Budapest - Hungary is hoping a new football training centre opened near the capital Bucharest, with FIFA and UEFA chiefs Joseph Blatter and Michel Platini in attendance, will boost the country's footballing fortunes. The "Globall Football Park and Sporthotel", built by the Hungarian Football Federation, has three full-sized grass pitches and a hotel and cost the equivalent of 137 million dollars.
Dutch footballing legends Frank Rijkaard and Erwin Koeman, currently manager of the Hungarian national team, were also present at the opening Saturday.
"This centre is an outstanding basis for further development, through which Hungary could once again become a great footballing force," Platini said.
Istvan Kisteleki, head of the Hungarian Footballing Federation, said the centre was entirely owned by his organization.
"The Federation will gain a long term return on its investment in the construction of this complex," Kisteleki said.
Hungary's world class "Golden Team" stunned the world in the 1950s, with a record run of 33 matches unbeaten, and a famous 6-3 defeat over England at Wembley in 1953.
The team of Ferenc Puskas surprisingly lost to West Germany in the 1954 World Cup final in Bern, Switzerland.
Since then, things have taken a turn for the worse, and Hungary has not qualified for the World Cup since 1986.
Kisteleki noted that since a change of leadership in the Hungarian Football Federation in 2006, Hungary's world ranking has risen from 84 to 44.
"Hungarian football is awaking from its Sleeping Beauty dream," Kisteleki said.
In a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajani, Blatter announced the establishment of a new "Ferenc Puskas Prize", to be awarded for the first time in January.
Puskas, who died in 2006, captained the Golden Team at the height of its powers and went on to play for Real Madrid.
