When, in 1938, it was announced that the world famous Ferencvaros were visiting Malta, the expectations of the Maltese enthusiasts were sky-high.

The MFA took immediate steps to prepare the national team for the tourney which was expected to break local attendance records.

A squad of 17 players was chosen for special training and a trial match was arranged against the Navy selection on December 8.

The Navy had a very strong team as they showed in that season’s Cassar Cup.

A week before the game against the MFA XI, they hammered the Army by the huge score of 8-1.

Nevertheless, the Maltese were not awed by the sailors’ reputation and the national team, playing their first match since 1935, emerged 5-1 winners. Salvu Sammut was on top of his form in that match, scoring a superb hat-trick.

The Maltese were elated about their team’s performance and their morale soared for the match against Ferencvaros.

All their expectations, however, came to nought against the slick Hungarians.

On January 9, Ferencvaros crushed the MFA XI to the tune of 12-3, a margin which left no room for complaint or grounds for excuses.

The MFA XI, strengthened by five foreign players, were no match for the Hungarians who wove their way through the hosts’ defence at will.

It was a great disappointment for the Maltese supporters who had expected so much from their team.

The MFA XI had Stan Vickers and Leo Dunne, of Floriana, missing through injury and Ċensu Friggieri was serving a one-match suspension.

It was a tough blow for the Maltese selectors but it was no excuse for the humiliating display of the team. They had reckoned there was enough talent in the side to make the Hungarians fight harder for their victory.

The 12-3 result gives a clear view of how the game was played.

By half-time the score was already 6-0 for Ferencvaros. Then, at the start of the second half, the Maltese gave the impression that they were going to start playing football.

Sliema Wanderers duo, Frans Freiberger and Tony Nicholl, scored a goal each to make the result a little bit more respectable. But, this was only a signal for the visitors to shift to top gear again and the Magyars added another half dozen for good measure!

Budapest lawyer shines

Gyorgy Sarosi, the lawyer from Budapest, scored eight of his side’s goals, creating a local record which still stands to this day.

He was a great player the likes of which had rarely been seen on our islands. Sarosi was a versatile footballer and he played in several positions for Ferencvaros and the Hungary national team.

Essentially, he was what we nowadays call a second striker.

Between 1932 and 1941, Sarosi helped Ferencvaros win five league titles. He scored a goal in the 1934 World Cup but his finest hour came when he captained Hungary in the 1938 World Cup finals.

He scored five goals in the tournament, including one in the final to narrow Italy’s lead to 3-2 although a Silvio Piola goal eventually finished off the Hungarians.

Sarosi was awarded the bronze ball after finishing third in the 1938 World Cup top scorers’ list.

In all, Sarosi played 62 times for Hungary, scoring 42 goals. After his retirement he moved to Italy where he managed Juventus, Bari and Roma. He died in 1993, aged 80.

In the match against the MFA XI, apart from Sarosi’s eight goals, the other scorers were Toldi, Tarkos and Kemenyi (two).

The third goal for the MFA XI was scored by Freiberger.

The Hungarians left a very good impression on the Maltese and, for many years, Sarosi and his team-mates were used as a yardstick with which to gauge the skills of other teams touring the island.