József Eisenhoffer

**József Eisenhoffer** aka **József Aczél** (̈8 November 1900 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary - 13 February  1945) was a Hungarian football player and coach.

## Career

József Eisenhoffer played in the Hungarian first league for Kispesti AC from 1917 to 1920. From 1920 to 1924 he played for Ferencvárosi Torna Club. Around the turn of the year 1923/24 he was briefly at Makkabi Brno, but moved back to Ferencváros after a few weeks.

Eisenhoffer was not a Jew by birth. After his signing for Hakoah Vienna there was a rumor in the Viennese newspapers that he had only converted to Judaism so he could play for them. He had already converted in Hungary so that he could marry his bride, who came from an Orthodox Jewish family. His wife was also the reason why he went to Hakoah. He had actually already agreed with Hamburger SV He was persuaded by his wife to play for a club that was closer to Budapest. Eisenhoffer then offered his services to Hakoah and was hired.

With the Hakoah, József Eisenhoffer became champion in 1925. In the spring of 1926, the Hakoah made a tour in America. A number of Hakoah players - including Eisenhoffer - being offered contracts by US clubs. Eisenhoffer returned to Vienna with the team and played to the end of the championship. Then he informed the club of his intended move. He left for New York  and played for Brooklyn Wanderers. Eisenhoffer played two seasons for the Wanderers in the ASL before two competing leagues were created in 1928 as part of the Soccer War. He moved to the newly founded New York Hakoah (also called Hakoah All-Stars). In his only season with New York Hakoah he won the National Challenge Cup in 1929. Eisenhoffer returned to the Wanderers and played there for two more seasons. He played 161 league matches in the ASL for the Wanderers and Hakoah.He scored 51 goals.

After his time in the USA, József Eisenhoffer returned to the Vienna Hakoah in 1931, for whom he played in the championship again until the end of 1932. In a total of three and a half seasons he played 67 championship games for Hakoah and scored 29 goals.

He then moved to France to Olympique Marseille. Up to and including the 1935/36 season he played 58 games in Division 1, in which he scored 19 goals. He won the national cup in 1935 with a 3-0 win in the final over Stade Rennais UC. From 1935 onwards, Eisenhoffer also worked as a coach in Marseille . In November 1938 he moved to RC Lens as a coach, but returned to Marseille at the end of that season. During the Second World War he occasionally helped out as a player and played in eight league and seven cup matches between 1939 and 1941.

## Death

József Eisenhoffer died of blood poisoning caused by an untreated shrapnel wound during the bombing of Budapest in early 1945.

## Honours

- 1 × Austrian champion: 1925
- 1 × National Challenge Cup winner: 1929
- 1 × French champion: 1936/37 (as coach)
- 2 × Coupe de France: 1934/35 (as a player), 1937/38 (as a coach)

## Infobox (football biography)

- **name**: József Eisenhoffer
- **image**: Jozsef Eisenhoffer.jpg
- **birth place**: Budapest, Hungary
- **position**: Striker (association football), Inside or Outside Left, midfielder, left half
- **youthyears1**: 1912–1917
- **youthclubs1**: Budapest TC
- **years1**: 1917–1920
- **years2**: 1920–1924
- **years3**: 1923–1924
- **years4**: 1924–1926
- **years5**: 1926–1928
- **years6**: 1928–1929
- **years7**: 1929
- **years8**: 1929–1931
- **years9**: 1931–1933
- **years10**: 1932–1936
- **years11**: 1939–1941
- **clubs1**: Kispest A.C.
- **clubs2**: Ferencvárosi TC, Ferencvárosi
- **clubs3**: → Makkabi des Brno (loan)
- **clubs4**: Hakoah Vienna
- **clubs5**: Brooklyn Wanderers
- **clubs6**: New York Hakoah
- **clubs7**: Brooklyn Hakoah
- **clubs8**: Brooklyn Wanderers
- **clubs9**: Hakoah Vienna
- **clubs10**: Olympique de Marseille, Marseille
- **clubs11**: Olympique de Marseille, Marseille
- **caps5**: 90
- **caps7**: 5
- **caps8**: 66
- **caps9**: 67
- **caps10**: 58
- **caps11**: 8
- **goals5**: 32
- **goals7**: 3
- **goals8**: 16
- **goals9**: 21
- **goals10**: 19
- **goals11**: 2
- **nationalyears1**: 1920–1924
- **nationalteam1**: Hungary national football team, Hungary
- **nationalcaps1**: 8
- **nationalgoals1**: 7
- **manageryears1**: 1935–1938
- **manageryears2**: 1938
- **manageryears3**: 1938–1941
- **managerclubs1**: Olympique de Marseille, Marseille
- **managerclubs2**: RC Lens, Lens
- **managerclubs3**: Olympique de Marseille, Marseille