Mezey recognised with Lifetime Achievement Award

"Winning is only possible for those who can also accept defeat", Mezey said during his acceptance speech after receiving his award from MLSZ General Secretary Márton Vági and 70-time-capped international striker and current MLSZ Executive Committee member Tibor Nyilasi.

György Mezey was born on 7th September 1941 in Topolya, formerly southern Hungary but now part of Yugoslavia. As a footballer, he played for second-tier Budafok and Budapest Spartacus as well as for MTK for one year, where the coaches included Nándor Hidegkuti and Ferenc Kovács. In 1971, Mezey started his coaching career in BVSC's youth department where one of his players was a young András Töröcsik, later to become an Újpest Dózsa and Hungary legend. Five years later, he moved on to MTK and in his first season took the club to 3rd position, their highest finish since 1963.

Lajos Baróti took Mezey to the 1978 FIFA World Cup as an observer and analyst and four years later Kálmán Mészöly made Mezey his assistant manager at the next edition of the tournament in Spain. The natural progression to becoming Hungary's national-team head coach came in 1983 and it was at this juncture that he achieved his greatest feats, leading the team to wins over West Germany in Hamburg and Brazil in the Népstadion. Indeed the seminal English publication 'World Soccer' voted Mezey their Coach of the Year for 1985, the only Hungarian to ever win this prize.

Mezey led Hungary to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico but left the position after a difficult tournament, later winning league titles in Hungary twice and in Kuwait as his career took in a number of new adventures at home and abroad. Later, he helped found and lead Hungary's coaching education programme alongside his technical work at FIFA and UEFA, particularly at major tournaments. The 78-year-old also holds a university doctorate and is a freeman of the city of Székesfehérvár.