A memorial plaque to soccer icon Ferenc Puskás was unveiled by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Erzsébet Puskás, the legendary player's widow, in Athens' Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium on Monday.
In his address, the Prime Minister thanked Greece and fans of Greek team Panathinaikos for "embracing Puskás at a time when his homeland failed to do so".
Referring to Puskás, he stated that "only those stars are remembered that make a deep impression and that are willing to serve others all their life".
"Teach kids to play football," he quoted Puskás as saying, and argued that through soccer one can learn how to win, and how to bear defeat - two important things in life.
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Earlier in the day, an exhibition also opened in Athens to pay tribute to Puskás, the most famous member of Hungary's Golden Team in the early 1950s.
The display marks the anniversary of the 1971 Champion Teams' European Cup final, involving Panathinaikos. The only Greek squad that reached the final of Europe's most prestigious club tournament was coached by Puskás. The match ended with a 2:0 victory of Ajax Amsterdam.
(Prime Minister's Office)
