Zalaegerszegi TE
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| Full name | Zalaegerszegi Torna Egylet |
|---|---|
| Short name | ZTE |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Ground | ZTE Arena, Zalaegerszeg |
| Capacity | 9,300 |
| Chairman | Ferenc Nagy |
| Manager | János Csank |
| League | Nemzeti Bajnokság II |
| 2015–16 | Nemzeti Bajnokság II, 3rd |
Zalaegerszegi Torna Egylet (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈzɒlɒɛɡɛrsɛɡi ˈtornɒ ˈɛɟlɛt]) or just ZTE is a football club from the city of Zalaegerszeg in Hungary. They are best known for beating Manchester United F.C. 1–0 in the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League qualifying stage. Zalaegerszeg has won one Hungarian League title.
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 Vasvár. The team was first composed of members of a literary and debating society. ZTE flourished under coach József Vadász, 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 Miklós 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.
From then on to the 1990s, however, ZTE did not really challenge the Hungarian title much. The league was dominated by Budapest club Ferencvárosi TC. In 1994, ZTE managed to gain a solid foothold on the Hungarian first division.
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 could secure their first title by gaining 71 points.Péter Bozsik's team could overtake Budapest rivals Ferencváros and MTK Budapest. Krisztián Kenesei and Gábor Egressy were the key figures of the title-winning team by scoring 37 goals. In the 2002–03 Zalaegerszeg could not finish in the first six teams of the first stage of the Hungarian League therefore they could play in the relegation play-off as reigning champions. They finished first in the relegation play-off but it was a real disappointement for the former champion. In the following seasons ZTE came 9th, 6th and 11th, respectively.
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