Gyula Lóránt

Gyula Lóránt

Personal information
Full name	Gyula Lipovics / Lóránt
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder / Defender

Gyula Lóránt (February 6, 1923, Kőszeg, Hungary – May 31, 1981, Thessaloniki, Greece), also referred to as Gyula Lipovics or Lóránt Gyula, was a Hungarian football player and manager. He played as a defender and midfielder for, among others, UTA Arad, Vasas SC, Honvéd and Hungary.

During the 1950s, he was a prominent member of the legendary Hungarian national team known as the Mighty Magyars, which also included Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti.

After retiring as a player, Lóránt became a coach, most notably with Honvéd, FC Bayern Munich and PAOK Thessaloniki FC. While at PAOK, he guided them to a Greek Championship title in 1976. On May 31, 1981, while still working as coach, he suffered a heart attack, watching PAOK play Olympiacos CFP and died at the game.

Early career

Gayla Lóránt began his career as a youth with his hometown club, Kõszeg SE, after encouragement from a local trainer. He then played for Nagyváradi AC and UT Arad, two Hungarian clubs now in modern Romania. It was while at Vasas SC, where his team mates included Ladislao Kubala, that his career prospered. However in January 1949, as Hungary became a communist state, Kubala fled the country in the back of a truck and formed his own team Hungaria to play exhibition friendlies. The team was made up of fellow refugees fleeing Eastern Europe. Lóránt also attempted to escape and follow Kubala, but was captured and ended up in a detention camp.

Hungarian international

Lóránt was released from detention after the intervention of Gusztáv Sebes, the national team coach, who regarded him as pivotal to his plans. Lóránt then made his debut for Hungary on October 19, 1949 in an away game against Austria. Sebes personally guaranteed the country’s Interior Minister and future Prime Minister, János Kádár, that Lóránt would not abscond while in Vienna. Kádár agreed and Lóránt responded with a superb performance as Hungary won 4-3. He subsequently joined Honvéd where together with six of his fellow internationals, he helped the team win three Hungarian League titles. As one of the legendary Mighty Magyars, he helped Hungary become Olympic Champions in 1952, Central European Champions in 1953, defeat England twice and reach the 1954 World Cup final.

Honours

Olympic medal record
Representing Hungary
Men's football
	1952 Helsinki	Team Competition

Player

Hungary

• Olympic Champions: 1
  • 1952
• Central European Champions: 1
  • 1953
• World Cup
  • Runner-up: 1954

Nagyváradi AC

• Hungarian Champions: 1
  • 1944

UTA Arad

• Romanian Champions: 1
  • 1947

Honvéd

• Hungarian Champions: 3
  • 1952, 1954, 1955

Manager

PAOK Thessaloniki FC

• Greek Champions: 1
  • 1976

External links

• Bio at www.uefa.com
• Hungary Stats

Sources

• Behind The Curtain - Travels in Eastern European Football: Jonathan Wilson (2006) [1]
• Gyula Lóránt at eintracht-archiv.de