Zoltán Varga (footballer, born 1945)

For other people with the same name, see Zoltán Varga (disambiguation).

The native form of this personal name is Varga Zoltán. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Zoltán Varga

Varga in 1973
Personal information
Date of birth	(1945-01-01)1 January 1945
Place of birth	Vál, Hungary
Date of death	9 April 2010(2010-04-09) (aged 65)
Place of death	Budapest, Hungary
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1959–1961	Ferencváros
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1961–1968	Ferencváros	135	(53)
1968–1969	Standard Liège	0	(0)
1969–1972	Hertha BSC	34	(9)
1972–1973	Aberdeen	26	(10)
1973–1974	Ajax	12	(2)
1974–1976	Borussia Dortmund	56	(11)
1976–1977	FC Augsburg	8	(1)
1977–1978	Gent	0	(0)
Total		271	(86)
International career
1964–1968	Hungary	12	(2)
Managerial career
1981	Preußen Münster
1996–1997	Ferencváros
1997	Budapest Honvéd
2000	Diósgyőr
2001	Győr
2003	Győr
Medal record Men's football Representing Hungary Olympic Games 1964 Tokyo Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Zoltán Varga (1 January 1945 – 9 April 2010) was a Hungarian footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He was an Olympic gold medalist at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He played for Ferencvárosi TC when they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1965, beating Juventus 1–0 in the final. He also played for Ajax Amsterdam.

He played in Germany for Borussia Dortmund and Hertha BSC, but was banned after he was caught taking bribes to lose matches.

During the period of his ban he played for Aberdeen F.C. in Scotland.

Club career

Career in Hungary

The Ferencváros his professional career. In the professional team played between 1961–1968, a period which is the club's history after World War II was one of the most successful. Varga made 135 career appearances, scoring 53 goals. The club became champion in 1962 and '63, 1964, 1967 and 1968 NB I-season as well.

In these years, Fradi, as one of Europe's best club teams, qualified for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup series called the International Festival of the major European Football Confederation tournament as well. Today's successor to the European leagues.

In 1962–63 seasons in the semi-finals in a row Varga, and two years later, 1964–65 they won it. Success is not interrupted in 1967, 68 in the runner. Since the Mexican Olympic Games, Varga left the country, so successfully ended the era of Ferencváros.

Career in Europe

Between 1969 and 1972, the German Hertha BSC scored nine in 34 games, 26 games for Aberdeen in Scotland (where he is still considered by many to be the finest foreign import ever to play for the club) scored ten of the Netherlands Ajax 12 games scored two goals, the German side Borussia Dortmund 51 games scored 10. Last was a team player in the Belgian Gent.

International career

Between 1964 and 1968 he had been included in the Hungarian national team 12 times and scored 2 goals. In 1964, Spain's European Championship team bronze medal for the author made his debut as a member of the team. In 1966 he participated in the World Cup in England, but could not play due to an earlier injury.

He received a gold medal as member of Hungary's Olympic Team in the Tokyo Olympic Games, in 1964. During the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City he had left the Hungarian Team Camp before the matches and did not return to Hungary.

Death

On 9 April 2010, Varga was playing in an old-boys football match at Danuvia when he was taken ill. He collapsed and, despite efforts by teammates and emergency responders to resusciate him, died at the age of 65.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Ferencvárosi	1961-62	Nemzeti Bajnokság I	2	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2+	0+
	1962-63		11	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	11+	4+
	1963		4	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4+	0+
	1964		25	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	25+	7+
	1965		22	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	22+	6+
	1966		21	9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	21+	9+
	1967		30	15	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	30+	15+
	1968		20	12	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	20+	12+
	Total		135	53	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	135+	53+
Hertha BSC	1969-70	Bundesliga	0	0	0	0	-	-	0	0	-	-	0	0
	1970-71		22	5	1	0	-	-	1	0	-	-	24	5
	1971-72		12	4	0	0	-	-	4	1	-	-	16	5
	Total		34	9	1	0	-	-	5	1	-	-	40	10
Aberdeen	1972-73	Scottish Division One	26	10	3	0	2	0	0	0	-	-	31	10
	Total		26	10	3	0	2	0	0	0	-	-	31	10
Ajax	1973-74	Eredivisie	12	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	13	2
	1974-75		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	0	0
	Total		12	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	13	2
Borussia Dortmund	1974-75	2. Bundesliga	30	5	5	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	35	6
	1975-76		26	6	2	0	-	-	-	-	1	0	29	6
	Total		56	11	7	1	-	-	-	-	1	0	64	12
FC Augsburg	1976-77	Süd	8	1	2	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	1
	Total		8	1	2	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	1
Career total			271	86	14	1+	2+	0+	5+	0+	1	0	293+	88+

External links

• Zoltán Varga – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Zoltán Varga at National-Football-Teams.com
• Zoltán Varga at fussballdaten.de (in German)
• Zoltán Varga at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
• Zoltan Varga at Olympics.com