10 Greatest Ever Players from Eastern Europe?

[Gregoriak]

I've just watched an amazingly good quality game from the 1966 World Cup, Hungary 3-1 Brazil, and witnessed a really impressive performance by the Hungarian team and especially Florian Albert. With a bit of luck, they could have won that game 5-2. Anyways, I realized that Florian Albert is a player that often is criminally overlooked when the greats of the past are discussed and perhaps he shares that fate with a couple of other high-quality players from Eastern Europe.

I would like to know which past players from Eastern Europe would you think were the 10 greatest?

Here's my try (only those that I've seen play, no active players):

1. Puskas
2. Albert
3. Blokhin
4. Deyna
5. Hidegkuti
6. Boniek
7. Hagi
8. Stoitchkov
9. Masopust
10. Bozsik

[bojendyk]

No Lev Yashin?

[TarheelJTK]

Does Russia count? If it does then Yashin belongs on that list. You can't leave the best keeper ever off the list.

[Gregoriak]

My list is not meant as a definite one. Please come up with your own lists if you disagree.

P.S.: I don't think Yashin was the best keeper ever.

[lanman]

1. Puskas
2. Albert
3. Blokhin
4. Deyna
5. Hidegkuti
6. Boniek
7. Hagi
8. Stoitchkov
9. Masopust
10. Bozsik

All great players, but personally I would have Masopust and Bozsik higher and found room for Kubala and Czibor. I would also not have Hidegkuti in the top 10 - he was a great player but very much in a very specific formation and position, I'm not sure he would have been as good in another system.
You're right about Albert, he really is under-rated as a player.
Asside from Yashin the other great Eastern European keeper was Gyula Grocsis, and there are quite a few more just below their level.
If we take pure strikers then Kocsis, Bican and Shevchenko stand out for me, and Hungary has a load of quality in Tichy, Sarosi and Schlosser.
Dragan Dzajic deserves a mention, as do Nedved, Nyilasi and Belanov.

[Gregoriak]

I would also not have Hidegkuti in the top 10 - he was a great player but very much in a very specific formation and position, I'm not sure he would have been as good in another system.

Maybe not. But one could turn that argument around by claiming that the Magic Magyars would not have been possible without Hidegkuti conducting. Hidegkuti's style of play established one major tactical change in the game, that of the withdrawn centre forward. The English didn't know how to deal with a "wandering centre forward" in 1953/54, and by the look of things, they weren't the only ones. I think Hidegkuti played a very vital part in the Magic Magyars' super team of the early 1950s. West German manager Sepp Herberger for example stated that it appeared to him that Hidegkuti was Hungary's most important player, the one player Hungary could do without the least (not Puskas). Since Hidegkuti wore the #9 shirt despite mostly dwelling in the midfield, the centre half that was marking him went usually along with him which created space for the two inside forwards Kocsis and Puskas, allowing them to shine brightly with scoring plenty of goals. Hidegkuti was a typical team player whose style of play allowed others to perform very well and he was also great at conducting the forward line of Puskas, Kocsis, Budai and Czibor (together with Bozsik).

Asside from Yashin the other great Eastern European keeper was Gyula Grocsis, and there are quite a few more just below their level.
If we take pure strikers then Kocsis, Bican and Shevchenko stand out for me, and Hungary has a load of quality in Tichy, Sarosi and Schlosser.
Dragan Dzajic deserves a mention, as do Nedved, Nyilasi and Belanov.

There are many names worth mentioning. Lubanski, Lato, Tichy, Bene, Viktor, Dasaev, Ondrus, Panenka, Tomaszevski, Oblak, Acimovic, Sekularac ... that's why I started this thread.

[Rakim_22]

Hagi and Stoitchkov definately belong there.

[lanman]

Maybe not. But one could turn that argument around by claiming that the Magic Magyars would not have been possible without Hidegkuti conducting. Hidegkuti's style of play established one major tactical change in the game, that of the withdrawn centre forward. The English didn't know how to deal with a "wandering centre forward" in 1953/54, and by the look of things, they weren't the only ones. I think Hidegkuti played a very vital part in the Magic Magyars' super team of the early 1950s. West German manager Sepp Herberger for example stated that it appeared to him that Hidegkuti was Hungary's most important player, the one player Hungary could do without the least (not Puskas). Since Hidegkuti wore the #9 shirt despite mostly dwelling in the midfield, the centre half that was marking him went usually along with him which created space for the two inside forwards Kocsis and Puskas, allowing them to shine brightly with scoring plenty of goals. Hidegkuti was a typical team player whose style of play allowed others to perform very well and he was also great at conducting the forward line of Puskas, Kocsis, Budai and Czibor (together with Bozsik).

I agree with everything you're saying, but I'm not questioning the importance of Hidegkuti to Hungary (and football in general - he is one of the most influential players of all-time in that he defined a completely new position), I just think in terms of overall ability he does not rank with the elite.

[babaorum]

Savicevic ?

[Paddy31]

In no particular order, 10 of my favourite players from the old Communist Bloc.

* Alexander Mostovoi
* Grzegorz Lato
* Oleg Blokhin
* Matthias Sammer
* Kazimierz Deyna
* Alexei Mikhailichenko
* Gheorge Hagi
* Hristo Stoitchkov
* Dariusz Dziekanowski
* Davor Suker

I would not argue that these are the best players , but they are all ones I have enjoyed watching over the years. For this reason, I have not included Lev Yashin or Ferenc Puskas as I have only seen limited highlights of them playing.

[dor02]

My top 10 most judging from what I've heard and other things:

1. Puskas
2. Hagi
3. Yashin
4. Kubala
5. Hidegkuti
6. Stoichkov
7. Kocsis
8. Boniek
9. Lato
10. Nedved

Out of the ones who I've seen the most footage of in no particular order:

1. Hagi
2. Puskas
3. Belanov
4. Dasayev
5. Shevchenko
6. Savicevic
7. Mihaijlovic
8. Nedved
9. Boniek
10. Hidegkuti

[dﮥnny]

My top 10 most judging from what I've heard and other things:

1. Puskas
2. Hagi
3. Yashin
4. Kubala
5. Hidegkuti
6. Stoichkov
7. Kocsis
8. Boniek
9. Lato
10. Nedved

Out of the ones who I've seen the most footage of in no particular order:

1. Hagi
2. Puskas
3. Belanov
4. Dasayev
5. Shevchenko
6. Savicevic
7. Mihaijlovic
8. Nedved
9. Boniek
10. Hidegkuti
Repped for being the first to include Nedved.

[scorpio81]

good call on shevchenko and nedved... current players often get overlooked...

also, i think the best croat ever was zvonimir boban, and would place him above davor suker...

[rangers00]

The obvious candidates to be included on this list are the ones who have won the European footballer of the Year Award:

Masopust
Yashin
Albert
Blokhin
Belanov
Stoichkov
Nedved
Schevchenko

That's already 8 of them. I won't count Sammer as a Eastern because he won the award for Germany. And of course, there are those whose prime preceeded the era of EFOY.

There are lots of great players not on the EPOY winner list:

Poland - Lubanski, Deyna, Boniek
Czechoslovkia - Planicka, Popluhar, Viktor
USSR - Netto, Dasayev
Hungary - Puskas, Kocsis, Bozsik, Czibor
Yugoslavia - Dzajic
Romania - Hagi

It's very tough to nail down a top 10 list, but my list would certainly include
Yashin and Puskas.

[Godinho10]

Hagi and Stoitchkov definately belong there.

Two golden lefties. :cool:

[dor02]

good call on shevchenko and nedved... current players often get overlooked...

also, i think the best croat ever was zvonimir boban, and would place him above davor suker...I agree on Boban. I can't believe that I forgot about Boban! He was a great player with AC Milan as well as for Croatia. Did he captain AC at one stage? I'm not sure. I know that he captained Croatia at France 98.

I don't think this guy is the greatest Czech player ever but Antonin Panenka is worthy of a mention. He scored the winning penalty in the Euro 76 Final with an audacious chip.

[dreamer]

My top 10 most judging from what I've heard and other things:

1. Puskas
2. Hagi
3. Yashin
4. Kubala
5. Hidegkuti
6. Stoichkov
7. Kocsis
8. Boniek
9. Lato
10. Nedved

Out of the ones who I've seen the most footage of in no particular order:

1. Hagi
2. Puskas
3. Belanov
4. Dasayev
5. Shevchenko
6. Savicevic
7. Mihaijlovic
8. Nedved
9. Boniek
10. Hidegkuti


Good list.

[Bentex]

Puskás
Kubala
Czibor
Nyers
Bozsik
Albert
Hidegkuti
Nedved
Stoichkov
Yashin

[comme]

In terms of a top 10 I would go with

Puskas
Yashin
Boszik
Masopust
Kubala
Dzajic
Kocsis
Shevchenko
Boniek
Nedved

but a personal favourite of mine was Dragan Stoijkovic, probably the player most hurt by the troubles in Yugolsavia at the start of the 90s. He was a wonderful playmaker and leader.

[scorpio81]

what about thomas skhuhravy! :p