Ferencvárosi Torna Club, commonly known as Ferencváros (), Fradi, FTC is a Hungarian professional football club based in Budapest, that competes in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, the top flight of Hungarian football. Ferencváros was founded in 1899 by Ferenc Springer and a group of local residents of Budapest's ninth district, Ferencváros. Domestically, the club has won the Nemzeti Bajnokság I 36 times, Magyar Kupa 24 times and Szuperkupa 6 times—all competition records. Internationally, they won the 1964–65 edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup after defeating Juventus 1–0 in Turin in the final. Ferencváros also reached the final in the same competition in 1968, when they lost to Leeds United, as well as the final in the 1974–75 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup, losing to Dynamo Kyiv.
The best-known part of the club is the well-supported men's football team. The parent multisport club Ferencvárosi TC divisions include women's football, women's handball, men's futsal, men's ice hockey, men's handball, men's water polo, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, wrestling, curling and swimming teams.
The club colours are green and white, and the club's mascot is a green eagle, hence another of the club's nicknames, The Green Eagles.
History
On 3 May 1899, Ferencvárosi TC was founded by citizens of the 9th district of Budapest. With the exception of three seasons between 2006 and 2009, Ferencváros have played in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I since its inception in 1901. The club's financial problems in 2006 resulted in the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) withdrawing the club's licence; a withdrawal that was eventually deemed unauthorized. Following this, Fradi were promoted back to the first division in 2009.
Ferencváros are the most successful Hungarian team both domestically and internationally. They won the 1964–65 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and have also won the Nemzeti Bajnokság I 36 times and the Magyar Kupa 24 times.
They qualified for the renewed Champions League, the first Hungarian club to do so, in the 1995–1996 season. Since then, the club have also taken part in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, 2019–20 Europa League, 2020–21 Champions League, and 2021–22 Europa League group stages.
On 3 December 1900 the football section of the club was established. Two months later, on 10 February, the first Hungarian championship match took place between Ferencváros and Budapesti TC, though it was not officially recognized by the Hungarian Football Federation. The first official championship match was played on 21 April 1901, when Ferencváros suffered a 5–3 defeat against MUE. Borbás Gáspár, then 17 years old, scored Ferencváros' first official championship goal. The first point was earned in a 2–2 draw against Műegyetem, and the first victory came on 16 June 1901 (FTC-Budapesti SC 5–1).
Interestingly, Ferencváros made its international debut earlier than in domestic competitions. On 25 March 1901, the Viennese Cricketer defeated the Hungarian team 9–0. On 5 May, against the Old Cricketer (5–0, the first Ferencváros victory in international competition), the players wore the first badge with five green and four white stripes and three inverted E's in a green shield at the bottom – a design that still references the club's motto: morals, strength, unity.
In 1902, Ferencváros suffered its heaviest defeat, losing 16–0 against the English team Oxford FC. The club secured its first championship title in 1903 and the second in 1905, followed by three more in the 1900s (1906/07, 1908/09, 1909/10). On 6 June 1909 FTC permanently won the first Hungarian football challenge trophy, capturing the silver ball for the fifth time.
On 12 February 1911 Ferencváros inaugurated its new stadium on Üllői Road, Ferencváros Stadion, where it still plays today. Schlosser Imre scored the first green-and-white goal in the new facility. In 1911, the club won its third consecutive championship title, remaining unbeaten in 21 matches that season. In 1912, Ferencváros defeated Working FC, winning against an English team in England for the first time. In the same year, they beat the III. district team 11–3, with Schlosser scoring eight goals in one match, a record that still stands for goals scored in a single match. The 1911/12 championship brought another Ferencváros title, marking the club's seventh.
In 1913, Ferencváros achieved not only the championship title but also won the Hungarian Cup for the first time in its history.
In 1914, World War I broke out, bringing a somber year for Ferencváros football players. Almost every member of the team received military service call-ups, and many of them never returned home.
Crest and colours
The colours of the club are green and white. The nine stripes on the club badge, five green and four white, symbolise the district of Ferencváros, Budapest's ninth district. The three E's on Ferencváros' badge represent the club's motto of Erkölcs, Erő, Egyetértés ().
Naming history Ferencvárosi TC has changed names various times throughout their history: 1899–1950: Ferencvárosi Torna Club 1950–1951: ÉDOSZ SE 1951–1956: Kinizsi 1956–present: Ferencvárosi Torna Club
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors The following table shows in detail Ferencvárosi TC kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors by year: Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor 1979−1987 Adidas Márka 1987–1990 Pepsi 1990–1991 Hargita Kft. 1991–1992Postabank RT 1992–1993 Umbro 1993–1995 West 1995–1996 Adidas 1996–1999 Symphonia 1999–2000AVIS 2000–2001 Dunapack 2002 Arany Ászok 2002–2003 Westel 2003–2004 Nike 2004–2007 T-Mobile 2007–2008 Orangeways / Interwetten 2008–2009 Orangeways 2009–2010 Unibet 2010–2011 FantasticLeague.com 2011–2014 Groupama Garancia 2015 Fő Taxi 2015–2024T-Mobile2024–Macron
Current sponsorships: Official Sport Clothing Manufacturer: Macron Main Sponsor: T-Mobile Naming Right Partner: Groupama Exclusive Partners: Group MvM, Penny Market, Tippmix, Groupama, Hsa Group
Stadium
The first stadium of the club started being built in the autumn of 1910. On 12 February 1911, Ferencváros played their first match against Budapest rival MTK Budapest which was won by the club. The starting line-up consisted of Fritz, Rumbold, Magnlitz, Weinber, Bródy, Payer, Szeitler, Weisz, Koródy, Schlosser, Borbás. The first stadium could host 40,000 spectators.
In 1971 the stands were demolished and a new stadium began to be built. The new stadium was inaugurated on the 75th anniversary of the club. On 19 May 1974, the first match was played against Vasas. The new stadium could host 29,505 spectators (including 10,771 seats and 18,734 standing). In the 1990s the stadium was redesigned to meet the UEFA requirements therefore its capacity was reduced to 18,100. When Ferencváros qualified for the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League group stage, a new journalist stand was built over the main stand.
On 21 December 2007, the stadium's name was changed from Üllői úti Stadion to Stadion Albert Flórián. Flórián Albert, the former Ferencváros icon, was present at the inauguration ceremony. There were many plans on how to increase the capacity of the stadium in case the Hungarian Football Federation won the bid for the UEFA Euro 2008 or the Euro 2012. However, the Federation did not win any bids therefore the reconstruction of the stadium was delayed.
When Kevin McCabe became the owner of the club the reconstruction was on schedule again. Later, McCabe sold his team to the Hungarian state and the reconstruction did not take place.
Ferencváros Stadion, multi-purpose stadium, is the third home of the club. It has a capacity of 20,000 spectators in UEFA matches and 23,700 in Hungarian League matches.
When Gábor Kubatov was elected as president of the club, he and Pál Orosz managed to raise enough funds for the construction of a new stadium. The new stadium was rotated by 90 degrees in order to meet UEFA requirements. Therefore, the main stand which was parallel to the Üllői út became parallel to the Hungária körút. As part of the national stadium reconstruction programme the new stadium was built between 2013 and 2014.
The stadium was designed by Ágnes Streit and Szabolcs Kormos and was built by Market Építő Zrt from 2013 to 2014. In the arena there can be found the Ferencváros Museum and a fan shop too. The stadium is cutting edge in its vein matching entrance system. On 10 August 2014, Ferencváros played the opening match against Chelsea.
After the demolition of the Puskás Ferenc Stadion, Hungary played their home matches at the new arena until the new Puskás Ferenc Stadion was opened in late 2019. The national team celebrated the victory against Norway after a 2–1 win at the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying play-off.
Ownership On 14 February 2008, Sheffield United public limited company chairman Kevin McCabe successfully acquired a tender to purchase Ferencváros. McCabe's Hungarian company, Esplanade Limited liability company bought Ferencváros' real estate for £8.45 million with a view to start paying off the £5 million debt. In April 2008, Ferencváros Torna Club officially agreed to sell the football club, Ferencváros Labdarúgó ZRt. to Esplanade Kft., McCabe's company in Hungary.
In 2011, McCabe relinquished his ownership of the club after describing a "strained relationship" with some minority shareholders.
On 25 February 2011, Gábor Kubatov, Hungarian MP, was appointed as the president of Ferencváros.
On 28 October 2014, Gábor Kubatov was re-elected to serve another four-year term as the president of the club.
Club identity, supporters and rivalries Supporters of Ferencváros are mainly from the capital city of Hungary, Budapest. However, the club is popular all over Hungary. Ferencváros' nickname of Fradi is derived from Franzstadt, the German name for the area of Ferencváros, with the club carrying a "vague sense of German ethnicity", according to British sports journalist Jonathan Wilson.
20th century
Ferencváros has long been associated with right-wing nationalist sentiment. The roots of this alignment stretch back to the early 20th century, but intensified notably in the interwar period, particularly during Hungary’s drift toward fascism in the 1930s. As the country embraced authoritarian nationalism under Prime Minister Gyula Gömbös and later aligned with the Axis powers during the Second World War, Ferencváros supporters increasingly adopted an anti-cosmopolitan, often antisemitic outlook. In 1944, the club was taken over by Andor Jaross, a leading figure in Hungary’s fascist regime and organiser of the deportation of Hungarian Jews. This period cemented the club’s associations with far-right ideology.
After the war, under Communist rule, Ferencváros was regarded with suspicion by the Hungarian People's Republic government. The regime, aware of the symbolic power of football, attempted to suppress dissent by altering club identities: Ferencváros’ colours were changed, and the club was marginalised in favour of establishment-aligned teams such as Honvéd (army), MTK Budapest FC (state security), and Újpest (police). From 1949 to 1963, Ferencváros won no league titles, and state surveillance was frequently deployed at matches. Despite these efforts, the club’s identity as an outsider and nationalist bastion was preserved and even strengthened. Fans continued to voice right-wing slogans, and anti-Communist sentiment was rife on the terraces. Following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the regime relaxed its grip, allowing Ferencváros to reclaim its green and white colours and resume its traditional identity.