# 1997–98 Újpesti TE season

The 1997–98 season was Újpesti Torna Egylet's 92nd competitive season, 86th consecutive season in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I and 112th year in existence as a football club. In addition to the domestic league, Újpest participated in this season's editions of the Magyar Kupa and UEFA Cup.
The season started against KÍ Klaksvík in the UEFA Cup and ended with an aggragete score of 9–2. Their next opponents were AGF from Denmark, whom they lost to in the second qualifying round. Újpest were losing finalist in the Magyar Kupa.
The team made an unbeaten run in away games and on 30 May, it became certain that they would win their 20th top-flight title with a draw against Videoton at Sóstói Stadion. This is the last league title Újpest have won.

## First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | HUN | Sándor Jenei |
| — | DF | HUN | Zoltán Szlezák (captain) |
| — | DF | HUN | Csaba Fehér |
| — | DF | HUN | Vilmos Sebők |
| — | MF | HUN | Ferenc Babati |
| — | MF | HUN | Norbert Tóth |
| — | FW | HUN | Károly Szanyó |
| — | FW | HUN | Miklós Herczeg |
| — | MF | HUN | Krisztián Kvasz |
| — | DF | HUN | Balázs Kiskapusi |
| — | MF | HUN | János Árgyelán |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | HUN | Balázs Bérczy |
| — | GK | HUN | Szabolcs Bíró |
| — | FW | HUN | Dénes Eszenyi |
| — | FW | SRB | Goran Kopunović |
| — | FW | HUN | Attila Korsós |
| — | MF | HUN | István Kozma |
| — | DF | NGA | Precious Monye |
| — | MF | HUN | Tamás Pető |
| — | MF | HUN | Zoltán Tamási |
| — | MF | HUN | György Véber |
| — | GK | HUN | Balázs Zele |

## Transfers
### Summer

| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | HUN | Norbert Tóth (from Videoton) |
| — | FW | HUN | Károly Szanyó (from Lübeck) |
| — | FW | HUN | Dénes Eszenyi (from Eintracht Trier) |
| — | FW | SRB | Goran Kopunović (from Larnaca) |
| — | MF | HUN | István Kozma (from APOEL) |
| — | DF | NGA | Precious Monye (on loan from Reggiana) |
| — | MF | HUN | Tamás Pető (from Videoton) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | HUN | Péter Kovács (on loan to La Neuveville-Lamboing) |
| — | MF | HUN | Zoltán Mátyás (to Dunaferr) |

### Winter

| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | HUN | János Árgyelán (from Videoton) |
| — | GK | HUN | Szabolcs Bíró (from Videoton) |
| — | MF | HUN | Attila Korsós (from Videoton) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | HUN | Zoltán Kovács (to PAOK) |
| — | MF | HUN | Zalán Zombori (to Vasas) |
| — | GK | HUN | Lajos Szűcs (to Kaiserslautern) |

## Competitions
### Overview

| Competition | Starting round | Final position | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Competition | Starting round | Final position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Nemzeti Bajnokság I | Matchday 1 | Winners | 34 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 62 | 26 | +36 | 061.76 |
| Magyar Kupa | Round of 32 | Runners-up | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 080.00 |
| UEFA Cup | First qualifying round | Second qualifying round | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 050.00 |
| Total | Total | Total | 43 | 27 | 11 | 5 | 84 | 35 | +49 | 062.79 |
Source: Competitions

### Nemzeti Bajnokság I
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Újpest (C) | 34 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 62 | 26 | +36 | 73 | Qualification for Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Ferencváros | 34 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 63 | 43 | +20 | 67 | Qualification for UEFA Cup first qualifying round |
| 3 | Vasas | 34 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 66 | 41 | +25 | 64 | |
| 4 | Győr | 34 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 47 | 31 | +16 | 63 | |
| 5 | MTK Hungária | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 60 | 35 | +25 | 58 | Qualification for Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: Competitions

#### Matches
### Magyar Kupa

The club joined the tournament in the round of 32 as participants of the UEFA Cup.
Source:

### UEFA Cup
#### Second qualifying round
## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | HUN | Szabolcs Bíró | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | HUN | Balázs Zele | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | HUN | Zoltán Szlezák | 35 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | HUN | Vilmos Sebők | 35 | 6 | 31 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| | DF | HUN | Csaba Fehér | 32 | 2 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | HUN | Balázs Kiskapusi | 28 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | HUN | Tamás Pető | 22 | 4 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | NGA | Precious Monye | 21 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | HUN | Norbert Tóth | 34 | 8 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | HUN | István Kozma | 29 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | HUN | Sándor Jenei | 27 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| | MF | HUN | György Véber | 24 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | HUN | Ferenc Babati | 16 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | HUN | Zoltán Tamási | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | HUN | Krisztián Kvasz | 13 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | HUN | Balázs Bérczy | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | HUN | János Árgyelán | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | HUN | Miklós Herczeg | 35 | 14 | 33 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| | FW | HUN | Dénes Eszenyi | 18 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | HUN | Károly Szanyó | 17 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| | FW | HUN | Attila Korsós | 15 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SRB | Goran Kopunović | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Players loaned out (for full season): ||||||||||
| | MF | HUN | Péter Kovács | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players left the club (from summer): ||||||||||
| | MF | GUI | Mohamed Tawal Camara | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Players left the club (from winter): ||||||||||
| | GK | HUN | Lajos Szűcs | 21 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | HUN | Zalán Zombori | 12 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | FW | HUN | Zoltán Kovács | 21 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 4 |

### Goalscorers

| Rank | Nat. | Name | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | UEFA Cup | Total |
| 1 | | Miklós Herczeg | 12 | 2 | 14 |
| 2 | | Zoltán Kovács | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| 3 | | Norbert Tóth | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 4 | | Vilmos Sebők | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | | Dénes Eszenyi | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | | Károly Szanyó | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | | György Véber | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | | Tamás Pető | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | | Attila Korsós | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | | Csaba Fehér | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | | Sándor Jenei | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | | Zoltán Szlezák | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | | Balázs Kiskapusi | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | | Precious Monye | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | | Ferenc Babati | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | | Goran Kopunović | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Own goals | Own goals | Own goals | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 62 | 11 | 73 |

### Hat-tricks

| Player | Against | Result | Date | Competition | Round |
| Zoltán Kovács | KÍ Klaksvík | 6–0 (H) | 23 July 1997 | UEFA Cup | QR1 |
| Dénes Eszenyi | Békéscsaba | 4–1 (H) | 23 May 1998 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 32 |

### Disciplinary record

| Pos. | Nat. | Name | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup | Total | Total | Total |
| DF | | Vilmos Sebők | 9 | 1 | 1 | | | | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| DF | | Csaba Fehér | 8 | | 1 | 1 | | | 9 | | 1 |
| DF | | Tamás Pető | 6 | 1 | | | | | 6 | 1 | |
| MF | | Zoltán Tamási | 6 | | 1 | | | | 6 | | 1 |
| DF | | Balázs Kiskapusi | 4 | | | 1 | | | 5 | | |
| MF | | György Véber | 5 | | | | | | 5 | | |
| DF | | Precious Monye | 4 | | 1 | | | | 4 | | 1 |
| FW | | Miklós Herczeg | 3 | | | | | 1 | 3 | | 1 |
| FW | | Attila Korsós | 4 | | | | | | 4 | | |
| MF | | Zalán Zombori | 2 | | | 2 | | | 4 | | |
| DF | | Zoltán Szlezák | 3 | | | | | | 3 | | |
| FW | | Zoltán Kovács | 3 | | | | | | 3 | | |
| MF | | Krisztián Kvasz | 2 | 1 | | | | | 2 | 1 | |
| MF | | Norbert Tóth | 2 | | | | | | 2 | | |
| MF | | István Kozma | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | |
| MF | | Sándor Jenei | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | |
| MF | | Ferenc Babati | | | | 1 | | | 1 | | |
| FW | | Goran Kopunović | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 64 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 69 | 3 | 5 |

### Clean sheets

| Rank | Nat. | Name | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | UEFA Cup | Total |
| 1 | | Lajos Szűcs | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| 1 | | Szabolcs Bíró | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | | Balázs Zele | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | Total | 14 | 2 | 16 |