# Puskás Akadémia FC

Puskás Akadémia Football Club is a professional football club based in Felcsút, Hungary, that competes in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, the top flight of Hungarian football.
Puskás Akadémia have spent ten seasons in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, the top flight of the Hungarian football league system, and reached the Final of the 2017–18 Magyar Kupa season and finished third three times.

## History

The aim of the founders was to establish an academy for Fehérvár FC and to establish a fitting memorial to the legendary Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskás.

### 2010s

Puskás won the 2012–13 Nemzeti Bajnokság II and were promoted to the Nemzeti Bajnokság I. Puskás could win 21 matches and drew only seven times. The club were beaten only twice during the season.
In the first season of the top tier (2013–14 Nemzeti Bajnokság I), Puskás finished 14th and escaped from the relegation. The club collected 31 point. On 28 September 2013, Puskás surprisingly beat Ferencváros 3-1 at home on game week 9 of the 2013-14 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.
In the 2014–15 Nemzeti Bajnokság I, Puskás finished 10th and escaped from relegation. Puskás also received a license from the Hungarian Football Federation during the transformation of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I. The transformation meant that the number of clubs were reduced to 12 from 16 and clubs such as Győr and Kecskemét were relegated even if they finished in the eighth and ninth position respectively.
On the 30th matchday of the 2015–16 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season, Robert Jarni was dismissed due to the defeat against Békéscsaba 1912 Előre at the Pancho Aréna on 16 April 2016 resulting Puskás Akadémia's last position and relegation for the first time in history.
On 22 December 2016, Attila Pintér was appointed as the head coach of the club. Pintér left Mezőkövesdi SE, playing in the 2016–17 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season, for Puskás Akadémia.
On 21 May 2017, Puskás Akadémia won the 2016–17 Nemzeti Bajnokság II season after a goalless draw against Ceglédi VSE in Albertirsa. As a consequence, Puskás Akadémia got promoted to the 2017–18 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season. They could return to the first division after spending only one year in the second division.
On 12 June 2017, András Komjáti, previously manager of Vasas SC, was appointed as the club director.
Before the start of the 2017–18 Nemzeti Bajnokság I, Puskás Akadémia signed Molnár from Mezőkövesd, Radó from Ferencváros, thus becoming the third most valuable team in the 2017–18 season of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I.
On 4 June 2018, Pintér was sacked after finishing 6th in the 2017–18 Nemzeti Bajnokság I.
On 8 December 2018, after a 1–1 draw against Paksi FC Benczés was sacked due to the negative results. The club finished 9th before the winter break. Therefore, András Komjáti would be the interim manager on the last match day of the 2018–19 Nemzeti Bajnokság I.
On 29 December 2018, János Radoki, who was born in Mór, was appointed as the manager of the club. Radoki previously played 25 matches in the 1999–2000 Bundesliga in SSV Ulm as a player. He managed the U-17 team of FC Augsburg and the U-19 team of Greuther Fürth. On 7 April 2019, Radoki was replaced by András Komjáti after a shocking defeat (0–4) at home against Kisvárda FC.

### 2020s

The first match of the 2020-21 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season was postponed after one player tested positive for COVID-19.
Puskás finished second in the 2020–21 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season. Therefore, they were eligible for playing in the 2021-22 UEFA Conference League season. In the first round, Puskás drew with FC Inter Turku and beat the Finnish team at home. However, in the second round Puskás were defeated both at home (0–2) and away (0–3) by the Latvian club FK RFS.
On 21 July 2022, Puskás lost 3–0 against Vitória S.C. in the first leg of the second round of the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques in Guimarães, Portugal.
In the 2023–24 Nemzeti Bajnokság I, Puskás Akadémia finished third. They won 15 matches, among which the most surprising victory was against title holders Ferencváros at the Groupama Aréna on 13 August 2023. Puskás Akadémia drew 10 times and lost eight matches. The biggest defeat was against Kecskemét on 26 August 2023.
Puskás entered the second round of the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League qualifying phase. However, they could advance to the third round without playing against SC Dnipro-1 since the Ukrainian opponent forfeited due to bankruptcy. Puskás were awarded a 6–0 victory. On 28 July 2024, Puskás started the 2024–25 Nemzeti Bajnokság I with a 2–1 victory over Újpest FC at the Szusza Ferenc Stadion. On 4 August 2024, Puskás beat Zalaegerszeg at home in the Nemzeti Bajnokság. On 8 August 2024, Puskás beat FC Ararat-Armenia 1–0 at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan, Armenia. The only goal was scored by Mikael Soisalo in the 89th minute. On 11 August 2024, Puskás beat newly-promoted Nyíregyháza 3-1 at home in the Nemzeti Bajnokság. On 15 August 2024, Puskás drew with Ararat-Armenia (3–3) at the Pancho Aréna. Puskás qualified for the play-offs on 4–3 aggregate. On 18 August 2024, Puksás beat MTK Budapest 1-0 at home. The club started the season with four victories. On 22 August 2024, Puksás were hosted by Serie A club ACF Fiorentina. Puskás took the lead and in the 12th minute Puskás were winning by two goals. The goals were scored by Zsolt Nagy and Soisalo. Just before the end of the first half, Ricardo Sottil scored a goal (1–2). In the second half, Fiorentina could equalize the result thanks to Lucas Martinez Quarta and took the lead in the 75th minute thanks to Moise Kean. In the 89th minute Wojciech Golla scored the equalizer. The match ended with a draw (3–3) at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy. In the second tie, Puskás drew with Fiorentina at the Panho Aréna on 29 August 2024. Fiorentina took the lead in the 59th minute by Kean. Zsolt Nagy scored the equalizer in the 97th minute. In the extra time the teams did not score any goals. In the penalty shoot-out, Roland Szolnoki missed the penalty which meant that Fiorentina qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League league phase.

## Honours

* Nemzeti Bajnokság I
** Runners-up (1): 2020–21
** Third place (3): 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24
* Nemzeti Bajnokság II
** Winners (2): 2012–13, 2016–17
** Third place (1): 2010–11
* Magyar Kupa
** Runners-up (1): 2017–18

### Youth teams

* Puskás Cup
** Winners (1): 2021
** Runners-up (4): 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016
** Third place (1): 2017

## European record

As of matches played 22 August 2024
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Agg. |
| 2020–21 | UEFA Europa League | 1QR | Hammarby IF | 0−3 | 0−3 | 0−3 |
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1QR | Inter Turku | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2QR | RFS | 0−2 | 0−3 | 0−5 |
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2QR | Vitória de Guimarães | 0–0 | 0−3 | 0–3 |
| 2024–25 | UEFA Conference League | 2QR | Dnipro-1 | 3−0 awd. | 3−0 awd. | 6−0 |
| 2024–25 | UEFA Conference League | 3QR | Ararat-Armenia | 3–3 | 1–0 | 4–3 |
| 2024–25 | UEFA Conference League | PO | Fiorentina | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | 3–3 | 4–4 (4–5 p) |

### Notes

* QR: Qualifying round
* PO: Play-off round

## Players
### Current squad

    As of 25 January, 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 6 | MF | CPV | Laros Duarte |
| 8 | MF | HUN | Dominik Kocsis |
| 9 | FW | GAM | Lamin Colley |
| 10 | FW | SWE | Jonathan Levi |
| 11 | MF | UKR | Artem Tyshchuk |
| 14 | DF | POL | Wojciech Golla |
| 15 | MF | CZE | Jakub Plšek |
| 16 | MF | FIN | Urho Nissilä |
| 17 | DF | CZE | Patrizio Stronati |
| 19 | MF | UKR | Artem Favorov |
| 20 | MF | FIN | Mikael Soisalo |
| 21 | FW | CRO | Jakov Puljić |
| 22 | DF | HUN | Roland Szolnoki (captain) |
| 23 | DF | SUI | Quentin Maceiras |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 24 | GK | HUN | Tamás Markek |
| 25 | MF | HUN | Zsolt Nagy |
| 33 | DF | ENG | Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill |
| 44 | MF | HUN | Szabolcs Dusinszki |
| 55 | DF | HUN | Viktor Vitályos |
| 66 | DF | HUN | Ákos Markgráf |
| 72 | GK | HUN | Bendegúz Lehoczki |
| 76 | DF | HUN | Barna Pál |
| 77 | FW | HUN | Kevin Mondovics |
| 88 | MF | HUN | Bence Vékony |
| 91 | GK | HUN | Ármin Pécsi |
| 99 | FW | HUN | Zalán Kerezsi |
| — | DF | ARM | Georgy Arutyunyan |

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | HUN | Bendegúz Farkas (at Nyíregyháza until 30 June 2025) |
| — | MF | HUN | Balázs Bakti (at Zalaegerszeg until 30 June 2025) |
| — | MF | HUN | Szabolcs Businszki (at Csákvár until 30 June 2025) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | HUN | Gergő Ominger (at Fehérvár until 30 June 2025) |
| — | MF | HUN | Patrik Posztobányi (at Mezőkövesdi SE until 30 June 2025) |

### Reserve team

For the reserve squads, see Puskás Akadémia II

## Records

| Top appearances | |
| Zsolt Nagy | 202 |
| Roland Szolnoki | 141 |