Ever heard of Puskas Akademia? A Hungarian first division team that would not exist without Viktor Orban. What’s behind it? Merkur.de reports from Hungary.
Felcsut – More than ten football pitches, their own gym and restaurant for the players – and a stadium that looks more like a cathedral than a sports facility: In Felcsut, Hungary, there is a state-of-the-art football area that many a German Bundesliga club can only look at with envy. The village, around 45 kilometers from Budapest, has only 1,800 inhabitants. But also an ambitious Hungarian first division club. With a prominent founding father: Viktor Orban*.
Puskas Akademia: Orban’s football empire in the Hungarian provinces
Puskas Akadaemia is the name of the club that plays in the Pancho Arena, named after the former Hungarian world-class player Ferenc Puskas. Pancho was Puskas’ nickname at Real Madrid. The club has only existed since 2005. Hungary’s current Prime Minister Viktor Orban launched the club. In the football academy, young players in particular should be promoted. Orban entered into a cooperation with Fehervar FC, a first division club from his hometown of Szekesfehervar.
Felcsut is the place where Orban grew up. When the Hungarian politician talks about his football club, it’s easy to talk about a project close to his heart. Orban, who says he’s a football-mad man who used to play as a center forward himself, doesn’t seem to be just about the love of the ball.
Puska’s Academy: “Prince” Meszaros – Orban’s sidekick is the richest man in the country
Orban was initially president of the club but has now delegated responsibility to his old childhood friend Lörinc Meszaros. Meszaros has become the richest man in the country thanks to opaque deals and ties to Orban. In Felcsut, the 56-year-old billionaire is omnipresent. He was mayor of the municipality for several years, and one of his more than hundred companies sponsors Puskas Akademia. Officially, he appears as the chairman of the board.
Meszaros founded a small gas installation company in Felcsut in 1990. Thanks to state orders, Meszaros & Meszaros GmbH is now Hungary’s most important player in the construction market. In 2017, the operation was the fastest growing public company in the world. His investment repertoire is broad – from tourism to media to nuclear power. Meszaros was almost on the verge of bankruptcy before. Now he’s worth an estimated $1.4 billion, according to Forbes. How did he do it? He himself says: “By God, luck and certainly Viktor Orban.”
Orban challenger Marki-Zay: “Meszaros is nothing more than Orban’s wallet”
Dara, a German teacher from near Felcsut says: “We call him the prince, it’s like in a fairy tale. Actually he was a simple gas fitter, now he is the richest man in the whole country. Something like that only works in Hungary.”
If Meszaros is the prince, Orban is the king. The prime minister arranges lucrative deals for his buddy – and not just in stadium construction. When Meszaros founded the clothing brand 2Rule, he was a sponsor of three first division clubs within a very short time – without having sold a single T-shirt.
Peter Marki-Zay*, Orban’s opponent in the April 3 prime ministerial election, says Merkur.de about Meszaros: “He became rich through Orban and is anything but independent.” Marki-Zay resonates with allegations of personal enrichment. Because Orban is not allowed to own private companies due to his position as prime minister, he takes a detour via Meszaros. “Meszaros is nothing more than Orban’s wallet. His wealth is also Orban’s wealth, there’s no doubt about that.”
When visiting in mid-March, the village appears tranquil and unspectacular at first glance. Church. Supermarket. post office. The side street that leads from the bus station to Pancho Arena is interesting. Right next to the stadium is a fenced white house with the Hungarian flag hoisted in the front yard. It’s Orban’s cabin. He’s often there, says a villager. He also comes to Puskas games regularly. It even has its own parking lot at the stadium entrance. He’s not in the arena this Friday night.
Hungary’s sports policy: “Corruption and distortion of competition thrive under Orban”
The town hall of the municipality is not available for information and Puskas Akademia also refuses to answer critical questions. One does not comment on political discussions, according to the press spokesman of the association. In front of the stadium we meet a youth player. Wesley, 17 years old, from Canada. He cannot comment on the investments, he says. He just wants to play football in Europe. Critical questions are undesirable in Felcsut.
The CDU politician Inge Grässle also experienced this. The current Bundestag and former MEP was in Felscut a few years ago with the EU Budget Control Committee. It should check whether EU funds are being wasted. Because Orban has built a train connection from a nearby forest to the Pancho Arena with the help of financial support from Brussels. The route is not actually used. The accusation of wasting money is still in the room today.
“Corruption and distortion of competition thrive under Orban,” says Graessle IPPEN.MEDIA. Orban opponents were given “no access to EU programs and projects”. “The circle of entrepreneurs around him, in turn, has privileged opportunities. Your business projects will be protected”.
Hungary’s sports policy: “Those who are close to the politically powerful will be successful”
That evening, Puskas beat Paks 2-0. Only a few were interested: only 400 fans came to the 4000-seat Pancho Arena, a good half of them from Paks. Even with other first division teams, the games are rarely sold out. Nevertheless, eleven of the twelve first division clubs have gotten a new arena in the last ten years. “Football stadiums are being built all over Hungary that were half empty before the corona pandemic,” says Green European politician Daniel Freund on request. “In turn, those who have become millionaires and billionaires with public contracts benefit from these construction projects.” Lörinc Meszaros is one of them.
In professional football in Hungary, the following applies: “In the end, those who are close to the politically powerful will be successful. It’s no coincidence that a huge stadium was built next to the prime minister’s house in a provincial backwater of Hungary and the club there suddenly found themselves among the top clubs in the league.” Puskas is third with eight games remaining and could qualify for international matches. Maybe then a few more spectators will come. (as) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
Hungary Election 2022
This article is part of our coverage of the Hungarian elections on April 3rd. Another text on Hungary’s sports policy will follow on Friday, and an interview with Orban’s challenger Peter Marki-Zay on Sunday.
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