György Szepesi - turns 90 years old
February 2012
Congratulations to György Szepesi on behalf of all the Maccabi TO's and the leadership and all the members of Maccabi VAC Hungary, on his 90th birthday.
György Szepesi, was born in Budapest as György Friedlander on February 5, 1922 and started to play football on the grounds of the city. As a child he wanted to be a football player but he wasn’t good enough. He had some very talented coevals, who became very famous sportsmen. He also played basketball in the Maccabi VAC.
Szepesi made forced - labour service in 1944 in Ukraine and Eastern Hungary; his father died in the concentration camp of Buchenwald.
Szepesi always loved sports and decided that he was going to support the Hungarian sport from behind the microphone. In 1945, he started working at the sports department of the Hungarian Radio and became one of the best known sport reporters and reported on every important sporting event. He had legendary broadcasts, which were listened to by millions. Szepesi had a special, individual style; he was always enthusiastic and soulful.
In 1963, he was the broadcaster of the legendary football match between England and Hungary, where the Hungarian team won to 6:3. They used to say in Hungary, that György Szepesi was the 12th player of the Golden team. He was a pioneer in his job and he made it perfect.
He was the chairman of the MLSZ (Hungarian Football Association) between 1978 and 1986 and from 1982 to 1994 a member of the executive committee of FIFA. He has received many prizes and recognitions and we wish him all the best of health and happiness.
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Submitted by Adam Jusztin, Maccabi VAC