The great Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskas storied playing and coaching career ended in the relative backwater of Middle Park in Melbourne, coaching a South Melbourne Hellas team captained by current Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou.A sporting story of a humble, football colossus in soccer’s new world, full of quirky anecdotes and a ripping championship finale.And also a story of Australia’s ethnic football heritage, and how it sustained new arrivals.

After retiring as a player, he became a coach. The highlight of his coaching career came in 1971 when he guided Panathinaikos to the European Cup final, where they lost 2–0 to Ajax. He also led the club to the championship in 1972, becoming an icon in the country. Afterward he’d have spells at various countries and clubs, including Spain, Paraguay and the Saudi Arabia national team, with varying success. He returned again to Greece to manage an exceptionally strong AEK team for the 1978–79 season. In 1993, he returned to Hungary and took temporary charge of the Hungary national team