Imre Kovács
Imre Kovács ( * November 26, 1921 in Budapest, † March 9, 1996 ) was a Hungarian football player. With the national team of his native country, he participated in the World Cup 1954.
Career
Imre Kovács began his career with the club Tatabányai Bányász sports club in the same city. Previously, he was already active in a number of regional associations in youth. After only a short time in Tatabánya Kovács joined Diósgyőri Vasgyárak Testgyakorló Köre, before 1945 MTK Budapest FC, MTK Hungaria FC then known as joined. In a team, among others, with Nándor Hidegkuti, Mihály Lantos and József Kovács Zakariás won three times, the Hungarian football championship during his time at MTK. In the season of 1951 was the first one with four points before Kispest Honvéd Budapest, the Hungarian army club, which at that time the best players in the country, such as Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, or playing. Two years later, they had as the leader after 26 games three points clear again before Kispest Honvéd and thus won the championship again. His last championship with MTK Hungaria won Imre Kovács in the season in 1957/58, when you first place with one point ranked ahead Kispest - Honvéd in Nemzeti National Championship. The Magyar Kupa, the Hungarian Football Cup, Kovács won with MTK during his time again, winning the title succeeded in 1952 by a 3-2 in the final against Dorogi Bányász. Imre Kovács played until 1959 with MTK Hungaria, before he ended his active career and was a football coach. After he had trained as a player-coach since 1956 MTK, he worked until 1964 as a coach at the club, but won the Mitropa Cup in 1962 except no title. As the biggest success of his coaching tenure at MTK reaching the final is to be evaluated in the European Cup of Cup Winners 1963/64, where MTK with 3:3 and 0:1 after extra time failed to Sporting Lisbon after previously defeated, among others, Fenerbahce and Celtic Glasgow had. Kovács acted in such international success as a coach, along with Béla Volentik. After the end of his time as manager at MTK he trained many smaller clubs, but also for a short time Újpest Budapest, Videoton FC and MTK Budapest again.
In the Hungarian national football team Imre Kovács was used eight times 1948-1952 total. With the national team of his native country, he participated in the Football World Cup 1954 in Switzerland. In the tournament in which he was not used, reached the Hungarian team who had gone as a big favorite in the World Cup, the final, subject to there but surprisingly against Germany with 2:3. He also took with Hungary at the Olympic Summer Games in Helsinki in 1952, where he made his last international game in the first round match against Romania in Turku (2:1). His team, however, won the tournament after Yugoslavia was defeated in the final 2-0.