Hungarian football mourns Kálmán Mészöly

Mészöly made his top-flight debut for Vasas - his only senior club - against Salgótarján on 19th April 1960 and rapidly became a permanent fixture for club and country, winning the Hungarian league title in his first full season in 1961 (the first of four he'd win) and representing Hungary as they reached the last eight of the 1962 World Cup in Chile.

The 'Blonde Rock', as the powerful yet elegant central defender was known, repeated the latter feat at the 1966 World Cup in England, two years after helping his country to third place at the UEFA European Championship in Spain. He shone on the European stage with his club too, helping Vasas to three Central European Cup triumphs between 1965 and 1970.

Mészöly played on until 1974 before turning his hand to management, the culmination of which were three stints as head coach of the Hungarian national team between 1980 and 1995. The first of these tenures saw Hungary reach the 1982 World Cup in Spain where Mészöly oversaw the 10-1 demolition of El Salvador, still an all-time record World Cup victory. Later in his career, he would return to coach Vasas (whom he'd led before first taking the Hungary job) and spend time at Fenerbahçe, the Turkey national team, Altay Izmir, AEL Limassol of Cyprus and Saudi Arabia's al-Ittihad FC, by which point he's gained great joy in seeing his son Géza also become a top-flight professional footballer.

A host of personal awards followed during the period of his retirement and he became a familiar face at the Hungarian FA in a consultancy role. Kálmán Mészöly passed away on Monday 21st November after a long illness.