Playing in Hungary at a time when it was one of the dominant football forces, Jenő Dalnoki irregularly played for the Hungarian national team. The defender débuted with the national team in 1952, and played a preliminary match in the 1952 Olympic tournament that was won by the Hungarians. His next selection wasn’t for four years, and the only other final tournament Dalnoki played was the 1960 Olympics, where he played all matches and won a bronze medal. In club play, Dalnoki was a loyal player of Ferencvaros, playing for the Budapest team his entire pro career (1950-1966), winning the league title in 1963 and 1964, the cup in 1958, and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1965. Having turned to coaching, Dalnoki returned to Ferencvaros as the head coach in 1973, and won another league title in 1976, as well as three domestic cups (1974, 1976, 1978) and the European Cup Winner’s Cup (1975). He then became assistant coach with the Hungarian national team, also coaching the Hungarian U21 squad. Following his death in 2006, a young players’ academy bearing his name was established in Budapest.
Hungary