History of MTK Budapest FC
About a dozen sport-loving citizens decided on 16 November 1888 in a cafe in Budapest to form the Magyar Testgyakorlók Köre (Circle of Hungarian Fitness Activists).
The first public football match of the Blues was a 0–0 draw against Budapesti TC, which later became Hungarian champions in 1901 and 1902.
[11][12] The first president of the club became a well-to-do entrepreneur, his vice a close friend of his who turned out to be an excellent sport-oriented organiser.
[13] Playing halfback or center half alongside Gyula Mándi, he helped MTK win Hungarian League titles in 1920 and 1921.
[17] In 1949 when Hungary became a communist state, MTK were taken over by the secret police, the ÁVH, and subsequently the club became known as Textiles SE.
Despite this turmoil, the 1950s proved a successful era for the club and with a team coached by Márton Bukovi and including Péter Palotás, Nándor Hidegkuti, Mihály Lantos and József Zakariás, they won three Hungarian League titles, a Hungarian Cup and a Mitropa Cup.
MTK also played a major role in the success of the legendary Hungary team known as the Mighty Magyars.
It was also at MTK that Bukovi together with, Péter Palotás and Nándor Hidegkuti, also pioneered the crucial deep lying centre-forward position.
In 1953 Hidegkuti would exploit this position to great effect as he scored a hat-trick for Hungary when they beat England 6–3 at Wembley Stadium.
In addition Mihály Lantos and József Zakariás provided the Mighty Magyars with a solid defence.
[29] MTK Budapest won the Hungarian Super Cup trophy after beating 2–0 archrivals Ferencváros in the final.
Moreover, in the 2011–12 Hungarian Cup, MTK Budapest made the final, where they lost to Debrecen in a penalty shoot-out.
[36] In the second leg MTK was beaten by Vojvodina 3–1 at the Karađorđe Stadium, in Novi Sad, Serbia on 9 July 2015.
[37] In the 2015–16 Nemzeti Bajnokság I MTK Budapest finished fourth and qualified for the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.
[39] In the second leg MTK Budapest beat Aktobe 2–0 at the Ménfői út, Győr on 7 July 2016.
On 14 May 2023, MTK beat Kazincbarcika 1-0 and were promoted to the first division after securing a second place in the 2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság II season.
