Laszlo Kubala

Lore & Background

Kubala was noted for his quick and skilful dribbling, composed and powerful finishing, and accuracy from free kicks. During the 1950s, he was a leading member of the successful Barcelona team, scoring 280 goals in 345 appearances (including unofficial goals). During the club's 1999 centenary celebrations, a fan's poll declared Kubala the best player ever to play for the Spanish club. After retiring as a player, he had two spells as coach of Barcelona and also coached both Spain's senior national team and Spain national under-21 football team.

Reader's Guide

Kubala signed for Barcelona on 15 June 1950. In his first La Liga season, 1951–52, Kubala scored 26 goals in 19 games. This included 7 goals in a 9–0 win over Sporting de Gijón, five against Celta Vigo and hat-tricks against Sevilla and Racing Santander. His seven goals against Gijón remain the record for most goals scored in a single match in La Liga. He also scored in the Copa del Generalísimo final as Barcelona beat Valencia 4–2. This season proved to be one of the club's most successful. Coach Daučík and Kubala, together with players like Emilio Aldecoa, Velasco, Joan Segarra and Ramallets, inspired the team to win five trophies, including La Liga, the Copa del Generalísimo, the Latin Cup, and the Copa Eva Duarte.

Did You Know?

• Kubala played for three national teams: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Spain.
• Kubala played the opening ten minutes of his own testimonial on 4 March 1993 at age 65.