Dezső Novák

Defender Dezső Novák started his football career in 1955 with Szombathelyi Postás and from 1956-61 played with Szombathelyi Haladás. In 1961, Novák transferred to Ferencvárosi TC and played there until the end of his career in 1972. Novák played 251 games with Ferencvárosi TC and scored 57 goals. He won Hungarian titles in 1963, 1964, 1967 and 1968, the Hungarian Cup in 1972, and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (predecessor of UEFA Cup) in 1965, while placing second in 1968. Internationally Novák was capped nine times with the Hungarian national team between 1959-68 and scored three goals. He was a member of the Hungarian 1964 European Championship team that reached the semi-finals and, along with his teammate Ferenc Bene and Spaniard Chus Pereda, was the top scorer of the 1964 European Championships and was named to the All-Star team.

Novák also competed at three Olympic tournaments and played a total of 13 matches during three Olympic Games, winning golds in 1964 and 1968 and bronze in 1960. He missed only three matches available to him at those tournaments – the preliminary round match against France and the bronze medal match against Italy at the 1960 Olympics and the preliminary round match against Ghana at the 1968 Olympics. He also played another six pre-Olympic qualifying matches with the Hungarian Olympic team.

After finishing his sporting career, Novák worked as a football coach. He was the head coach of Ferencvárosi TC in1972-76, 1980-83 and 1994-96, Dunaújvárosi Kohász from 1976-80, Bajai SK from 1984-85, Volán SC from 1985-86, the Hungarian Olympic team in 1986-87 and 1990-92, Szombathelyi Haladás from 1987-88, FC Deutschkreutz in Austria from 1989-94 and Al-Ittihad FC in Saudi Arabia in 1997.