On 3 May 1899, Ferencvárosi TC was founded by citizens of the ninth district of Budapest.[1] Ferenc Springer, a lawyer from the same district, was nominated as the first chairman of the club. The club's budget was raised by a ball held in order to celebrate the establishment of the club. The club's first pitch was built on Soroksári avenue in the ninth district.
On 3 December 1900, the football department of Ferencváros was officially founded.[2] Two months later, in February, the first match of the Hungarian League was played between Ferencváros and Budapesti TC. Since the match was not announced to the Hungarian Football Federation, it is not considered as the club's first official match.
On 21 April 1900, the team played their first official match against Műegyetemi AFC and Ferencváros lost their first match 5–3. The first goal for the club was scored by Gáspár Borbás.[3] The first point in the championship was gained against Műegyetemi AFC with a draw. The first victory came on 16 June 1901, when Ferencváros beat Budapesti SC 5–1.[4]
In 1902 Ferencváros suffered the heaviest defeat in their history when they were beaten by 16–0 by Oxford United.[5]
Ferencváros played their first match in an international competition against Budapesti TC in the 1901–02 Challenge Cup on 27 April 1902. Ferencváros lost to 5–1 against their home rival in the Hungarian Final of the Challenge Cup.[6]
Ferencváros entered the 1902–03 Challenge Cup and won the Hungarian Final against 33 FC 1–0. In the semi-finals, Ferencváros played their first official international match against Wiener Athletiksport Club and lost to 5–1 on 3 May 1903.[7]
The 1903 season of the Hungarian League was won by Ferencváros.[8] Two years later in 1905, Ferencváros became Hungarian champions for the second time.[9]
Ferencváros participated in the 1908–09 Challenge Cup. On 10 April 1909, Ferencváros beat VfB Leipzig 4–1. On 11 April 1909, Ferencváros drew with Budapesti TC and on 12 April 1909 Ferencváros beat MTK Budapest 2–1. As a consequence, Ferencváros finished first in the main tournament and qualified for the final of the 1908–09 Challenge Cup. On 13 June 1909, Ferencváros beat Wiener Sport-Club 2–1 at the Hohe Warte Stadium.[11]
On 12 February 1911, the club's current stadium was inaugurated. The first goal in the new stadium was scored by Imre Schlosser.
In 1911 December Ferencváros went on a European tour. On 24 December 1911, the first match was won by Ferencváros 5–3 against Viktoria Hamburg in Hamburg, Kingdom of Prussia. On 25 December 1911, Ferencváros beat Bremen SC 5–0 and on 30 December 1911 Ferencváros beat Hertha BSC 4–2 in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia. On 1 January 1912, Ferencváros beat BFC Preussen 7–2 in Berlin. On 8 January 1912, won for the first time in England by beating Woking 3–2 in London, The United Kingdom. On 10 January 1929, Ferencváros lost their last match 4–1 against English Wanderers in London, The United Kingdom.[18]
In 1914 the First World War broke out which affected Ferencváros since many of the club's players were enlisted and many of them have never returned. The Hungarian Football Federation did not organise any competitions between the 1913–14[19] and the 1916–17 seasons.[20]
Ferencváros entered the Mitropa Cup 1928 and won the first tie against BSK Beograd 7–0 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia on 19 August. The return match was won by Ferencváros 6–1 on 26 August. In the semi-finals, Ferencváros beat SK Admira Wien 2–1 at the Hohe Warte Stadium on 9 September 1928. The second tie was also won by Ferencváros 1–0 at the Üllői úti Stadion. In the final Ferencváros beat Rapid Wien 7–1 at the Üllői úti Stadion on 28 October 1928. The return match was won by SK Rapid Wien by 5–3 on 11 November 1928.[25][26]
Ferencváros entered the Mitropa Cup 1930 and drew (2–2) with Slavia Prague in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The home match was won by Ferencváros by 1–0 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Ferencváros lost the away match 5–0 against Rapid Wien. The home match was won by 1–0 by Ferencváros but Rapid Wien qualified for the finals on 5–1 aggregate.[30]
In the 1931–32 season of the Hungarian League, Ferencváros won all 22 matches, which is still a record in the Hungarian League and during this season the team scored their 400th goal in the championship.[35][36]
Ferencváros entered the Mitropa Cup 1932 season and lost 4–0 to Juventus in Turin, Italy. The home match was a 3–3 draw which resulted the elimination of the club from the Mitropa Cup 1932.[37]
According to the French magazine, L'Auto, Ferencváros was the seventh best team in Europe in 1933.
Ferencváros played in the Mitropa Cup 1934 season. In the first round Ferencváros beat Floridsdorfer AC 8–0 at home and 2–1 away. In the quarter-finals Ferencváros beat SK Kladno 6–0 at home and lost to 4–1 away. In the semi-finals Ferencváros drew (1–1) with AC Bologna and lost the away match 5–1 which resulted the farewell for the club from the Mitropa Cup 1934.[38]
Ferencváros participated in the Mitropa Cup 1935 season. Ferencváros played their first match of the season against Roma in Rome, Italy in the first round. The first leg of the tie was won by Roma by 3–1, but the second leg was won by Ferencváros 8–0. In the quarter-finals Ferencváros lost 4–2 to SK Židenice in Brno, Czechoslovakia, but the second leg was won by Ferencváros 6–1. In the semi-finals Ferencváros beat Austria Wien 4–2 and lost the away match 3–2. In the final Ferencváros beat Sparta Prague 2–1 at home on 8 September, but lost to 3–0 in Prague, Czechoslovakia.[39]
Ferencváros participated in the Mitropa Cup 1936 season. Ferencváros entered the first round and won the first tie 5–2 against Slavia Prague, but the away match was lost to 4–0. Therefore, Ferencváros was eliminated from the Mitropa Cup 1936.[40]
In 1937 Ferencváros participated in the Mitropa Cup. In the first round Ferencváros played in Prague, Czechoslovakia and drew (2–2) with Slavia Prague. At home Ferencváros beat Slavia Prague 3–1 and qualified for the next round. In the quarter-finals Ferencváros hosted First Vienna FC and beat them 2–1, while the away match was lost to 1–0. The tie was decided on a play-off which was won by Ferencváros 2–1. In the semi-finals Ferencváros lost to Austria Wien 4–1 in Wien, Austria while won the home match was won by Ferencváros 6–1 and qualified for the finals. In the final of the Mitrop Cup 1937, Ferencváros beat Lazio 4–2 at home on 12 September and 5–4 in Rome, Italy on 24 October.[41]
1940s
In the 1940s, Ferencváros celebrated two Hungarian League titles in 1941[42] and in 1949.[43] In the 1940–41 season the team scored more than one hundred goals. In the 1940s, Ferencváros were the first team to fly to the United States. On 31 October 1948, Ferencváros played their 1000th match in the Hungarian National Championship I. In the 1948–49 season, the team celebrated their 50th anniversary with a gold medal. During this season the team scored 140 goals in 30 matches (Ferenc Deák scored 59 goals). The team won the Hungarian Cup three times in 1942, 1943, and 1944.
Ferencváros entered the 1962–63 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup season. In the first round Ferencváros lost 4–3 the first leg to Viktoria Köln, in Köln, Germany, while the second leg was won by Ferencváros 4–1. In the second round, on 1 December 1962 Ferencváros lost 1–0 to Sampdoria in Genoa, Italy. On 12 December 1962 Ferencváros beat Sampdoria 6–0 at home. In the quarter-finals Ferencváros beat Petrolul Ploiești 2–0 at home, while lost the away match 1–0 in Ploiești, Romania. In the semi-finals, Ferencváros lost to NK Dinamo Zagreb 1–0 at home and Ferencváros lost the away match 2–1 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia.[47]
Ferencváros entered the 1964–65 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Ferencváros beat Spartak Brno 2–0 at home and lost to 1–0 away. In the second round Ferencváros lost 1–0 to Wiener Sport-Club in Wien, Austria, but won their home match 2–1. In the play-off match Ferencváros won 2–0 in Budapest and qualified for the next round. In the third round Ferencváros beat Roma 2–1 at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy. The home match was also won by Ferencváros by beating AS Roma 1–0. In the quarter-finals Ferencváros beat Athletic Bilbao 1–0 at home. However, Ferencváros lost 2–1 to Athletic in Bilbao, Spain. The play-off match was won by Ferencváros 3–0 in Budapest.[51] In the semi-finals Ferencváros lost 3–2 to Manchester United at the Old Trafford, Manchester, England. The home match was won by Ferencváros 1–0. The play-off match was also won by Ferencváros by 2–1 in Budapest. The 1965 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final was played on 23 June 1965 in Turin at the Stadio Comunale di Torino in front of the home crowd of Juventus, 40,000 spectators. The only goal of the match was scored in the 74th minute by Máté Fenyvesi and Ferencváros won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[52][53]
Flórián Albert was named European Footballer of the Year in 1967. He is the most successful Ferencváros since the formation of the club, scoring 255 goals in 351 matches from 1958 to 1974.
In the 1967–68 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Ferencváros lost 3–1 to FC Argeș in Pitești, Romania. However, Ferencváros won their home match by 4–0 and advanced to the next round. In the second round Ferencváros lost 2–1 to Real Zaragoza in Zaragoza, Spain. At home Ferencváros won the tie 3–0. In the third round Ferencváros beat Liverpool 1–0 at home, and repeated the same scoreline at Anfield in England. In the quarter-finals Ferencváros beat Athletic Bilbao 2–1 at home and again achieved the same result away to qualify for the next round on 4–2 aggregate.[62] In the semi-finals Ferencváros beat Bologna 3–2 at home and drew (2–2) in Bologna, Italy. In the first leg of the final, Ferencváros lost 1–0 to Leeds United at Elland Road, and drew 0–0 in the second match at the Népstadion in front of 76,000 spectators, which meant that Ferencváros failed to claim their second Inter-Cities Fairs Cup title.[63][64]
Ferencváros entered the 1969–70 European Cup season. In the first round Ferencváros lost 2–1 to CSKA Sofia in Sofia, Bulgaria on 17 September 1969.[68] The home match was won by Ferencváros 4–1 on 1 October 1969.[69] In the second round Ferencváros lost 3–0 to Leeds United at Elland Road in Leeds, England on 12 November 1969.[70] At home Ferencváros were also beaten 3–0 on 26 November 1969 which resulted the farewell of the club from the European Cup.[71]
Ferencváros entered the 1972–73 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup season. In the first round, Ferencváros lost Floriana 0–1,[83] in Malta. On the return match Ferencváros won 6–0 and qualified for the next round.[84] In the second round Ferencváros beat Sparta Prague 2–0 at home,[85] but Ferencváros lost 4–1 on the return match and were eliminated from the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.[86]
Ferencváros entered the 1973–74 UEFA Cup. On 19 September 1973, Ferencváros lost 1–0 to Gwardia Warszawa at home.[87] On 3 October 1973, Ferencváros were beaten 2–1 in Warsaw, Poland.[88]
Ferencváros participated in the 1974–75 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup season. In the first round, Ferencváros beat Cardiff City 2–0 at home.[89] The return match was won by Ferencváros 4–1 in Cardiff, Wales.[90] In the second round, Ferencváros drew (1–1) with Liverpool at Anfield, in Liverpool, England.[91] On the return match, the result was a goalless draw which resulted the qualification of Ferencváros for the next round.[92] In the quarter-finals, Ferencváros beat Malmö FF 3–1 in Malmö, Sweden.[93] On the return match, Ferencváros drew with Malmö (1–1).[94] In the semi-finals, Ferencváros beat Red Star Belgrade 2–1 at home.[95] On the return match Ferencváros drew with Red Star Belgrade (2–2) in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.[96] In the final Ferencváros lost 3–0 to Dynamo Kyiv.[97]
Ferencváros won the 1975–76 season of the Hungarian League.[98] Therefore, Ferencváros could enter the 1976–77 European Cup. Ferencváros beat Jeunesse Esch 5–1 at home on 15 September 1976.[99] On 29 September 1976, Ferencváros also won the return match by 6–2.[100] In the second round, Ferencváros beat Dynamo Dresden 1–0 at home on 20 October 1976.[101] However, on 3 November 1976, Ferencváros were beaten by Dresden 4–0 in Dresden, East Germany which resulted the farewell for the club.[102]
Ferencváros entered the 1977–78 UEFA Cup. On 17 September 1977, Ferencváros were beaten 3–0 by Marek Dupnitsa at the Bonchuk Stadium in Dupnitsa, Bulgaria.[103] On the return match, on 28 September 1977, Ferencváros won 2–0 but failed to qualify for the next round.[104]
Ferencváros entered the 1978–79 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup season. In the first round Ferencváros beat Kalmar FF 2–0 at home.[105] On the return match, Ferencváros drew with Kalmar (2–2) and qualified for the next round.[106] In the second round, Ferencváros lost the first leg of the tie against 1. FC Magdeburg by 1–0 in Magdeburg, East Germany.[107] At home, Ferencváros won 2–1 but the East German team won on away goals.[108]
Ferencváros participated in the 1979–80 UEFA Cup. On 18 September 1979, Ferencváros were beaten 3–0 by Lokomotiv Sofia at the Lokomotiv Stadium, in Sofia, Bulgaria.[109] On 3 October 1979, Ferencváros won 2–0 but they were unable to qualify for the next round.[110]
On 17 March 1974, the legendary and iconic Flórián Albert played his last match and said adieu with a goal.
Ferencváros entered the 1982–83 UEFA Cup. In the first round, Ferencváros beat Athletic Bilbao 2–1 at home.[114] On the return match Ferencváros drew (1–1) with Athletic in Bilbao, Spain.[115][116] In the second round, Ferencváros drew with FC Zürich (1–1) at home.[117] On the return match, Ferencváros lost to 1–0 in Zürich, Switzerland and they were eliminated from the UEFA Cup.[118]
Ferencváros participated in the 1983–84 UEFA Cup. On 14 September, Ferencváros lost 4–2 to PSV Eindhoven in Eindhoven, Netherlands.[119] On 28 September 1983, Ferencváros were beaten 2–0 at home by PSV Eindhoven and were eliminated from the UEFA Cup.[120]
Ferencváros entered the 1989–90 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup season. In the first round, Ferencváros beat Haka 5–1 at home.[121] On the return match, the final result was a 1–1 draw.[122] In the second round, Ferencváros lost 1–0 to VfB Admira Wacker Mödling in Mödling, Austria.[123] At home Ferencváros were also beaten by Admira Wacker 1–0.[124]
Ferencváros won the 1993–94 Magyar Kupa, qualifying the club for the 1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. In the preliminary round, Ferencváros defeated F91 Dudelange 6–1 at home,[132] while in the return match, Ferencváros scored another six goals to again win 6–1 in Dudelange, Luxembourg.[133] In the first round, Ferencváros lost 2–1 to CSKA Moscow in Moscow,[134] and at home, Ferencváros defeated CSKA 2–1, then won the ensuing penalty shoot-out 7–6.[135] In the second round, Ferencváros lost 6–0 to Porto away at Porto.[136] However, the return match was won by Ferencváros 2–0 at home.[137]
Ferencváros won the 1994–95 season of the Hungarian League. Therefore, Ferencváros were eligible for entering the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League. On 9 August 1995, Ferencváros defeated Anderlecht 1–0 in Brussels in the qualifying round.[138] In the return match, on 23 August, Ferencváros drew 1–1 which resulted in qualification to the tournament group stage.[139] On 13 September 1995, Ferencváros defeated Grasshopper 3–0 in Stadion Hardturm, Zürich. On the second matchday, Ferencváros were beaten by Ajax 5–1 at home. On 18 October, Ferencváros were beaten 6–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium by Real Madrid. On 1 November, Ferencváros drew with Real Madrid at home. On the fifth matchday, Ferencváros drew with Grasshopper 3–3 at home. On the final matchday, Ferencváros were beaten 4–0 at the Olympisch Stadion by Ajax in Amsterdam.[140]
Ferencváros entered the 1996–97 UEFA Cup. Ferencváros beat Olympiacos 3–1 at home in the first round on 10 September 1996[143] Ferencváros beat Olympiacos 3–0 in Pireus, Greece on 24 September 1996.[144] On 15 October 1996, Ferencváros beat Newcastle United 3–2 at home,[145] but on the return match Newcastle beat Ferencváros 4–0 at the St James' Park on 29 October 1996.[146]
Ferencváros entered the 1997–98 UEFA Cup. In the first qualifying round, Ferencváros beat Bohemian 1–0 in Dublin, Ireland.[147] On the return match, Ferencváros won 5–0 on 29 July 1997.[148] In the second qualifying round, Ferencváros beat Helsingborgs IF 1–0 in Helsingborg, Sweden on 12 August 1997.[149] On the return match Ferencváros lost 1–0 to Helsingborg, but won on penalty shoot-out 4–3.[150] In the first round, Ferencváros lost 3–0 to OFI Crete in Iraklion, Greece.[151] On the return match, Ferencváros won 2–1 but they were unable to qualify for the next round.[152]
Ferencváros participated in the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. Ferencváros beat CE Principat 6–0 at home on 22 July 1998.[153] On the return match, Ferencváros won 8–1 at the DEVK-Arena in Andorra la Vella, Andorra.[154] In the second qualifying round, Ferencváros beat AEK Athens 4–2 at home.[155] However, on 25 August 1998 Ferencváros were beaten 4–0 in Athens, Greece.[156]
Ferencváros entered the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup. In the qualifying round, Ferencváros beat FC Tiraspol 3–1 at home.[157] On 26 August 1999, Ferencváros drew with Tiraspol (1–1) in Chișinău, Moldavia.[158] In the first round, Ferencváros lost 3–1 to FK Teplice in Teplice, Czech Republic.[159] On the return match, Ferencváros drew (1–1) with Teplice at home on 30 September 1999.[160]
On 16 November 2004, Ferencváros launched a wide-ranging anti-racism campaign in order to eliminate intolerance and discrimination in football. Four club players, including half Nigerian/half Hungarian Sowunmi and half Brazilian/half-Hungarian Leandro, Lipcsei, Rósa and head coach, Csaba László, featured on a campaign poster carrying the slogan Silence Racism. The club asked their supporters to show the poster in the second minute of the 2004-05 UEFA Cup group stage match against Feyenoord on 4 November 2004. After the match, Feyenoord coach Gullit said: "it was a great idea by Ferencváros".[180]
In the 2005–06 season Ferencváros finished sixth in the Hungarian League. However, in July 2006, the club was relegated from the Hungarian League to the Hungarian League 2 as a punishment for continued financial difficulties. The club challenged the legality of this move in court. Ferencváros won the case as the verdict declared that the move of the Hungarian Football Federation was against the law. An out-of-court agreement between the club and the Hungarian Football Federation was reached.
In the season 2006–07 of the Hungarian League 2, Nyiregyhaza Spartacus beat Ferencváros to promotion in a tight contest, ensuring that Ferencváros stayed in the second division. Despite investments in players, including former Ferencváros stars, the season 2007–08 brought further trouble. This time Kecskemét and Szolnok both outran Ferencváros in the Eastern Group of the Hungarian League 2 title race. In 2009 Craig Short was nominated as the new manager of the club.[186][187] In the 2008–09 season, however, Ferencváros finally secured its return to the Hungarian League on 22 May 2009.
In the 2014–15 season of the Hungarian League Ferencváros finished second and qualified for the first qualifying round of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League season.
Ferencváros won their 30th Nemzeti Bajnokság I title by winning the 2018–19 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season. Therefore, they were eligible to enter the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League qualifiers. In the first round of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League qualifiers Ferencváros beat PFC Ludogorets Razgrad 2–1 at the Groupama Arena on 10 July 2019.[204] In the second leg, Ferencváros also could beat the Bulgarian champions by 3–2 at the Ludogorets Arena on 17 July 2019.
In the first round of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League Ferencváros beat 2–0, both goals scored by South SudaneseTokmac Nguen, 2019 Allsvenskan-winner Djurgårdens IF Fotboll at Groupama Aréna on 19 August 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only one leg was played. Ferencvaros then humbled Celtic by winning 2–1 away from home.[206] They went on to beat Molde 3–3 on away goals to advance to their first UEFA Champions League since 1995–96.[207][208] In the group stage Ferencváros was drawn into Group G along with FC Barcelona, Juventus FC and Dynamo Kyiv. On 20 October 2020, Barcelona hosted Ferencváros and the Catalan giant beat the Hungarian team 5-1.[209] The only Hungarian goal was scored by Ihor Kharatin in the 70th minute at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. There was no attendance due to the restrictions of the pandemic. On 28 October 2020, Ferencváros hosted Dynamo Kyiv at the Groupama Arena.[210] The referee of the match was Ivan Kružliak and the match ended with a 2-2 draw. Tokmac Nguen and Franck Boli scored the two Hungarian goals. The attendance was 6,171 due to the restrictions. On 4 November 2020 Ferencváros hosted Juventus FC at the newly-built Puskás Aréna.[211] The match ended with a 4-1 victory for the Italian club. The only Hungarian goal was scored by Franck Boli. On 24 November 2020, Ferencváros was hosted by Juventus FC at the Juventus Stadium.[212] The match ended with a 2-1 victory for the Italian club. The winning goal came in the 90+2nd minute by Álvaro Morata. The only Hungarian goal was scored by Myrto Uzuni. On 2 December 2020, Ferencváros hosted F.C. Barcelona at the Puskás Aréna.[213] The match ended with a 3-0 victory for the Catalan club. The referee of the match was Aleksei Kulbakov from the Belarus. On 8 December 2020, Dynamo Kyiv hosted Ferencváros at the Olympiyskiy National Sports Complex in Kyiv.[214] The match ended with a 1-0 defeat for the Hungarian club which meant their farewell from the European cups.
On 5 May 2023, Ferencváros won the 2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season, after Kecskemét lost 1–0 to Honvéd at the Bozsik Aréna.[247] After winning the season, Pál Orosz said that it is quite unusual for a club to win the championship title for five consecutive seasons.[248]
Although Ferencváros played really well with their interim manager, Csaba Máté, former Inter Milan player, Dejan Stanković was appointed as the head coach on 4 September 2023.[256]
The first group match was won by Ferencváros against FK Čukarički on 21 September 2023 at the Groupama Aréna.[257] On 5 October 2023, Ferencváros drew (2–2) with ACF Fiorentina.[258] Ferencváros were leading 2–0, and the Italian club could score the equalizer only in the added time at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy. The third group match was played against K.R.C. Genk at the Cegeka Arena in Genk, Belgium on 26 October 2023. The match ended with a goalleas draw.[259] On 9 November 2023, Ferencváros drew with K.R.C. Genk (1–1) at the Groupama Aréna.[260] On 30 November 2023, Ferencváros beat FK Čukarički at the Dubočica Stadium. Ferrncváros could win the match by a late goal by Aleksandar Pešić.[261] Ferencváros needed one point against Fiorentina to advance to the knockout stage.On 14 December 2023, Ferencváros drew with Fiorentina at the Groupama Aréna (1–1). The only Hungarian goal was scored by Kristoffer Zachariassen.[262]
On 20 April 2024, the Ferencváros–Kisvárda tie ended with a goalless draw at the Groupama Aréna on the 29th match day of the 2023–24 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season[267] which meant that Ferencváros won their 35th championship.[268][269]