Copa Football Træningsjakke Panathinaikos 1971 Retro

Few could rival the playing pedigree of the great Ferenc Puskás, who distinguished himself so remarkably in the 50s and 60s for Honved, Hungary, and the Real Madrid. Upon his retirement in 1966, he embarked on a new career in management, but unremarkable stints in Spain and the United States did not see him marked as a future star of management.

Everything changed when he took the reins of the Panathinaikos in 1970. His first season turned out to be miraculous as he led his new troops from the amateur backwaters of European football to the final of the European Cup, where they would ultimately fall to the mighty Ajax of Michels and Cruyff.

Puskás may not have succeeded in winning Europe’s greatest prize, but he instilled a new sense of confidence and self-belief in the Greek mentality, convinced that their country’s football could compete with the larger and wealthier leagues. The Hungarian stayed at the club for 4 years and delivered a national title in 1972.