2ND Hungary bids farewell to legendary footballer Puskas By Michael Logan

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dpa German Press Agency
Published: Saturday December 9, 2006

By Michael Logan, Budapest- International football personalities joined Hungarians and politicians Saturday to bid an emotional farewell to Ferenc Puskas, the nation's greatest ever footballer. Puskas, who died on November 17 aged 79 following a long illness, shone for Hungary's "Golden Team" and Real Madrid in the 1950s and 1960s and is considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Hungary's prime minister had made the day one of official mourning, and the flag outside parliament flew at half-mast all day.

While the crowd at a public memorial in the national stadium was smaller than expected, causing anger among some mourners, those that did attend showed their love for the great man.

As many as 10,000 people stood in silence, them holding candles in the dimming early-evening light, and a lone bell tolled as the coffin was brought into the stadium that "Little Brother," as he was affectionately known in Hungary, graced as a player.

The coffin, draped in the red, white and green Hungarian flag, sat on a massive plinth in the centre circle flanked by flaming torches as people paid tribute to "the most famous Hungarian."

"He leaves an unforgettable memory in us," said Ramon Calderon, the president of Real Madrid. "Thank you Hungary for giving birth to this football genie and for sharing him with us."

Angel Maria Villar Llona, president of the Spanish football federation and third vice president of UEFA, said that the whole of the European football family felt huge sadness at the loss and that Puskas would remain "one of the 20th century's heroes."

Among mourners were German football icon Franz Beckenbauer, former International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch and Joseph S. Blatter, President of FIFA.

In between the tributes, huge screens showed footage of Puskas in his prime, dazzling defenders with the magical left foot that wreaked so much havoc down the years.

The screens showed Puskas score what many consider to be the perfect goal, when he bamboozled England captain Billy Wright with a drag back and powerful shot in Hungary's 6-3 victory over England in 1953.

Not content with becoming the first team from outside the United Kingdom to win at Wembley, Puskas and his cohorts rubbed more salt into the wounds by beating England 7-1 in Hungary.

Puskas was a key figure in the Golden Team, which went 32 games unbeaten, winning an Olympic gold.

However, the team lost the 1954 World Cup final 3-2 to West Germany as Puskas struggled with injury.

Puskas, whose portly build made him an unlikely sporting figure, scored 83 goals in 84 games for Hungary between 1945 and 1956.

Perhaps the most moving tribute of the evening came from Jeno Buzanszky, one of only two surviving members of the Golden Team.

"One star fewer shines on earth, but one more now shines in the sky," he said. "When we look up to the sky now, we will find the brightest of all - yours."

After the public ceremony, Puskas' coffin was taken from the stadium named after him on a horse-drawn carriage, and transported through town to Heroes' Square, where the former Major received a military funeral service.

His body was then carried slowly down one of Budapest's major avenues with a large crowd in tow to Saint Stephen's Basilica, where it had lain in state since Thursday.

Hungary's President Laszlo Solyom paid tribute to Puskas at the mass, calling him "a great man who brought joy to people."

Bishop Laszlo Rigo Kiss, conducting the mass, used many football analogies and said that Puskas had been "called off the pitch by the supreme manager."

After the mass, Puskas was laid to rest in the Basilica's crypt in a private ceremony open only to family members and friends.

Although Puskas, who was born in the working class Budapest district of Kispest, has finally been laid to rest in his homeland, for many years it looked as though he could never come home.

He became an exile after the 1956 Uprising in Hungary, which the Soviets crushed with brutal force, and ended up playing for Real Madrid. The communist government vilified him in his absence, and he only settled back in Hungary when communism fell in the 1990s.

Despite fears that he was too old and too fat, his magical left foot worked wonders in Spain and he formed a fearsome partnership with Alfredo Di Stefano at Real.

He scored 512 goals for Real in total and notched four as Real crushed Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the 1960 European Cup final, upstaging Di Stefano's hat-trick.

"Puskas and Di Stefano were the best double act I have ever seen," said Blatter. "Puskas has given us so much. We should celebrate this."

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency