Zoltán Czibor

Zoltán Czibor [ Zolta ː n ʦibor ] ( born August 23, 1929 in Kaposvar, † 1 September 1997) was a Hungarian football player.

Hungary

The only 1,69 m wide Czibor was one of the best left winger of his time. Sándor Mezei, the coach of the former Hungarian youth team, spotted him at a game of two third-rate teams. Czibor was working as a train driver. He played from 1948 to 1949 when Ferencvárosi TC in Budapest and then subsequently moved to Csepeli Vasas and subsequently to Honvéd Budapest, where he played together with Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis and. These three formed the attacking trio that became world-famous in the early 1950s supported by Nándor Hidegkuti in the Hungarian national team. In 1952 he was in Helsinki Olympic champion, and 1953 he was part of the Hungarian national team, the first team from the continent won against England at Wembley Stadium 6-3. As the Hungarian team went to the World Cup 1954 in Switzerland, it was four years unbeaten and the big favorite for the title. In the final against Germany Czibor met for the program proper 2-0 lead in Hungary before his team unexpectedly still lost with 2:3.

After the uprising against the communist regime in Hungary in 1956 and the invasion of the Soviet Union, the team broke up. Players like Czibor, Puskas and Kocsis went into exile and never again played for Hungary.

Spain

Zoltán Czibor came in 1957 through the mediation of László Kubala for FC Barcelona. A year later, Kocsis has been committed by the Catalans, while Puskás played for Real Madrid in 1958. With Barcelona Czibor was able to win the Spanish Cup and also the 1959 Copa del Rey despite the fierce competition by multiple European Cup winners Real Madrid, 1959 and 1960. The Fairs Cup, a forerunner of the UEFA Cup, was won in 1958 and 1960. 1960 failed Barcelona still in the semi-finals of the European Cup of Champions at Real Madrid, with a 1:3, where Czibor missing two games because of a dispute over the payment of premiums. 1961 finally succeeded Barcelona in the second round of the European Champions' Cup to end the five -year winning streak of Real Madrid in this competition. As a result, they reached the final against Benfica, which was held this year in the Bernese Wankdorf Stadium. Precisely in this stadium where Czibor and Kocsis 1954 had experienced with the lost World Cup final, the biggest disappointment of their football career. This time they brought the stadium no luck. Both Hungary achieved a goal, but the FC Barcelona lost the final with 2:3.

In 1963, Czibor the end of his career for two further years to local rivals Espanyol. In 1965 he ended his active career.

Successes as a player

Hungarian national team:

  • Olympic champion: 1952
  • Central European champion 1948-1953
  • Vice World Champion: 1954

Clubs

  • Ferencvaros Budapest Hungarian Champion: 1948/49,
  • Hungarian Champion: 1953 /54, 1954/55
Csepel SC Wembley Stadium (1923) Hungarian Revolution of 1956 S.L. Benfica
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