Celtic vs Ferencváros: Europa League Preview and a 115-Year Green & White History
Celtic begin their Europa League adventure tonight under the lights at Celtic Park against an opponent fast becoming a familiar foe. Having not met competitively until the best-forgotten Covid season of 2020/21, Celtic and Ferencváros will now face each other for the fourth time.
The Hoops go into the tie with a 2–1 advantage in the head-to-head record for the fixture, knowing that a third consecutive victory against their Hungarian visitors will get their Europa League campaign off to the perfect start.
But the shared history between the two clubs goes further back than these competitive meetings and includes one very special moment in the history of Celtic Football Club.
The 1911 Tour of Central Europe: Ferencváros 1–1 Celtic
The very first meeting between the two clubs took place in 1911 at the Üllői úti Stadion, home of Ferencváros and now known as the Groupama Arena, as part of Celtic’s extensive six-country tour of Central Europe.
Having already played and won in Germany and Czechia, Celtic headed to Hungary to face MTK Budapest on 20 May 1911 (a game the Hoops won 2-0) before facing Ferencváros just two days later.
Celtic travelled to Europe as the reigning Scottish Cup holders and had also recently become the first side to win six League Championships in a row (1905–1910). Ferencváros were going through a golden spell of their own and were in the middle of a five-in-a-row streak of Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnokság title successes.
The two sides - both powerhouses in their domestic leagues, famed for their attacking styles of play, and, of course, for wearing the green and white that has become synonymous with both clubs - played out a 1–1 draw in front of 15,000 spectators.
Celtic would go on to play a further four games in Austria, Switzerland, and France before returning to Scotland. They won all four with a combined aggregate score of 20–4.
The Budapest Cup & European Tour of 1914: Ferencváros 2–2 Celtic
Three years later, Celtic embarked on another tour of Central Europe at the end of the 1913/14 season. Like before, Celtic travelled after a season of domestic success - this time as League and Scottish Cup double winners.
Budapest was the first stop on a tour that would also take in Austria and Germany, with Ferencváros lined up as the first opponents. Similar to the 1911 meeting between the sides, the game ended in a draw, 2–2 on this occasion.
The match with Ferencváros was supposed to be Celtic’s only game on Hungarian soil during the 1914 tour; however, a twist of fate ensured that this was not the case. Recently crowned English FA Cup winners Burnley also happened to be touring Central Europe at the same time, and quick-thinking Ferencváros officials hastily arranged an unofficial "World Championship" match between the two travelling sides.
The tie ended 1–1 and, with extra time not an option due to Celtic travelling to Austria immediately after the game, a replay was arranged to take place in Burnley that September. The prize on offer for the winners was the unofficial title of World Champions and the Budapest Cup.
Celtic won the replay either 2–0 or 2–1, depending on which match report you read. However, the Hoops had to wait until 1988 to get their hands on the Budapest Cup. The original trophy was sold off to raise funds at the outbreak of the First World War, and it was not until Celtic’s Centenary celebrations that a delegation from Ferencváros arrived in Glasgow to present the trophy to Jack McGinn.
The Covid Disaster of 2020: Celtic 1–2 Ferencváros
The first competitive fixture between Celtic and Ferencváros took place at the beginning of the Covid season. It offered the first tangible signs of the long, arduous road ahead in one of Celtic’s most disappointing seasons.
Playing in an empty stadium due to Covid regulations, Celtic were already suffering domestically under the pressure of chasing "the 10". Despite this, and the absence of star striker Odsonne Édouard through injury, Celtic manager Neil Lennon appeared to underestimate the threat that Ferencváros posed. Instead of replacing Édouard with a recognised striker, Lennon opted for the bizarre choice of using Ryan Christie as an auxiliary frontman.
With the tie reduced to a single-leg affair and played without the vociferous support of the Celtic fanbase inside the ground, any home advantage that Celtic had was quickly wiped out as Dávid Sigér gave the visitors an early lead.
Celtic huffed and puffed, eventually equalising when Christie’s effort was deflected over Dibusz to level the scores. However, a masterclass in defensive organisation and counter-attacking, orchestrated by Ukrainian legend Serhiy Rebrov, culminated in Norwegian winger Tokmac Nguen firing past Vasilis Barkas to break Celtic hearts.
An early Champions League exit in a game that was there for the taking… the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Ange’s Revenge (2021) Pt1: Celtic 2–0 Ferencváros
Sometimes the Gods of Football have a way of putting teams together with the intention of righting a wrong. A little over 12 months after being dumped out of the Champions League by Ferencváros, Celtic had the chance to do just that when the sides were drawn in the same Europa League group.
There was a new man at the helm for Celtic this time, Angelos Postecoglou, who had brought with him an entertaining style of play and a host of exciting new players, including Kyogo and Jota.
With the COP26 Climate Change Summit being held in Glasgow, the game had the unusual kick-off time of 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon. Despite this, Celtic Park was packed to the rafters, and the home support left happy after goals from Kyogo and David Turnbull secured revenge for the previous season's aberration.
The game is most fondly remembered for Jota’s sensational 40-yard through-pass from inside his own half to set up Kyogo for the opener. The attacking duo would go on to combine on numerous occasions throughout the season, including the return fixture in Budapest, as Ange sought to restore Celtic’s reputation in European competition.
Ange’s Revenge (2021) Pt2: Ferencváros 2–3 Celtic
By the time of the return fixture in November 2021, Covid restrictions were beginning to ease. Unfortunately for the travelling Celtic support, the Hungarian authorities did not accept UK vaccine passes. A decision was therefore made not to sell away-end tickets, effectively locking Celtic fans out of the game - except for a brave and gallant few, myself included, who held the relevant Hungarian or EU vaccine certifications and were able to infiltrate the home support.
The Hoops got off to a flyer as Kyogo opened the scoring after just three minutes. Liel Abada capitalised on a defensive mistake before teeing up the Japanese striker to place his shot past Dibusz. In the stands, our cover was blown, but no one really seemed to care.
Ferencváros levelled before the first quarter of an hour was up when Zubkov’s cross-shot deflected off Juranovic and looped into the Celtic net. Celtic soon reasserted their control on the game, and Jota restored their advantage midway through the half, cutting in from the left to fire past Dibusz.
Abada added a third on the hour mark before Uzuni gave the hosts a glimmer of hope, pulling one back with five minutes left to play. The Hoops held on for a rare away win in Europe, with the six points won in the games against Ferencváros enough to secure European football after Christmas, albeit in the lesser Conference League.
This time when the sides meet, it will once again be in the Europa League, European football’s second-tier tournament. There is a new format to get to grips with. The elongated single league table has replaced the old group stage, and there are extra games to navigate before qualification, or otherwise, to the knockout rounds.
Both sides will be aiming to get their league campaigns off to a flyer. The only question that remains is whether Glasgow will be Green and White or Zöld és Fehér.
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