Csaba László (born 13 February 1964 in Odorheiu Secuiesc,[1] Harghita County, Romania) is a Romanian born Hungarian[1][2] football manager and former player. He was the manager of Hungarian Premier League Club MTK Budapest, Belgian Pro League club Charleroi SC and of Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian.[1] Previously to that, he had spells managing at Ferencvárosi TC, FC Sopron and the Ugandan national team and Lithuanian national team.
Playing career
László played for a number of clubs in Romania, Hungary and West Germany including Bayer 05 Uerdingen, Volán FC and BVSC Budapest but never played at the highest level. He was forced to retire at age 27 due to a knee injury. He played as a central midfielder.[1]
Coaching career
Early coaching roles
Csaba László holds a UEFA coaching certificate. He started coaching in Germany with BW Kerpen. He then coached at Tus Grevenbroich and Borussia Mönchengladbach II. He found players of the calibre of Marcell Jansen, Eugen Polanski and Tobias Levels during his spell at Borussia Mönchengladbach's youth squad. He then joined the coaching staff at the Hungarian national team, where he was assistant to Lothar Matthäus, in January 2004.
Managing in Hungary
In June 2004 he was appointed as the manager of Hungarian league side Ferencvárosi TC where he defeated Albanian side KF Tirana in the Champions League in 2004 before being eliminated by Sparta Prague. Ferencváros were then dropped into the UEFA Cup, where they defeated Millwall and Heart of Midlothian, and earned a respectable 1–1 draw with Feyenoord. His success in Europe earned him the 2005 Hungarian Trainer of the Year award.[1] When Ferencváros ran into financial trouble in 2006, he left to join FC Sopron. He lasted only a matter of months at Sopron and left to become manager of the Uganda national squad later that year.
Uganda
After his appointment as a Head Coach of Uganda, they missed out on qualification for the African Cup of Nations in Ghana 2008 on goal difference in favour of Sudan.
Uganda beat arch-rivals Nigeria for the first time in football history and in December 2007, they finished third in the CECAFA Cup.
During his period in charge FUFA (Uganda FA) signed a 1 million USD sponsorship deal with African mobile telephone giants MTN and African giants Satellite Television channel GTV signed a 5 years contract to broadcast the league games of the Ugandan football league.
Hearts
He was appointed as manager of Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian on 11 July 2008.[3] This appointment did not come without controversy, however, as the Ugandan FA claimed that they did not give László permission to hold talks with Hearts, and that his appointment as Hearts manager was breaching his contract as Uganda head coach. His first signing came on 20 July 2008 when he signed David Obua, who was a vital member of his Uganda side, on a free transfer from Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa.
In his first season with Hearts, Laszlo guided the team to a third-place finish in the Scottish Premier League and qualification for the inaugural Europa League.[4] Laszlo was subsequently named 'Manager of the Year' by both the Scottish Football Writers' Association and the Scottish Premier League itself. Surprisingly, László was sacked as Hearts manager on 29 January 2010.[4] Even though he was Hearts manager for only 18 months, László held the position longer than any other coach during Vladimir Romanov's ownership of the club.[4]
Charleroi
On 23 September 2010, Laszlo was appointed trainer of Belgian Pro League team R. Charleroi S.C..[5]
Lithuania
At 2012 he was appointed as a head coach of Lithuanian national football team.[6] In September 2013, László resigned after poor results.
Personal life
László is of Székely origin. He is married with two children and studied in the Public Secondary School in Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania and in the University extension in Hoghia, Romania. He speaks four languages; English, German, Hungarian and Romanian.[1] As an ethnic minority growing up in Communist Romania he was forced to listen to Hungarian football matches on the radio in secret as foreign radio broadcasts were banned. He said, about this: "Life under the regime was brutal. It was especially hard on us Hungarians living there. We used to secretly listen to Ferencváros matches on the radio". He fled to West Germany on a tourist's visa in 1984 to live with his uncle and start a new life in the West.
Honours
- Manager of the Year in Hungary: 2003-04.[7]
- Manager of the Year in Scotland: 2008-09.[8]
References
External links
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- Pape (1968–72)
- Otti (1973–74)
- Otto (1974–75)
- Okee (1976–81)
- Ssali (1982)
- Okee (1983)
- Mukasa (1984–85)
- Mwesiga (1986–88)
- Kiberu (1988–89)
- Ouma (1989–95)
- Ayieko (1995–96)
- Lubowa (1996–99)
- Hasule (1999)
- Okagbue (1999–01)
- Hasule (2001–03)
- Pasculli (2003)
- Adraa (2003–04)
- Mutebi (2004)
- Abbas (2004–06)
- László (2006–08)
- Williamson (2008–12)
- Sredojević (2013–)
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