Budapest Honvéd Football Club (Hungarian pronunciation:[ˈbudɒpɛʃtˈhonveːdˈɛft͡seː]), commonly known as Budapest Honvéd or simply Honvéd, is a Hungariansports club based in Kispest, Budapest, with the colours of red and black. The club is best known for its football team. Honvéd means the Homeland Defence. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, the club enjoyed another successful period, winning a further eight Hungarian League titles. They also won league and cup doubles in 1985 and 1989. In 1991, the club was renamed Kispest Honvéd FC and adopted its current name in 2003.[1]
When the club was originally formed in 1909, it also organised teams that competed in fencing, cycling, gymnastics, wrestling, athletics, boxing, and tennis. Later, the Honvéd family was extended to include a water polo team, now known as Groupama Honvéd, a 33-times basketball-champion team and a handball team that were European Champions in 1982.
Budapest Honvéd FC were founded in 1909 as Kispesti AC.[2] At domestic level they first entered the Nemzeti Bajnokság I in the 1916–17 season. Their first success came in the 1926 Magyar Kupa season when they beat Budapesti EAC in the final. The club played in the first division since 1916, when the club got relegated to the second division in 2003. [3]
Budapest Honvéd's first stadium was opened in 1913. On 5 August 2018, the last match was played at the stadium. The match was won by Honvéd against Paksi FC on the 3rd match day of the 2018–19 Nemzeti Bajnokság I. The only goal was scored by Danilo in the 48th minute. The referee was Viktor Kassai.[4] The stadium was demolished in 2019.[citation needed]
Had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries.
Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Budapest Honvéd FC.
In 2022, Chris Docherty was appointed as the new sport director of the club.[10][11][12][13]
Chris Docherty said in an interview that the club cannot sign any new players for financial problems in the middle of the 2022-23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.[14]
On 22 May 2023, Chris Docherty resigned as sports director.[15][16] In an article published by Nemzeti Sport, George F. Hemingway, former owner of the club, heavily criticized the management of the club for their relegation to the Nemzeti Bajnokság II after finishing 11th in the 2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.[17] Hemingway said that the solid financial background is not enough if there is no expertise.
On 27 April 2024, it was revealed that a Tamás Lisztinger-led business showed interest in purchasing the club.[18]
Owners
2006–2019: Quinex America LLC (George F. Hemingway)
^Magyar, PUSKAS COM :: The official website of the Magical. "110 YEARS OF KISPEST AC :: Topical". PUSKAS.COM. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.