Bertalan Bicskei
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Bertalan Bicskei born in Budapest, Hungary on September 17, 1944 is a Hungarian former goalkeeper and football coach. As a youth player, he played for the most famous Hungarian club side, Ferencvaros, and he also honed his skills in Honved and MTK Budapest, both Premier Division Hungarian sides. As a goalkeeper of great talent, he played many games for the National Youth Team of Hungary, as well as the 13 and A senior National teams. After his playing days were over, he devoted much of his time to coaching and teaching young soccer players on the highest level.
From 1977 to 1982, he worked as the coaching director for the MTK Budapest's youth programme, and from 1982 to 1986 he was the Youth Coach Director for the Hungarian national football team. As one of his greatest achievements on that level, under his coaching and guidance, the Under-18 National Team of Hungary, captured the European Youth Championship in Moscow, in 1994.
Before moving on to the senior level, Bicskei successfully completed the, work, and graduated at the world renowned soccer academy in Koln, Germany in 1986. He is one of just a few Hungarian-born coaches who was able to earn one of the most respected coaching diplomas in the world.[citation needed] While in Germany, he also studied philosophy, and learned to speak excellent German.
In 1987/88 Bicskei become head coach of Honved Budapest, (that year, Honved won the National title and the Hungarian cup) and his professional career was off to a flying start. In 1999/90 he, was selected to coach the senior national team of Hungary. In 1991 he could not refuse a challenging offer from South Korea and he become head coach of Daewoo Royals. Under his direction, the club won the national title, national cup, and he was voted, coach of the year in South Korea. From 1992 to 1994 he coached club Luzern in Switzerland. In the 1995/96 he returned home briefly to coach MTK Budapest.
Bicskei packed his suitcase again in 1995, this time to Saudi Arabia where he coached the Al Riyadh club in the 1995/96 seasons. During his stay in Saudi Arabia, he started working on his book, "Preparation of Young Footballs", a soccer achievement that not only complements, but also challenges everything that was written thus far on teaching young soccer players to achieve the highest level. After returning home, he coached Honved Budapest once again, 1996/97 seasons, and he was technical director at RABA ETO Gyor in the 1998/99 seasons.
In the second half of 2004, the Football Association of Malaysia selected Bertalan Bicskei, to succeed Allan Harris. Bicskei led the national side to third place at the regional Tiger Cup competition, but was demoted to youth development duties by FAM for his actions during a friendly against Singapore in Penang on June 8, 2005. Bicskei, disgusted by the standard of officiating, threw a bottle onto the pitch before confronting a Singapore player. In September, 2005 the contract was terminated after mutual agreement.
