Ex-Hungary goalkeeper Árpád Fazekas born 90 years ago today

Árpád Fazekas was born on 23rd June 1930 near Szombathely and played locally until a move to Pécs aged 21 and then another to Budapest Dózsa (a previous name of Újpest FC) in 1953. Nearly years later, the goalkeeper was on the move again, this time to MTK - then known as Vörös Lobogó - where the 25-year-old won his first silverware, the 1955 Central-European Cup, after an 8-1 aggregate victory over ÚDA Praha, as well as a silver medal for 2nd place in the 1955 Hungarian league championship.

Vörös Lobogó were chosen to represent Hungary in the first ever UEFA European Champions Club Cup in 1956, so Fazekas could claim to be the first ever Hungarian goalkeeper in the competition after playing both legs of his club's victory over Belgian outfit RSC Anderlecht. By this time, Fazekas was an international, having played five times for Hungary the previous year against Switzerland, Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Sweden.

The Hungarian Uprising of 1956 meant the league season was voided late on and put paid to the hopes Fazekas had of becoming a national champion, MTK four points off leaders Honvéd with three games in hand. At this point, he took the decision to leave Hungary and eventually ended up in West Germany, where he signed for Bayern Munich, saving a penalty on his debut against Stuttgart Kickers in October 1957 and keeping goal as the Bavarian club won the West-German Cup later that same year, their first trophy since the 2nd World War.

Fazekas spent four seasons in Munich, making over 100 appearances before his last match - a friendly against Pelé's Santos - in 1961. A transfer to Hessen Kassel saw him win the Süd Oberliga in 1962 before another move broad, this time to Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht where the goalkeeper renewed acquaintances with former international teammate Ferenc Puskás, whose club Real Madrid visited in the 1962/63 European Cup. In a huge sensation, Anderlecht knocked out the five-time champions 4-3 on aggregate, Hungary's most famous footballer unable to score past Fazekas in either of the two legs.

Injuries started to take their toll on Fazekas, who retired in 1964. He remained very popular at all his former clubs and would be warmly received whenever he visited in later years. Indeed, Bayern legend Franz Beckenbauer stated that the goalkeeper was one of his childhood heroes and fans of Germany's most successful club voted him their fifth best goalkeeper of all time. Árpád Fazekas passed away in Budapest aged 88 on August 10th 2018.