Béla Guttmann
Béla Guttmann (Hungarian: [ˈbeːlɒ ˈɡutmɒnn]; 27 January 1899 – 28 August 1981) was a Hungarian footballer and coach. He was born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, and was Jewish. He was deported by the Nazis to a Nazi slave labor camp where he was tortured; he survived the Holocaust.
|
Guttmann in 1953 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Béla Guttmann | ||
| Date of birth | 27 January 1899 | ||
| Place of birth |
Budapest, Austria-Hungary | ||
| Date of death | 28 August 1981 (aged 82) | ||
| Place of death | Vienna, Austria | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1917–1919 | Törekvés SE | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1919–1920 | Törekvés SE | 17 | (0) |
| 1921–1922 | MTK Hungária | 16 | (1) |
| 1922–1926 | Hakoah Wien | 96 | (8) |
| 1926 | Brooklyn Wanderers | ||
| 1926–1929 | New York Giants | 83 | (2) |
| 1929–1930 | New York Hakoah | 21 | (0) |
| 1930 | New York Soccer Club | 22 | (0) |
| 1931–1932 | Hakoah All-Stars | 50 | (0) |
| 1932–1933 | Hakoah Wien | 4 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1921–1924 | Hungary | 4 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1933–1935 | SC Hakoah Wien | ||
| 1935–1937 | Enschede | ||
| 1937–1938 | Hakoah Wien | ||
| 1938–1939 | Újpest | ||
| 1945 | Vasas | ||
| 1946 | Ciocanul București | ||
| 1947 | Újpest | ||
| 1947–1948 | Kispest | ||
| 1949–1950 | Padova | ||
| 1950–1951 | Triestina | ||
| 1953 | Quilmes | ||
| 1953 | APOEL | ||
| 1953–1955 | AC Milan | ||
| 1955–1956 | Vicenza | ||
| 1956–1957 | Honvéd | ||
| 1957–1958 | São Paulo | ||
| 1958–1959 | Porto | ||
| 1959–1962 | Benfica | ||
| 1962 | Peñarol | ||
| 1964 | Austria | ||
| 1965–1966 | Benfica | ||
| 1966–1967 | Servette | ||
| 1967 | Panathinaikos | ||
| 1973 | Austria Wien | ||
| 1973 | Porto | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Before the war, he played as a midfielder for MTK Hungária FC, SC Hakoah Wien, and several clubs in the United States. Guttmann also played for the Hungary national football team, including at the 1924 Olympic Games.
Guttmann coached in ten countries from 1933 to 1974, and won ten national championships and, most notably, two back-to-back European Cups with Benfica. He also coached the national teams of Hungary and Austria, having also coached club football in the Netherlands, Italy, Brazil, Uruguay, and Portugal. He is perhaps best remembered as a coach and manager after the war of A.C. Milan, São Paulo FC, FC Porto, Benfica, and C.A. Peñarol. His greatest success came with Benfica when he guided them to two successive European Cup wins, in 1961 and in 1962.
He pioneered the 4–2–4 formation along with Márton Bukovi and Gusztáv Sebes, forming a triumvirate of radical Hungarian coaches, and is also credited with mentoring Eusébio. However, throughout his career he was never far from controversy. Widely travelled, as both a player and coach, he rarely stayed at a club longer than two seasons, and was quoted as saying "the third season is fatal". He was sacked at Milan while they were top of Serie A, and he walked out on Benfica after they reportedly refused a request for a pay rise, allegedly leaving the club with a curse.