Ange Postecoglou takes his Tottenham side to face Ferencvaros in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, in a country made famous by one of the most important figures in his footballing career.
Spurs started their European campaign with a 3-0 home win over Qarabag on matchday one, which they followed with an impressive victory over Manchester United in the Premier League by the same scoreline.
They now head to Budapest to take on the Hungarian champions — a team that Postecoglou's Celtic defeated 3-2 on his last visit in a Europa League game three years ago.
Yet it's not memories of that victory that make this game a special one for the Australian. Rather, it is his connection to Hungary's most famous footballing figure: the Real Madrid great Ferenc Puskas.
Postecoglou played under Puskas for South Melbourne between 1989 and 1992, and he credits the former forward — widely considered one of the finest players in the game's history — for shaping his journey in the sport.
WATCH: UEFA Champions League with a FREE trial of Paramount+ in USA | A new era of UEFA Champions League in Australia, only on Stan Sport
Postecoglou: Puskas 'one of the greatest of all time'
Speaking ahead of the game, Postecoglou said: "I do have a special connection, for me anyway, with Mr. Puskas. I was blessed to be able to spend three years in the company of one of the greatest footballers of all time but, more importantly for me, an outstanding person.
#OnThisDay in 1927, Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskás was born. Here’s a club-sanctioned supercut of some of his greatest moments, set to emotive classical music. Perfection. pic.twitter.com/8l8xAn1KH8
— MUNDIAL (@MundialMag) April 1, 2020
"He was one of the greatest people I've ever come across and I feel really fortunate to have had those three years with him, where I was able to sit there and talk to a person who in the football world had done everything but, more importantly, a person who I had so much respect and admiration for. I still think about it and it still feels unreal to me that I got that opportunity being based in Australia.
"As you get older, you keep those experiences even more. I would love for him to still be around today to see where I am because he played a role in me becoming certainly the football manager I am. He played a role in that but also the person I've become.
MORE: All the latest Champions League news | How does the 2024/25 Champions League work? | Full UCL match schedule
"I'm looking forward to the game tomorrow. It's going to be a great challenge. Every European game, especially away from home, is going to be difficult. I know in this stadium, the atmosphere is going to be good. They get behind their team, they love European football here and I think it's one that me and the players are looking forward to."
Who was Ferenc Puskas?
Ferenc Puskas is best known for his playing career with Real Madrid between 1958 and 1966, and the Hungary national team.
He was part of the golden generation that reached the FIFA World Cup final in 1954 and won Olympic gold in 1952, and his tally of 84 goals in 85 international games for the country singles him out as one of the most ruthless goal-scorers of all time. The annual award given to the best goal scored in global football each year is named after the former forward.
Puskas was a three-time European Cup winner with Real Madrid and won 10 league titles across spells with Los Blancos and Budapest Honved (previously known as Kispesti). It is claimed that Puskas scored 619 goals in 618 domestic league and cup matches in his career.
As a coach, Puskas led Greek side Panathinaikos to the 1971 European Cup final before a nomadic career that included spells in charge of the Saudi Arabia national team, AEK Athens, and South Melbourne.
Puskas died of pneumonia in November 2006, having battled Alzheimer's disease since 2000.
