About the lecture:
The presentation interprets the international migration of Hungarian footballers during the Cold War not merely as geographical movement, but as a conscious career strategy shaped by political and institutional constraints. Through iconic examples such as Ferenc Puskás and László Kubala, it demonstrates that players’ career trajectories were influenced not only by individual performance, but crucially by informal networks, including former teammates, coaches, intermediaries, and émigré communities. The presentation focuses on the social mechanisms that enabled Hungarian footballers to continue their careers in Western and Southern Europe despite restrictive political environments. It argues that access to social capital played a key role in facilitating mobility, allowing players to bypass formal barriers and open up new professional opportunities abroad.
About Tabi Norbert:
Norbert Tabi was born in Budapest in 1990. He obtained his BA and MA degrees in History at Eötvös Loránd University, and an MA in Political Science at Corvinus University of Budapest. He completed his PhD studies at the Doctoral School of History at Eötvös Loránd University, in the Modern Hungarian History program. His dissertation examined the social and political role of the Ferencvárosi Torna Club (FTC) during the Rákosi era and the early Kádár period (1948–1963). Since 2022, he has been working as an assistant professor at the Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University. Besides his scientific works he is also regularly involved in public history activities, giving guided city tours and lectures with the company Imagine Budapest.
