József Takács

József Takács (30 June 1904 – 3 September 1983) was a Hungarian international footballer who played as a striker for Vasas, Ferencváros, and the Hungarian national team between 1917 and 1934. He was also selected in Hungary's squad for the football tournament of the 1924 Summer Olympics, but he did not play in any matches.

Club career Born in Budapest on 30 June 1904, Takács began his footballing career as a goalkeeper, only making his debut as a striker due to an injury to a teammate. He joined the ranks of Vasas in 1917, aged 13, making his debut with the first team on 10 April 1921, in a league fixture against MTK, scoring in a 1–2 loss. During his seven-year stint at Ferencváros, he scored five goals or more in a single match on eleven occasions, which is a club record (five goals on eight occasions, six twice, and seven once), and netted 30 goals in only 18 Magyar Kupa matches, another club record.

After leaving Ferencváros in 1934, he played one season at Soroksár (1935–36) – in between two spells at Szürketaxi, with whom he played for five seasons and scored 87 goals in 119 official games. His tally, 360 top division goals, is the fourth highest in Hungarian championship.

After retiring in 1942, Takács became a trainer, taking over Zuglói SE during the 1945–46 season, and working with several lower division teams. He was a member of the Hungarian squad that participated in the football tournament of the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, but did not play in any games. On 12 June 1927, Takács scored a six-goal haul to help his side to a resounding 13–1 victory over France.

In total, Takács scored 26 goals in 32 caps between 1923 and 1933.

Playing style Takács was one of the most successful Hungarian goalscorers in history, not because of his versatility, as he could only shoot with his right foot, but because of his off-ball movement and instinctive positioning, almost foreseeing the path of the ball, which meant that many of his goals were scored from close range, but his efforts from long-range shots were also dangerous. Furthermore, he always counted on possible mistakes from the defenders and the goalkeeper, constantly finding himself ready to pounce on them. He was also noted for being resourceful, possessing a sharp eye, and for his dribbling.

Takács was one of the most popular Hungarian players of his time, not only for his goals, but also for his modesty and exemplary human behavior.

Career statistics International goals Hungary score listed first, score column indicates score after each Takács goal.

Honours Ferencvárosi Nemzeti Bajnokság I Champions (3): 1927–28, 1931–32, and 1933–34

Magyar Kupa Champions: 1932–33

Individual Vasas Top goalscorer of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I in 1925–26 (29 goals)

Ferencvárosi Top goalscorer of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I in 1927–28 (31 goals), 1928–29 (41 goals), 1929–30 (40 goals), and 1931–32 (42 goals)