Most popular football clubs in Eastern Europe

[Dunai]

What happened to Hungarian football? In the 60-70s there were high quality players.

The answer is more complex, but shortly I can basically blame the complete lack of any serious reaction by the club owners, managers to the everchanging trends in modern football. They simply allowed the same, by today's standards, antiquated football concepts that was successful for Hungarian football decades ago to remain the central concept of youth training, while modern football really passed us by, almost at lightspeed. Quality players are made in their youth preparation, and Hungarian youth coaches are way too proud to recognize how unskilled they are compared to modern football requirements. There are huge deficiencies already at the basis of Hungarian football, and only then we could improve if we would really get rid of all these antiquated, often corrupted fossils that run our football. Many Hungarians still love football very much, especially the national team, which I believe has one of the most passionate supporters from any European national teams (you will see proof again at the upcoming EURO), but at club level we decayed so much that lots of people simply got tired to support mediocrity, so they mainly care about top level football, plus the national team.

[gixajo]

The answer is more complex, but shortly I can basically blame the complete lack of any serious reaction by the club owners, managers to the everchanging trends in modern football. They simply allowed the same, by today's standards, antiquated football concepts that was successful for Hungarian football decades ago to remain the central concept of youth training, while modern football really passed us by, almost at lightspeed. Quality players are made in their youth preparation, and Hungarian youth coaches are way too proud to recognize how unskilled they are compared to modern football requirements. There are huge deficiencies already at the basis of Hungarian football, and only then we could improve if we would really get rid of all these antiquated, often corrupted fossils that run our football. Many Hungarians still love football very much, especially the national team, which I believe has one of the most passionate supporters from any European national teams (you will see proof again at the upcoming EURO), but at club level we decayed so much that lots of people simply got tired to support mediocrity, so they mainly care about top level football, plus the national team.

In Spain, an Hungarian who played in the Spanish league, he was a true idol of the masses of his time, and continues to be remembered as one of the great players of Real Madrid, even if he died about 15 years ago:

Spoiler!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferenc_Pusk%C3%A1s

[Dunai]

In Spain, an Hungarian who played in the Spanish league, he was a true idol of the masses of his time, and continues to be remembered as one of the great players of Real Madrid, even if he died about 15 years ago:

Spoiler!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferenc_Pusk%C3%A1s

Interesting that both Barcelona and Real Madrid had two Hungarian icons: Kubala and Puskás. Unfortunately it's one of our faults that we love to indulge into past nostalgia, and forget that we live in a present that is not too flattering based on our tradition. This absolutely is noticeable about how much we still speak about the "Golden Team" in everyday life, even though so much has changed in the football world since then, and we finally have to admit it that we have serious issues of staying competitive, and gotta finally let out great past behind and work 2-3 times harder than anyone else to get back into European elite. What I see though that there are way too many people interested to maintain this nostalgia train and for me and lots of other lovers of football in Hungary, the great stories of the past just don't cut it any longer. Let's see if we can leave a good image at the upcoming Euros, we have the most impossible group, but we absolutely have nothing to lose.

[Salty Ears]

In Hungarian case it's interesting to see what a huge discrepancy is between Ferencváros (which in regional comparison also doesn't have that many supporters) and the next closest clubs, like Fehérvár, Debrecen and Diógyőr, which only have around 60-70.000 likes. Actually, compared to the region Hungarians have some of the lowest interest in supporting local clubs (except Slovaks), I personally know more people who have various Western European teams as their favorites while they don't care so much about Hungarian teams. The very low quality football played in Hungarian championships over the past decades definitely didn't help in people supporting their local teams.

Except the interest of fans to the clubs from top leagues, problem (from my veiw, not for big clubs of course) is that for example Serbia is divided between CZ and Partizan and in the many regions many people dont care about their local clubs. Same here many people support Moscow clubs and Zenit, not their local clubs. In Russia football and local FC definitely #1 only in Moscow, St. Petersburg with areas around and in southern part of the country. In Volga-Ural region and Siberia in the most of the cities ice hockey #1 and people cares about hockey clubs even if they playing in low league. FC Ufa played in eurocups, ok - full stadium at that games, at next games in russian league its half empty, HC Salavat ice arena always full - it is cult. My friend from Nizhny Novgorod is local HC Torpedo supporter (cult status in city again). By my logic he should support local FC or Torpedo Moscow in football, no he is for CSKA. I asking him whom does he support when HC Torpedo plays vs HC CSKA, he said that HC Torpedo, its like schizophrenia. My club in native city is less popular than ice hockey and basketball clubs, but in the times when we played in national cup final and against Fulham in eurocups, it was full stadium with interest from gloryhunters and some sort of local patriots, now its in the 4th league after bankruptcy and 300-800 fans at matches - mostly so called hardcore fans or people that have something with ultra/hools subculture.

[Dirdepo]

Psg, Ac Milan

[Dunai]

Except the interest of fans to the clubs from top leagues, problem (from my veiw, not for big clubs of course) is that for example Serbia is divided between CZ and Partizan and in the many regions many people dont care about their local clubs. Same here many people support Moscow clubs and Zenit, not their local clubs. In Russia football and local FC definitely #1 only in Moscow, St. Petersburg with areas around and in southern part of the country. In Volga-Ural region and Siberia in the most of the cities ice hockey #1 and people cares about hockey clubs even if they playing in low league. FC Ufa played in eurocups, ok - full stadium at that games, at next games in russian league its half empty, HC Salavat ice arena always full - it is cult. My friend from Nizhny Novgorod is local HC Torpedo supporter (cult status in city again). By my logic he should support local FC or Torpedo Moscow in football, no he is for CSKA. I asking him whom does he support when HC Torpedo plays vs HC CSKA, he said that HC Torpedo, its like schizophrenia. My club in native city is less popular than ice hockey and basketball clubs, but in the times when we played in national cup final and against Fulham in eurocups, it was full stadium with interest from gloryhunters and some sort of local patriots, now its in the 4th league after bankruptcy and 300-800 fans at matches - mostly so called hardcore fans or people that have something with ultra/hools subculture.

I noticed even by watching the national games of Russia on home ground that compared to other parts of Eastern Europe, the supporters were very casual and not expressing too much passion, just simply watching, as in a theater. Why do you believe football never became such a widely popular national sport in Russia, with a religious following, as in other European countries? Is it because it had to compete from early times with basketball and ice hockey? When it comes to local patriotism, nobody can match the English (and Germans), they are incredibly loyal to their local clubs, even when they play in fourth-fifth league, it's something I deeply admire.

[TheMaestro]

Psg, Ac Milan

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[Salty Ears]

I noticed even by watching the national games of Russia on home ground that compared to other parts of Eastern Europe, the supporters were very casual and not expressing too much passion, just simply watching, as in a theater. Why do you believe football never became such a widely popular national sport in Russia, with a religious following, as in other European countries? Is it because it had to compete from early times with basketball and ice hockey? When it comes to local patriotism, nobody can match the English (and Germans), they are incredibly loyal to their local clubs, even when they play in fourth-fifth league, it's something I deeply admire.

I think that russians have a little bit of "american attitude" to the professional club sport and we dont like to show emotions. Also how you would seriously support such club like FC Tosno - they took russian cup 17/18 and bankrupted in 2018, legendary Dynamo St. Petersburg moved to Sochi and "de jure" is FC Sochi now, situation like it is some north american league and not european championship. Also in society we have deep contempt towards national team, they are "wooden legs" or "wankers" for the majority of population even after some success on Euro 2008 or WC18. And football players respond with disrespect to country, even after total unpardonable fails they have a habit to have a smile on their faces and to give the interviews with indifference, while ice hockey players are crying after 3rd place on WC or euro.

[Linebacker]

When I am In Greece I saw pictures and flags of PAOK almost everywhere, I thought it was some political party at first but then I asked people and they told me its a football club.

I still don't know what makes it so great, I've never watched much football, neither balkans or europe league.

[Cristiano viejo]

What happened to Hungarian football? In the 60-70s there were high quality players.

In 50s even more, see the Mighty Magiars (Puskas, Kocsis, Kubala*, Czibor, etc).

In 80s Videoton played the final of UEFA Cup against Real Madrid. They lost, of course...