Hungary and MTK mourn Károly Sándor

Former Hungary captain Károly 'Csikar' Sándor has died at the age of 85.

Capped 75 times between 1949 and 1964 and skipper from 1957, Sándor featured at the FIFA World Cups in 1958 and 1962 and was a non-playing squad member in the side that finished runners-up in 1954. He was also on the bench at Wembley the previous year for the famous 6-3 victory over England, with László Budai preferred on the right wing – though the position was soon Sándor's.

Highlights included a 21-game unbeaten run in international colours between 1950 and 1956, and a hat-trick (three of his 27 goals for Hungary) in a remarkable 4-4 draw against Yugoslavia in Zagreb in 1958. He was also prolific for club side MTK Budapest (then known as Vörös Lobogó), scoring 182 goals in a club-record 379 top-flight appearances. In 17 years there he won three Hungarian First League titles, a Hungarian Cup and two Central European Cups.

Sándor was on the scoresheet along with Nándor Hidegkuti in the second-ever game in the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1955, a 6-3 success over RSC Anderlecht. MTK reached the last eight, while nine years later he captained the team to the European Cup Winners' Cup final where they lost 1-0 to Sporting Clube de Portugal. Since 2002 the MTK academy has borne his name.