Hungary soccer great Puskas dies, aged 79
(Reuters)Updated: 2006-11-20 09:29
In 1958, he resurrected his career at Real Madrid where he formed a lethal strike partnership with Argentine-born Alfredo Di Stefano, winning six domestic titles and conquering Europe.
Puskas scored four and Di Stefano three in Real's mesmerising 7-3 European Cup win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Glasgow in 1960 -- a match that has passed into soccer folklore.
Despite all the goals and fame, a former next-door neighbour from Madrid remembers Puskas as a down-to-earth man.
"Although he was a famous footballer he seemed very normal compared to today's modern stars," Jacobo Olalla Maranon told Reuters.
"He lived in a modest flat below ours and was very generous. He often brought home footballs from training for the kids in the block to play with."
Puskas retired in 1967, going on to coach clubs in several countries, leading Greek side Panathinaikos to the European Cup final in 1971.
Puskas, who was admitted to hospital in late 2000 with arteriosclerosis and was later diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, leaves a wife Erzsebet.
For Hungarians, whose national team have not qualified for a major championship since 1986, Puskas and the 1950s side are a proud, if distant, memory.
"I belong to the generation who could still see him play. He was Hungarian football, with a few others on the golden team," said Attila Farkas, aged 65.
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