JÓZSEF TAKÁCS II.

Toldi: He was not a footballer by any stretch of the imagination, but he was one of Fradi's greatest players. You could hardly hear a word he said in company. On the pitch, he stood out all the more. He had a fantastic knack for scoring goals! He almost knew where a ball was going to bounce — and he was there, scoring. He was a selfless, great player who determined the scoring power of the Ferencváros team for years. 

» He didn't have any great shots, and often he would just roll the goals into the opponent's goal. Otherwise he could have scored more goals if we had been more accurate... Yet he was never angry, never said a word to those who made mistakes, and even reassured us that he would do better next time. Many times even his brother — the full-back Géza Takács — had to be calmed down by Jóska. Mari néni — the nickname of Takács I. — could not stand by and watch his brother being kicked by the opposing defenders. In such cases Géza defended his brother... 

LÁSZLÓ CSEH II.

Toldi: Matyi was not a Fradist, I played relatively little in the national team with him. We met often in private and social life. He was an extremely bohemian nature/ good humored, kind friend. Many people remembered his bets and his sensational actions many times. He was a good-natured person who loved to live cheerfully and generously. He always said to those who urged moderation:


— Leave it, I'm fine, I'm not afraid of anything." When I die, I have only one wish, write this on my head: Matyi Cseh rests here, he lived 38 years — but well!


» Poor Matyi Cseh wasn't wrong: he left the living at the age of 40...

ISTVÁN AVAR

Toldi: He was a forward with a powerful physique, an irresistible drive, a forward with tremendous power and a "life-threatening" shot. He connected well with his teammates — especially the wingers — with long passes and accurate crosses. But he excelled mainly in finishing attacks and scoring goals. His brilliant kicking technique and powerful shots were admired by goalkeepers all over Europe.

— This is how the authors of the player encyclopaedia from Albert to Zsák described the Újpest forward. Do you agree with all this? 

Toldi: It's all true. Avar was, however, a solid, good sportsman. He was on very good terms with us and other people from the club, and in the national team, of course, the main goal was to score goals and win above all else. I liked playing with him, I respected him and I loved him. 

DR. GYÖRGY SÁROSI

— Which Sárosi goal did Géza Toldi like best? 

Toldi: The one he scored against Lazio. In 1937, I saw him scoring for the first time in Rome in the Mitropa Cup final, slumped over, scissors-footed — Gyurka scored it. Later I tried it myself, sometimes with success. I played a lot of matches with Gyurka, of course. We played in many big battles together. What can I say about these matches? I can say without modesty that we won a lot — the facts prove it — and Gyurka's game gave tens of thousands of people a lot of joy. His playing skills are second to none. Interestingly, his younger brother Béla, in a different style, was also a great asset to the team. Gyurka's subtle, often refined solutions, technical bravura, Béla's 30 meter bombs, huge shots and generally overwhelming momentum were the hallmarks of his game. Off the field they were different: Gyurka was a solid, calm, a bit quiet and reserved, Béla was a tough, friendly kid who wanted to be part of every prank... 

» Gyurka's press was often sidelined due to studying, especially during the exam period. I had the opportunity to experience this up close, as Sárosi was always my roommate in Ferencváros. As soon as Gyurka joined the team, we teamed up and as he was the youngest — he had to tidy up the room.

So I was with Gyurka a lot on and off the field, so I can safely say that he deserved the immense popularity that surrounded him at home and abroad. 

GIUSEPPE MEAZZA

Toldi: The world-famous Italian centre-forward. He was not a robust player, so he was able to get through the smallest defensive gaps. He had only one goal in mind: scoring goals. He could always be given the ball, he was well positioned and his teammates made good use of this talent. He scored a lot of goals for his club Ambrosiana (Inter's predecessor) and for the world champion Italian national team.

MATTHIAS SINDELAR

Toldi: Another favourite of the Viennese, he was also a centre-forward. I would compare him to Gyurka. He played with technique and spectacular pace. Gyurka was so much better than him that he also excelled as centre-hal — Sindelar, on the other hand, only stood out as a forward. But there he produced great things. Unfortunately, his career and life came to a tragic end: one day he was found dead in his flat, with gas leaking from the tap... Suicide? Political reasons? (It happened during the Anschluss!) Even the people of Vienna don't know the truth about his death.

GYULA ZSENGELLÉR

Toldi: The great forward of Újpest played in several positions. He was a member of the so-called agytrösztjének of the national team (Cseh, Sárosi, Zsengellér), which achieved many successes. The biggest one was in the 8-3 Hungary-Czechoslovakia match (Sárosi scored seven goals — not one from Zsengellér's pass). 

» I can also say of Zsengellér that he was an extremely technical and goal-scoring player. Despite his weaker physique, he could not be stopped and evaded defenders. He covered the ball well, scored deceptive goals. Unfortunately, he scored a few against Fradi, the most impressive being in the 1939 Mitropa Cup final on Üllői út...