A fan’s guide – the club from early doors to today
The main recent challengers to the all-dominant Ferencváros in Hungary’s top-flight NBI, Puskás Akadémia represent the tiny village of Felcsút. Its population could fit twice over into their stadium, the Pancho Aréna, designed by the nation’s greatest architect of the modern era, Imre Makovecz, known for his soaring churches.
Two of Felcsút’s 1,800 residents have been responsible for the elevation of the football club, the village team they both once played for, from the local league to the European stage: Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and his friend, the former gasfitter turned mayor, Lőrinc Mészáros, today the richest man in Hungary.
As the pair created an academy soon after the death of Hungary’s greatest footballer, Ferenc Puskás, in November 2006, they set in motion a number of initiatives with this one-road hamlet as the hub. Running to the Pancho Aréna is a narrow-gauge rail, the Vál-völgyi Kisvasút, setting off from the neighbouring village where Orbán’s grandfather lived, Alcsútdoboz, site of an arboretum where Mészáros was married to a glamorous TV presenter in 2021.
Alongside, stands the themed Puskás Ferenc Sport Hotel, though visiting teams might prefer the four-star Hotel Pancho with spa and pool, within the stadium complex of ten training pitches and the main arena.
This, obviously, is a world away from the Felcsút where Orbán spent his childhood summers, a quiet community surrounded by farmland, beyond the vineyards of Etyek.
As money and political influence grew, so the local team, formed in 1931, attracted a better class of player. Striker Gábor Földes was in the Videoton team that lost the Hungarian Cup final of 2001, while Károly Kovacsics started his career at soon-to-be champions MTK.
Between them, the pair scored 38 goals as newly promoted Felcsút came within one league place of the top-flight NBI in 2006. It was a similar story the following two seasons, before Felcsút became the B team of nearby Fehérvár Videoton, the seniors soon to win their first Hungarian title.
The first player to shine for the reserves, then win silverware with Videoton, was László Kleinheisler, the fiery midfielder whose stunning goal in his Hungarian debut against Norway in a 2015 play-off practically sent the nation to its first major finals for 40 years.
By now, the academy was in full swing, its team competing in the Puskás Cup for youth teams every year since its inauguration in 2008, along with their counterparts from the Hungarian legend’s former clubs Honvéd, La Fábrica of Real Madrid and Panathinaikos.
The stadium complex, too, was taking shape, despite the death of its architect in 2011. The host club officially became Puskás Akadémia in 2012, under coach Miklós Benczés, who had led Diósgyőr to the second-tier NBII title in 2011.
He repeated the feat with his new charges two years later, nurturing the promising striker Roland Sallai. Signed to Diósgyőr as a boy, the teenage Sallai had made his mark for Akadémia’s youth team at international tournaments, joining the senior side in 2014. Integral to Hungary’s revived national side under Marco Rossi, winning over 50 caps, Sallai shone for six seasons at Bundesliga mainstays, Freiburg.
Following the break from Videoton, Puskás Akadémia joined the top-tier NBI in 2013 but soon struggled, averaging crowds of around 1,600 in their newly opened stadium of 3,800 capacity.
Relegated in 2016, the Felcsút side bounced straight back with goals from former Hungary U-21 international Patrik Tischler and László Lencse, a title winner with Videoton in 2011. Bringing in combative coach Attila Pintér, Puskás Akadémia battled for a mid-table spot, and making it through to the final of the Hungarian Cup.
Holding Újpest to a 2-2 draw going into extra-time, the provincial side lost momentum in the shoot-out after Nigerian striker Ezekiel Henty skied his spot-kick into the empty seats of the Groupama Aréna. The trophy duly stayed in Budapest.
By now, Akadémia could attract foreign players of proven quality, such as ex-Croatia U-21 international midfielder Josip Knežović, Georgian international striker Bachana Arabuli and recent Slovenian international defender Dejan Trajkovski.
But it was only after coach Zsolt Hornyák arrived in 2019 that the Felcsút club put themselves in the European frame. A title winner as a player and manager in Slovakia and Armenia, Hornyák hailed from the border town of Štúrovo, alongside Hungary, and his career had taken him from Bratislava to Vladivostok. Au fait with the peculiarities of Eastern Europe.
Getting the best out of Czech striker David Vaněček after his disastrous spell at Hearts, Hornyák motivated his men to swat aside Ferencváros 4-1 at home and scrap for a 2-2 draw away before the pandemic struck. Akadémia finished a highest-ever third in the top flight, gaining European experience at Hammarby a few weeks later.
Keeping 12 clean sheets in the 2020-21 campaign, Akadémia graduate keeper Balázs Tóth returned to his alma mater to push the Felcsút side one place higher, allowing them to take their first European scalp, the Finns of Inter Turku, in the Conference League.
Under Hornyák, another Akadémia alumnus, Zsolt Nagy, made the left-midfield slot his own, also at national level, scoring in Nations League games against Germany and England.
Facing tougher opposition in the Conference League, Vitória Guimarães, Hornyák’s team folded in Portugal but kept up the pressure in the league. Finishing third in 2023-24, Puskás Akadémia broke the 2,000 barrier for average attendances at the Pancho Aréna.
The following August, there was a near full house for the visit of the first big European name, for the senior side at least, Fiorentina. Moreover, Puskás Akadémia had shocked the meagre crowd in Florence with two early away goals, before snatching a 3-3 draw at the death.
Back in Felcsút, a 0-1 scoreline flattered the Florentines, whose goal area led a charmed life before the home side were awarded a penalty late into stoppage time. Nagy kept his nerve to convert, just as he would do in the subsequent shoot-out, but it wasn’t enough thanks to David De Gea’s single stop.
Leading the league for much of the 2024-25 campaign, Puskás Akadémia put one over on NBI favourites Ferencváros in February with a solitary headed goal from Nagy, the visitors laying siege to the Felcsút goal without breaking through. For the first time since the club was formed, there was realistic talk of the title.
As for the academy side, Hungarian champions in 2024, wins over Aberdeen and Genk lined up the Felcsút youngsters with a home tie against Aston Villa in the Round of 32 of the UEFA Youth League.
Stadium Guide
The field of dreams – and the story behind it
Churches, chapels and spas in the shapes of onions, not to mention the Hungarian pavilion at Expo 92 in Seville, architect and devout Catholic Imre Makovecz always looked to integrate the living world in his many works, along with shapes inspired by Magyar history and tradition.
As the Pancho Aréna was one the last commissions Makovecz took in an extremely varied career stretching back to 1962, this is the exact opposite of an out-of-the-box identikit stadium adjoining a motorway junction and retail centre. Planned before his death and seen through by his successor, Tamás Dobros, the arena continues the organic theme embodied by the other buildings in the sports complex unveiled a few years earlier.
A forest-like lattice of interwoven wooden struts supports a roof that requires no floodlight masts, the lighting lining the cover fringe all the way round. More spectacularly, the fan-shaped struts also emit a golden backdrop of illumination.
Below, 3,865 seats are signature-coloured in Puskás Akadémia yellow and blue, offset by the natural-grass turf right alongside.
Natural flight floods in from above, and through the jagged shapes created between the last row of seats and the lower edge of the roofing. It’s a UEFA Category 2 stadium, which means it needs to have at least 1,500 seats.
Home fans occupy sectors 1C/2D behind the south goal on Puskás Ferenc utca, 1A/B in the stand nearest Fő út, and 2E-G opposite. Away fans enter through gates 3-4 to access sectors 3H/I in the north-east corner.
getting there
Going to the stadium – tips and timings
A handful of direct buses a day take an hour from Népliget station in Budapest to reach the Felcsút, bejárati út (single Ft930/€2.30) at the entrance to the village – the Hotel Pancho and the stadium complex is a short walk away, just over the junction. The main road then leads to through the village towards Alcsútdoboz.
Alternatively, you can take a half-hourly train from Budapest Déli station to Bicske alsó (Ft745/€8.45, journey time 30mins), then scale the bridge above it for the Bicske, vasútállomás bejárati út stop. Buses run every 30mins-1hr to Felcsút 10-15mins away.
Bicske itself is a 5-10min walk away, turning right on the bridge. More frequent buses run from the centre of town, by the Korona pizzeria on main Szent István út, the stop indicated Bicske, műszaki áruház.
The Vál-völgyi Kisvasút narrow-gauge rail is a nice way to travel to a football match – but only makes sense if you’re staying/dining at the Puskás Ferenc Sport Hotel by the arboretum at Alcsútdoboz at the other terminal. The journey takes 35mins.
getting in
Buying tickets – when, where, how and how much
Puskás Akadémia distribute tickets online through jegymester (Hungarian-only but fairly easy to work out) at the special across-the-board price of Ft800/€2 plus a Ft199/€0.50) levy. In advance from ticket window No.1 on Puskás Ferenc utca (Thur, pre-match Fri & Sat, all 1pm-6pm), you pay Ft1,200/€3, over-65s Ft700/€1.75, 6-14s Ft200/€0.50.
All ticket windows, including Nos.5 and 6 behind the away sectors, open 2hrs before kick-off, on-the-door price Ft1,500/€3.70, over-65s Ft1,000/€2.50, 6-14s Ft200/€0.50.
Felcsút residents may enter free with proof of address.
what to buy
Shirts, kits, merchandise and gifts
Puskás Akadémia have a webshop and a stall set up on match days, but no physical store around the stadium. The 2024-25 iteration of the shirt is dark blue, with hexagonal patterns over the left shoulder and down the sleeve. Second kit is white with the same design, and a blue collar with yellow piping. Third-choice is sky blue or lilac, Puskás Akadémia going for broke with four shirt colours in all to choose from.
Beach towels (Lake Balaton is a short drive away) carry images of the stadium from above and illuminated within, while other merchandise includes silk scarves, seating cushions and badges. PAFC is the acronym for Puskás Akadémia FC, Hajrá is the Hungarian word of encouragement to their football teams.
Where to Drink
Pre-match beers for fans and casual visitors
The only bar in the vicinity is the Mediterrán Kávéház, aka Felcsút Büfé, with a little covered terrace on main Fő utca 161, diagonally opposite the complex. News clippings relating to PAFC have been mounted behind the bar, where standard bottled beer (no draught) is dispensed, plus decent coffee. Décor is otherwise incongruously limited to James Dean and the Colosseum in Rome.
At the stadium, every sector has its little snack outlet selling beer and sandwiches, card payments only.
