ZTE FC

Zalaegerszegi Torna Egylet Football Club ([ˈzɒlɒɛɡɛrsɛɡi ˈtornɒ ˈɛɟlɛt]), commonly known as Zalaegerszegi TE, Zalaegerszeg or ZTE, is a football club from the city of Zalaegerszeg in Hungary. They are best known for beating Manchester United 1–0 in the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League qualifying stage. Zalaegerszeg has won one Hungarian League title in 2002.

History

ZTE traces its roots back to 1912, at the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its first match was a 4–2 defeat to a team from Vasvar. The team was first composed of members of a literary and debating society. ZTE flourished under coach Jozsef Vadasz, but World War I halted its progress. In 1920, Zalaegerszegi TE, or "Gymanistics Club of Zalaegerszeg," was born. They were defeated in their debut match, losing 2–1 to AK Szombathely on August 21, 1920, but were motivated by a crowd of over 2,000 fans.

ZTE's league history began in 1924, when they joined the Hungarian second division. The club won the title a decade later and entered the top flight in 1934. However, the start of World War II under the regime of Admiral Miklos Horthy saw ZTE's field and equipment confiscated. After the war, in 1957, ZTE merged with two other local teams, signalling the rebirth of the club.

1990s

From then on to the 1990s, however, ZTE did not really challenge the Hungarian title much. The league was dominated by Budapest club Ferencvarosi TC. In 1994, ZTE managed to gain a solid foothold on the Hungarian first division.

2000s

In the 2000s, the club reached their zenith by winning the Hungarian League for the first time in the club history. In the 2001–02 season, Zalaegrszeg finished second in the first stage of the championship gaining 61 points while Budapest rivals MTK Budapest FC 64 points. In the championship play-off Zalaegerszeg secured their first ever league title and finished on 71 points and Peter Bozsik's team overtook Budapest rivals Ferencvaros and MTK Budapest along the way.Kri

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