László Kubala
|
Kubala with Barcelona in 1953 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 June 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Budapest, Hungary | ||
| Date of death | 17 May 2002 (aged 74) | ||
| Place of death | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1939–1943 | Ganz-MÁVAG SE | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1944 | Ganz TE | 9 | (2) |
| 1945–1946 | Ferencváros | 49 | (27) |
| 1946–1948 | Slovan Bratislava | 33 | (14) |
| 1948–1949 | Vasas | 20 | (10) |
| 1949–1950 | Pro Patria | 16 | (9) |
| 1950 | Hungária | 6 | (5) |
| 1951–1961 | Barcelona | 186 | (131) |
| 1963 | Toronto City | 25 | (18) |
| 1963–1965 | Espanyol | 29 | (7) |
| 1966–1967 | Zürich | 12 | (7) |
| 1967 | Toronto Falcons | 19 | (5) |
| Total | 404 | (235) | |
| International career | |||
| 1946–1947 | Czechoslovakia | 6 | (4) |
| 1948 | Hungary | 3 | (0) |
| 1953–1961 | Spain | 19 | (11) |
| 1953–1965 | Europe XI | 2 | (3) |
| 1954–1963 | Catalonia | 4 | (4) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1961–1963 | Barcelona | ||
| 1963–1966 | Espanyol | ||
| 1966–1967 | Zürich | ||
| 1968 | Toronto Falcons | ||
| 1968–1969 | Córdoba | ||
| 1969–1980 | Spain | ||
| 1980 | Barcelona | ||
| 1982–1986 | Al-Hilal | ||
| 1986 | Murcia | ||
| 1987–1988 | Málaga | ||
| 1988–1989 | Elche | ||
| 1992 | Paraguay | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
László Kubala (10 June 1927 – 17 May 2002) was a Hungarian professional footballer. He played as a forward for Ferencváros, Slovan Bratislava, Barcelona, and Espanyol, among other clubs. Regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Kubala is considered a hero of Barcelona. A Hungarian national by birth, he also held Czechoslovak and Spanish citizenship, and played for the national teams of all three countries.
Kubala was noted for his quick and skilful dribbling, composed and powerful finishing, and accuracy from free kicks. During the 1950s, he was a leading member of the successful Barcelona team, scoring 280 goals in 345 appearances (including unofficial goals). During the club's 1999 centenary celebrations, a fan's poll declared Kubala the best player ever to play for the Spanish club. After retiring as a player, he had two spells as coach of Barcelona and also coached both Spain's senior national team and Spain national under-21 football team.