VidiBlog Anno 1984-'85 - Every start is difficult

You cannot say that the Videoton players greeted with happiness the news during that summer, that in September, the first round of the UEFA Cup would see Dukla Prague as the opponents. There were a good number of weaker opponents among the other 63 teams in the draw. With a little bit of better luck, they could have pulled out a side from Malta, Luxemburg or even Cyprus from the hat. The Prague side would not have been in the top 30 teams that Vidi would most like to have met. 

There were around 20 sides in the hat that we would surely have knocked out - explained Lajos Majer. Dukla were not among those. This is our luck....

- We could have ended up with an even worse draw, like with Győr, who drew Manchester United straight away - comforted forward Jozsef Szabo, who would never had dreamt at that time that Videoton would end up meeting the English side later on in the competition....

One word, like with one hundred, the many times champions Dukla Prague promised to be tough opponents. In the eyes of the Czechoslovakians, there had not been too much joy in the recent past with regards to Hungarian players. The truth was that it did not really matter who they played with, as they were almost always beaten fairly easily.

The seemingly sanguine hopes of Videoton could not have envisaged what was to happen, but there was already something taking place behind the scenes. The Fehervar side had been group winners in that summers Intertoto cup, and they did this with a 100% record. They also did well during their tour of Spain. Naturally, there had been similar successes previously. Videoton used the experiences gained in those opportunities to put them to good use, and not just enjoy a nice summer rest. The latter had been the case up until then. 

Just like in a trade, there is a business both at home and on the foreign market - said then Videoton manager Ferenc Kovacs after the cup final. - In the domestic league, we ended up in third place last season. We had shown that we were worthy of contesting ourselves on the international stage. We had tried to show our abilities in the Intertoto cup and the Spanish tour, so that we could see where we stood against sides with various styles, with minimum necessary to refine. That market research ended up with some promising results.

 — We then put our strengths in to the UEFA Cup and tried to give a good account of ourselves. Naturally, none of us could ever have thought that we would make it all the way to the final, but the team had been suitably armed. We hoped that we would not bring shame to our name if we give a maximum performance. I had seen our first opponents, Dukla three times personally. They were a tough battling side, with good players, but by the time we got face-to-face with them, it was like an open book in front of me. All I could think about then was how we should play against them.

The Szekesfehervar crowd had not come out in the numbers expected for the first home game. There were only around 8,000 inside the Sostoi stadium on the 18th September, to watch the match and see how Vidi would do against Dukla. 

The truth be known that it was a bitterly tough game. Those present at the match would never have imagined that there would be super productions ahead. All things start hard...

The Czechoslovakians adapted the tactics of an experienced cup side by playing the expected tactics away from home. They defended in numbers and barricaded any possible route to their own goal. They also did not pull back from putting their foot in where necessary. When a Fehervar forward had the ball, his ankle was immediately snapped. There was hardly 15 minutes on the clock when it became clear that Rada (he was the player that scored two goals against the World cup winners, Italians in the European Championship qualifier) and Fiala, who had played in many big battles, and who marshalled the Prague defence, so that it would be hard to score goals against them. At least the amount of goals needed to make sure that there would be a suitable advantage to take in to the second leg. The supporters were left wondering after around 30 minutes of the match, whether there would be any chances in front of goal.

And they more often winked towards the direction of Szabo...

The goal king and one of the favourites of the "B" block knew what his duty was. Csongradi's cross was not acted on for a moment by the defenders, and that was enough time for the forward. Before a defender could react, he had shot at goal from 10 meters. Stromsik, in the Dukla goal made contact with his feet somehow, but he could not keep the ball out. It was not the nicest ever goal scored to win a contest, but if a team scores a goal at home, then a person cannot be too choosy... 

— I had always admired Gerd Muller who scored little ugly goals like this - said the Videoton goalscorer later. - I would not for a minute try to compare myself to him, as there has hardly been a goal finisher like Muller since then. His feeling for scoring goals was amazing, and he always appeared where the ball bounced. Attractive, good goals are always nicer than the small one, but it is beautiful to settle the fate of a match with a winning goal.

However, this proved the case against Dukla...

Of course, this is just profound wisdom and the above described later seems self-evident. Back then on the pitch, neither Szabo or the other players could ever have known what was written in the big book of fate. Dukla for example did not despair after the Videoton goal. They continued to nicely play their strict, disciplined and rational game, with the only change being that they tried to hit the occasional quick counter. They came ever so closely to levelling....

Then with four minutes remaining, Vizek, who was perhaps the most famous out of the Czech footballers, showed delusive skill to play himself clear on goal, and he shot, but Koszta in the Videoton goal, who was practically a rookie saved the effort. The ball fell to the approaching Vana, who with the goal at his mercy, somehow blasted the ball on to the post instead of the back of the net. If that had gone in, then perhaps it would have been the end of it all.

Keeper Janos Koszta remembers back to the match: - Peter Disztl missed the first three league matches with an injury and I went in goal. Things did not go badly, with Peter virtually recovering by the time the cup match arrived. I was a little bit worried that the "boss" would choose him to keep goal against Dukla. I was delighted when he chose me. It was my duty to keep a clean sheet.

Things went according to plan until the 86th minute. I was starting to feel a sense of relief when suddenly in front of my goal, Vizek appeared and had a big shot. It was a lethally hard shot and it was good that I was able to even get a touch to the ball. I was stranded on the floor as I watched the ball fall to Vana. He took aim at the empty goal from around three-four meters, and luckily he wanted to place the ball. I was delighted when he missed the target. 

Videoton won the game but it was not convincing, but rather a case of hard sweat. It appeared as though Dukla had come to Szekesfehervar to keep the result tight, and reserve their strength for the return leg. Honestly speaking, the 1-0 score was the slendest of leads. There must have been doubts on my face, because Gabor Fejes, the team’s technical manager suddenly slapped my shoulder: - I will bet that we will go through! Today's team is full of winning people, who always bring the maximum out of themselves when they most have to. We will win in Prague, or in the worst case will draw!

It is easy for those who can read the future...

/by Ede Posch - Jozsef Sipos: from the Videoton book - Big days/