Sándor Popovics (footballer)

The native form of this personal name is Popovics Sándor. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Sándor Popovics (22 June 1939 – 1 July 2019) was a Hungarian-Dutch association football manager and a professional footballer in the position of forward.

Sándor Popovics

Popovics with Sparta in 1964
Personal information
Date of birth	22 June 1939
Place of birth	Keszthely, Hungary
Date of death	1 July 2019(2019-07-01) (aged 80)
Place of death	Roosendaal, Netherlands
Position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1958–1960	Újpest Dózsa
1960–1963	Fürth
1963–1964	Sparta	5	(0)
1964–1966	FC Zaanstreek
Managerial career
1970–1971	Quick
1971–1972	MVV '27
1972–1974	RFC Rotterdam
1974–1976	Overmaas
1976–1977	Unitas
1977–1978	Xerxes
1978–1980	Barendrecht
1980–1981	SVV
1981–1983	Waregem
1983–1985	De Graafschap
1985–1987	NEC Nijmegen
1988–1990	Cambuur
1990–1992	Excelsior
1993–1994	FC Eindhoven
1994	MTK Budapest
1995–1998	ADO Den Haag (gen. manager)
1999–2000	Verbroedering Geel
2002	MTK Budapest
2010	RBC Roosendaal
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Club

As a footballer he played for Újpest Dózsa (1958–1960). When in 1960 he played a game in Austria, he defected from Soviet Union-oppressed Hungary.^[1] He continued his football career in Germany at SpVgg Fürth (1960–1963) and later moved to Holland to play for Sparta (1963–64), and FC Zaanstreek (1964–1966).

Managerial career

After retiring form playing, Popovics coached Dutch amateur clubs Quick (1970–1971), MVV '27 (1971–1972), RFC Rotterdam (1972–1974), Overmaas (1974-1976), Unitas (1976–1977), Xerxes (1977–1978) and Barendrecht (1978–1980). The first professional team he managed was SVV Schiedam (1980–1981), then Belgian side KSV Waregem (1981–83). Back in the Netherlands he continued coaching professional teams De Graafschap (1983–1985),^[2] NEC Nijmegen (1985–1987), Cambuur (1988–1990),^[3] Excelsior Rotterdam (1990–1992), FC Eindhoven (1993–1994) and RBC Roosendaal (July 2010). At Roosendaal he left after six days as the club tried to have his unlicensed deputies do the main work.^[4][5] He also managed Hungarian club MTK Budapest twice and Belgian side Verbroedering Geel, succeeding Dimitri Mbuyu.^[6]

Sándor Popovics held the position of general manager at ADO Den Haag^[7] and was named head scout at NAC in February 2002^[8]

Personal life

He became a naturalized Dutch citizen in 1970.^[9] Popovics was married to Corrie, the ex-wife of Theo Laseroms,^[10] and was father-in-law of former NEC Nijmegen and Hungary goalkeeper Gábor Babos.^[11] He suffered from Alzheimer's disease and died on 1 July 2019.^[12]