to the best 16,"" "8 or 4 in the European Cup?" "Or the final...?" I said, "Half of Greece."" "I can't say we had faith in him, it was quite a big task he undertook, the European Cup Final." "Ferenc had a great quality." "He was chivalrous." "When we went out together, with our wives, he always bought a carnation or rose for the ladies." " Puskás's aid in Athens..." "One day, an old Panathinaikos player who had a bad heart, came to training." "At that time, heart surgery was not really so developed in Greece." "He asked Puskás if he could help him." "Ferenc gave him a piece of paper and said," ""Go to London, to my friend, Billy Wright, a great player for England and he'll help you."" "When he returned, he was quite amazed at how helpful Billy Wright had been." "He said, "Ferenc sent you, so you're like a brother to me."" "We went to Spain." "We played a preparation match with Real," " sports commentator... with 100,000 spectators." "The end result was 1:1." "The crowd on the grandstand didn't shout "Real" but "Ferenc"." " "Ferenc!" "Ferenc!" - "Pancho!" "Pancho!"" "This is a cartoon of Panathinaikos." "Here, as if he had swallowed two balls." "I changed at every single training." "I worked out with them for two and a half hours at every single training," "I stood up with them to teach them how to kick, many of them learnt although it wasn't easy because most of them were over 20." "It's difficult to make such men do something they have never done before." " Puskás's player in Athens..." "He taught us, he showed us what to do on the field and we just sat there watching his tricks." " Puskás's player in Athens..." "He had his special expressions." "He began every training with, "Let's play calmly."" "He kept saying, "Play calmly."" "He often spoke in Spanish." "He still had the words from his time in Madrid." "He often swore in Spanish." "It was funny the way he shouted." "And he could never resist using the swear words he'd just learnt in Greek to shout instructions to the team from the corner." "He had a special way of giving us strength and confidence." "He couldn't imagine defeat." "He was a born winner." "Puskás's success was also due to his psychological abilities." "After the first round, he said, "You can be the top scorer in Europe."" "I thought he was joking." "And as we went forward in the cup, I began to believe what he had said." "If I do what I am told, go to bed early and train well, I can become the top scorer." "He proved to be right in the end." "The Panathinaikos players arrived a week early" " Belgrade training before the match against Crvena Zvezda... because Puskás wanted them to get acquainted with the surroundings... where they were to play." " European Cup semi finals, first match Belgrade, 14 April 1971..." "In the 65th minute, Ostojic scores for the third time... 4:1." "The Yugoslavians' place in the final seems certain now they have defeated Panathinaikos." "When we lost 4:1, the military commander, who was a colonel, came and said," ""It's impossible to lose 4:1."" "I said, "Why didn't you play centre forward?" "You'd have scored more goals!"" "I said, "Go ahead, do it, I don't care!"" " return match Athens, 28 April 1971..." "That's football." "My players scored in the second minute." " Ferenc Puskás's voice (1995)..." "A big fellow, Antonis Antonianis swished it and scored." "We attacked the whole time." "They sent a ball into the centre and the tall boy headed it in." "About 15-14 minutes before the end, a ball came from the centre, he kicked it at the goal and it went in. 3:0." "The ball was somewhere over there, and Antoniadis and I tried to play a set piece Puskás had taught us." "Antonis ran on the left and this place became empty." "I went to the right." "I came this way because I heard him shouting "Kamaras!" "Kamaras!"" "By the time the defence realised what was going on, I got the ball and shot at the goal with my left foot." "This goal was his." "We were the winners by then." "They began to shout, "Go back!" I said, "Don't go back!" "Go forward." "If we go back, we lose."" "The match was over." "Everyone was happy, I congratulated the boys, left quickly and went home." "And then the colonel came and wanted to talk." "He called my flat and I told him I was tired." "He called 5 times and I still refused." "The sixth time I went and said," ""You already lost the match 14 days ago."" "From the Panathinaikos Stadium across the Alexandra Avenue to Kato Patision, in every house, the people went out on their balconies and they hung up everything green they could find at home." "They jumped into the water in Omonia Square." "They celebrated until early morning." "They chanted one name:" "Ferenc's." " president of Manchester United..." " Puskás's player in Athens..." "I think he gave us the most beautiful afternoon of our lives." "After the match, he said he had received 14 amateur players with whom he managed to reach the top." "Everywhere people called us the "Puskás Team"." ""The Puskás Team is coming."" "He was a man who managed to win the hearts of all his 22 players." "He didn't have a bad bone in his body." "He was a very amusing character." "He was like a big child." "Puskás was the Sun and everybody likes to get some light from the Sun." " Puskás's interpreter in Athens..." " Hello?" " Hello?" "Öcsi?" " captain of the National Football Association at the time of the Golden Team..." " Yes." " Dear Öcsi." "We got cut off for a while." "There are a lot of young people" " excerpt from the film The Golden Team... here in the studio waiting to welcome you." "They're making a film and you would be the star." "I was treated very badly and then I promised that I would never go back to Hungary." "Never." "My wife and my daughter went back several times and she said, "Go back, you can't do this, you must go..."" "There was always a central committee secretary supervising sports." " head of the Propaganda Department of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party..." "The secretary at that time was Mihály Korom who knew Ferenc Puskás personally and he undertook the task to inform him that he could come home." "He would be welcome." "There wouldn't be any retaliation, that was obvious, because otherwise..." "I for one wouldn't have agreed, or I wouldn't have helped." " president of the National Physical Education and Sports Office in 1981..." "We had a clear instruction that we could bring him home." "I am convinced that if our mum had been alive," " Ferenc Puskás's younger sister... he wouldn't have agreed to come home because Mum always talked him out of it." " Puskás's mother..." "She was afraid that something would happen to him." "I had never seen anyone so afraid as Puskás was..." " goalkeeper of the Golden Team..." "He was so scared and couldn't be cheered up." "He was scared they'd arrest him if he came home." "Firstly because he defected." "He defected and was a military deserter." "And he didn't know if they would make a fuss or they wouldn't." "Guszti Sebes went to Madrid to bring him home." "He brought Puskás and his wife to Paris and then we flew to Budapest." "He and Guszti Sebes sat in front of me on the plane, his wife and I behind them, and I remembered a Diósgyõr-Honvéd match that afternoon" " president of the Hungarian Football Association..." "I said to Puskás, "Hey, let's go to the match."" "His wife said, "Are you crazy?" "They'll jeer him or beat him up!"" "At last, you found the courage to come." "What's the matter?" "My dear Öcsi..." "Eta, does he still steal boiled peas?" " The countryside-Budapest senior match Budapest, 6 June 1981..." "There was a VIP box in the stadium where ministers, party big shots and the top figures of sports sat." "Nobody asked him as far as I know, but he instinctively went there and thanked those people for letting him come home and that he was received the way he was received." "Such an ovation and cheering broke out..." "He was really moved..." "He couldn't imagine that after 20 years, or I don't know how many years, contrary to the news he received before, such an atmosphere would receive him in the People's Stadium..." "Not just him but we were all moved." "He was moved by everything... well, 25 years... is a long time." "The problem with sports history is that the years pass." " Lunch with the players of the Golden Team Budapest, 1987..." "They pass the Golden Team, Puskás and all of us." "It is a very good feeling to see each other sometimes." "We don't get the chance too often." "Many of our friends... our teammates are missing." "It's hard to talk about it..." "They're not here at the table and I thought about them." "I'm proud that I could be the captain of this team... as a young man." "He came to Australia." " Puskás's friend in Melbourne, a 1956 refugee..." "Somebody offered him a job in Melbourne." "A football school." "It was always his dream to work with children." " Puskás's letter from Australia to Nándor Bányai..." "There are 600,000 Greeks in Melbourne." "He had an enormous name in Greece which came to Australia and the Greeks were crazy about him." " Puskás's letter from Australia to Nándor Bányai..." "Puskás also managed to increase the number of spectators." "6-8-10 thousand people came." "I remember when they played in the so-called grand final, which decided the championship there, so that was the greatest moment in the season." "Puskás was sitting on the bench and 5 minutes before the match, when everyone was nervous, he sat calmly chewing gum." "I asked him, "How come you haven't got stage fright?"" "He said, "Why?" "It's not me playing."" "He won the Australian Championship in the second year." "Then this cup and that cup and the boys loved playing." "They called him "Boss"." "Nobody expected a miracle from him and still the miracle happened..." "The Greeks were crazy about him." "They knew that he would come down in the morning and they started taking photos with him." "Puskás happily obliged, he never said no to anything." "He always said, "I'll leave it up to you, buddy..."" " Puskás's letter from Australia to Nándor Bányai..." " Puskás's letter from Australia to Nándor Bányai Melbourne, 22 November 1988..." "I spoke to some Hungarians in Sydney who said," ""Why don't you come home?" "You could help..."" "I said, "Look, I don't want to." "I want to rest."" "We argued and talked for a week that I should do this and that." "I said, "Look, if I happen to go home at all, we may sit down, but  it is not very likely because our mentalities are very different" ""and we may not be able to come to an agreement."" "I said to them," ""If it comes up and it will..." "I want 5 years all alone, to establish Hungarian football."" "He knew that I didn't want to stay for good." " Mrs. Ferenc Puskás..." "But it was fate..." "We planned to travel here and there, and to stay at home here at times... or at home there..." "We were in the Old Sipos restaurant celebrating or something..." "And I said to Puskás, "Come, I'll take you home."" "We came out, got into the car," "He got in on the other side, looked at me and asked," ""Tell me, where's Gyula?"" "Yes, where was I...?" "Unfortunately it could already be felt." "It began in Australia except you didn't realise that there would be trouble." "Sometimes he didn't understand the question or the question didn't register in his brain and his answer was wrong." "His wife had to remind him, "That's not what we were talking about"" "In the last year, he declined very rapidly... and in the end he was sent to hospital." "I cried a lot because of that... he was a very good friend..." "He watched TV, "National Sport" was brought to him every day," " Puskás's male nurse... he looked through it, put it down, then picked it up again." "First he only watched sports television but then Real Madrid TV appeared and he watched that 90 percent of the time." "When children and adults played there, he walked over." "He came here to the window, looked out and watched the children for hours at a time..." "It was so beautiful that when we met... he embraced me and you could see that..." " Puskás's childhood friend... he remembered our childhood what I talked about... we played here, with rag balls..." "it moved him so much..." "My memories of those 6 years..." " Puskás's younger sister... for moments once or twice..." "And strangely enough... my daughter, with her more, and in general my sister-in-law says that usually there were young people around him, young nurses, and all those young girls came in, sat down on his bed" "and with them he was..." "much better..." "He couldn't stand old women..." "I think he could sense me" "although the doctor said he couldn't..." "I'm convinced that when he heard my voice or... or felt that I was there, he held out his hand..." "When I came away from him, I always thought," ""Will he still be there tomorrow...?" "Can I go again tomorrow?"" "The Real Madrid website and the most important Italian, British and French papers write with great reverence about Ferenc Puskás, whom they call the greatest figure in football history." " a pause of mourning before the match of Panathinaikos..." " a pause of mourning before the match of Real Madrid..." " memorial service Budapest, 9 December 2006..." "This is an important and very moving moment for me." "Still, dead or alive, Puskás will always remain... a legend..." "Dead or alive, the legend will remain a legend." "I chose to stay at home and pray in a church." "I prayed for him." "Maybe one day we'll meet up in heaven." "An important thing:" " son of Puskás's player in Athens..." "The Greeks loved Puskás so much because he united in one person two typical Greek personalities." "Ulysses and Alexis Zorbas." "Ulysses travelled around the world and after his Odyssey, he returned to Hungary when he was old." "And Zorbas, he loved life and he lived it until his final breath." "I loved football." "I adored my family..." "I was always playing football." "I didn't care about anything else." "The ball was my lucky mascot." "I felt secure when I had the ball... or when I could kick the ball..."