View source for Josef Masopust

{{Short description| Czech footballer and manager (1931–2015)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Josef Masopust
| image = Josef Masopust official photo.jpg
| caption = Masopust with the [[1962 Ballon d'Or]]
| height = 1.77 m
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1931|2|9}}
| birth_place = [[Most (city)|Střimice]], [[Czechoslovakia]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2015|6|29|1931|2|9}}
| death_place = [[Prague]], Czech Republic
| position = [[Midfielder]]
| youthyears1 = 1945–1950
| youthclubs1 = [[FK SIAD Most|ZSJ Uhlomost Most]]
| years1 = 1950–1952
| clubs1 = [[ZSJ Technomat Teplice]]
| caps1 = 54
| goals1 = 10
| years2 = 1952–1968
| clubs2 = [[Dukla Prague]]
| caps2 = 386
| goals2 = 79
| years3 = 1968–1970
| clubs3 = [[K.V.V. Crossing Elewijt|Crossing Molenbeek]]
| caps3 = 43
| goals3 = 9
| totalcaps = 483
| totalgoals = 98
| nationalyears1 = 1954–1966
| nationalteam1 = [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]]
| nationalcaps1 = 63
| nationalgoals1 = 10
| manageryears1 = 1973–1976
| managerclubs1 = [[Dukla Prague]]
| manageryears2 = 1976–1980
| managerclubs2 = [[1. FC Brno|Zbrojovka Brno]]
| manageryears3 = 1980–1984
| managerclubs3 = [[K.S.C. Hasselt|Hasselt]]
| manageryears4 = 1984–1987
| managerclubs4 = [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]]
| manageryears5 = 1988–1991
| managerclubs5 = [[Indonesia national under-19 football team|Indonesia U19]]
| manageryears6 = 1992
| managerclubs6 = [[1. FC Brno|Zbrojovka Brno]]
| manageryears7 = 1993–1996
| managerclubs7 = [[FK Pelikán Děčín]]
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's [[Association football|football]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{fb|TCH}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Central European International Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1955–60 Central European International Cup|1955–60 Europe]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIFA World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962 Chile]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[UEFA European Championship]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1960 European Nations' Cup|1960 France]]|}}
}}

[[File:Nehoda, Masopust, Viktor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.13|(l-r) [[Zdeněk Nehoda]], Masopust and [[Ivo Viktor]] in 1974]]
[[File:Bobby Moore vs Josef Masopust 1963.jpg|thumb|upright=1.13|[[Bobby Moore]] (left) vs. Masopust at the [[1963 England v Rest of the World football match]]]]
'''Josef Masopust''' (9 February 1931 – 29 June 2015) was a Czech [[association football|football]] player and coach. He played as [[midfielder]] and was a key player for [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]], helping them reach the [[1962 FIFA World Cup Final]].<ref name=marvellous>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=cze/news/newsid=144731.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113183245/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=cze/news/newsid=144731.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 November 2012|title=Czech pride in marvellous Masopust|publisher=UEFA|date=29 June 2015|access-date=29 June 2015}}</ref> He was capped 63 times, scoring ten goals for his national team.<ref>{{CMFS player|MasopustJosef}}</ref>

He was named [[European Footballer of the Year]] in 1962. In November 2003, to celebrate [[UEFA]]'s Jubilee, Masopust was selected as his country's [[UEFA Jubilee Awards|Golden Player]] by the [[Football Association of the Czech Republic]] as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. He was named by [[Pelé]] as one of the [[FIFA 100|top 125 greatest living footballers]] in March 2004. He is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time.

==Life==
Masopust was born on 9 February 1931 in Střimice (today non-existent village in the territory of [[Most (city)|Most]]).

==Club career==
Masopust's first club was lowly [[FK Baník Most|ZSJ Uhlomost Most]], but ZSJ Technomat Teplice (renamed to ZSJ Vodotechna Teplice in 1951) signed him as a 19-year-old left-half and gave him his top-flight debut. Then, in 1952, he joined a Czechoslovak Armed Forces football club under name of ATK Praha (renamed to ÚDA Praha in 1953 and to [[Dukla Prague]] in winter 1956). Masopust won eight league championships and three national cups with Dukla.<ref name = "telegraph"/> They also reached the semi-finals of the [[1966&ndash;67 European Cup]], losing to the eventual winners of the competition ([[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]]).<ref name = "telegraph"/>

When he eventually went abroad in 1968, he helped [[K.V.V. Crossing Elewijt|Crossing Molenbeek]] win promotion to the Belgian first division as player-coach. His coaching career continued at Dukla, however his only Czechoslovak league title as a coach came with [[1. FC Brno|Zbrojovka Brno]] in the 1977–78 season.<ref name=radio/> Later, between 1984 and 1987, he led the [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia national team]], overseeing a total of 27 matches.<ref name=jerabek>{{cite book |last=Jeřábek|first=Luboš|title=Český a československý fotbal – lexikon osobností a klubů|year=2007|publisher=Grada Publishing|location=Prague|language=cs|isbn=978-80-247-1656-5|pages=120–121}}</ref> He subsequently had a spell in Indonesia where he coached their national Olympic football team with [[Milan Bokša]] between 1988 and 1991.<ref name=jerabek/>

==International career==
Masopust made his international debut in October 1954, in a friendly match against [[Hungary national football team|Hungary]].<ref name = "rsssf"/> He helped [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]] qualify for the [[1958 FIFA World Cup]], but the team were knocked out after a play-off match against [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]].<ref name = "rsssf"/> He then went on to finish the [[1955-60 Central European International Cup]] as winner in 1960. Czechoslovakia then finished in third place in the new tournament [[1960 UEFA European Football Championship]], losing to the [[Soviet Union national football team|Soviet Union]] in the semi-final and defeating [[France national football team|France]] in the third place match.<ref name = "rsssf"/>

In 1962, Masopust led the Czechoslovakia team that reached the [[1962 FIFA World Cup Final]], losing to [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]. He scored the opening goal in the Final, but Brazil came back to win 3–1.<ref name=radio>{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Johnstone|url=http://www.radio.cz/en/section/czech-history/football-star-josef-masopust-and-his-army-team|title=Football star Josef Masopust and his army team|work=[[Radio Prague]]|date=1 February 2011|access-date=20 December 2013}}</ref> Because of his performance at the World Cup Finals, he was named [[European Footballer of the Year]] in 1962.

Having represented the [[World XI|Rest of the World team]] against [[England national football team|England]] in 1963, Masopust was invited to play for a [[Europe XI|European International XI]] in the farewell match for [[Stanley Matthews]], when the 50-year-old Matthews retired from football in 1965.<ref name = "telegraph"/> Czechoslovakia failed to qualify for the [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966 World Cup]];<ref name="telegraph"/> Masopust had only played in one qualification match, a 1&ndash;0 defeat against [[Romania national football team|Romania]] in May 1965.<ref name = "rsssf"/> His last international appearance was in May 1966, in a friendly match against the Soviet Union.<ref name="telegraph"/><ref name = "rsssf"/> Overall, he was capped 63 times for his national team, scoring ten goals.<ref name="telegraph"/><ref name="rsssf"/>

==Style of play==
Early in his career, Masopust played as a [[left half]].<ref name = "telegraph"/> By the time of the [[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962 World Cup]], he had moved to the [[centre half]] position.<ref name = "telegraph">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11706308/Josef-Masopust-footballer-obituary.html |title=Josef Masopust, footballer – obituary |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=29 June 2015|access-date=30 June 2015}}</ref>

Masopust was in a similar mould to that of the Hungarian [[József Bozsik]]; a workhorse of his team, who also created attacking opportunities. He had excellent ball control, which he utilised for both recovering the ball in defence and dribbling past opponents.<ref name = "telegraph"/>  Like Bozsik, Masopust was also an excellent passer of the ball. He was not great at tackling opponents, but he compensated for this by anticipating his opponents' actions and intercepting their passes.<ref name = "telegraph"/>

Shackled by Czechoslovakia's "no-risk" style philosophy, Masopust's natural inclination for attack was limited, yet he still managed ten goals in 63 caps for his national team. At club level, he scored 79 times in 386 appearances for Dukla Prague. Many of his Dukla teammates also played for the national team, which gave them a greater understanding than some of their opponents.<ref name = "telegraph"/>

==Legacy==
A statue of Masopust was built outside Dukla's [[Stadion Juliska]] and was unveiled in June 2011.<ref name=marvellous/>

==Death==
Masopust died on 29 June 2015 at his home in Prague at the age of 84. Although no cause of death was given, [[Czech Television]] stated that he had been fighting an unspecified long, serious illness.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/czech-football-great-josef-masopust-dies-84-103455584--sow.html|title=Czech football great Josef Masopust dies at 84|website=[[Yahoo News]]|publisher=[[Yahoo]]|date=29 June 2015|access-date=29 June 2015|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040116/https://sports.yahoo.com/news/czech-football-great-josef-masopust-dies-84-103455584--sow.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> 

==Career statistics==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" |Club
! rowspan="2" |Season
! colspan="3" |League
! colspan="2" |National cup{{efn|Includes [[Magyar Kupa]], [[Copa del Generalísimo]]}}
! colspan="2" |Europe
! colspan="2" |Other
! colspan="2" |Total
|-
!Division
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
|-
| rowspan="4" |[[FK Teplice|ZSJ Technomat Teplice]]
|[[1950 Czechoslovak First League|1950]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Czechoslovak First League|Czechoslovak First Division]]
|4
|0
| colspan="2" |—
| colspan="2" |—
| colspan="2" |—
|4
|0
|-
|[[1951 Czechoslovak First League|1951]]
|24
|3
| colspan="2" |—
| colspan="2" |—
| colspan="2" |—
|24
|3
|-
|[[1952 Czechoslovak First League|1952]]
|26
|7
| colspan="2" |—
| colspan="2" |—
| colspan="2" |—
|26
|7
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!54
!10
! colspan="2" |—
! colspan="2" |—
! colspan="2" |—
!54
!10
|-
| rowspan="17" |[[Dukla Prague]]
|[[1953 Czechoslovak First League|1953]]
| rowspan="16" |[[Czechoslovak First League|Czechoslovak First Division]]
|14
|3
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|14
|3
|-
|[[1954 Czechoslovak First League|1954]]
|12
|0
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|12
|0
|-
|[[1955 Czechoslovak First League|1955]]
|19
|1
| -
| -
| -
| -
|6
|2
|25
|3
|-
|[[1956 Czechoslovak First League|1956]]
|17
|0
| -
| -
| -
| -
|2
|1
|19
|2
|-
|[[1956 Czechoslovak First League|1957]]
|21
|4
| -
| -
| -
| -
|3
|1
|24
|5
|-
|[[1957–58 Czechoslovak First League|1957-58]]
|18
|1
| -
| -
|2
| -
| -
| -
|20
|1
|-
|[[1958–59 Czechoslovak First League|1958-59]]
|20
|4
| -
| -
|4
|1
| -
| -
|24
|5
|-
|[[1959–60 Czechoslovak First League|1959-60]]
|21
|9
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|21
|9
|-
|[[1960–61 Czechoslovak First League|1960-61]]
|26
|11
|2
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|28
|11
|-
|[[1961–62 Czechoslovak First League|1961-62]]
|26
|3
|2
|2
|6
| -
| -
| -
|34
|5
|-
|[[1962–63 Czechoslovak First League|1962-63]]
|25
|8
|1
| -
|6
|1
| -
| -
|32
|9
|-
|[[1963–64 Czechoslovak First League|1963-64]]
|26
|4
|1
|1
|6
|1
| -
| -
|33
|6
|-
|[[1964–65 Czechoslovak First League|1964-65]]
|20
|1
|3
| -
|5
|1
| -
| -
|28
|2
|-
|[[1965–66 Czechoslovak First League|1965-66]]
|19
|5
|4
|2
| -
| -
|4
|1
|27
|8
|-
|[[1966–67 Czechoslovak First League|1966-67]]
|16
|8
|4
|1
|8
|1
| -
| -
|28
|10
|-
|[[1967–68 Czechoslovak First League|1967-68]]
|13
|1
|4
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|17
|1
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!313
!63
!21
!6
!37
!5
!15
!5
!386
!80
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Crossing Molenbeek]]
|[[1968–69 Czechoslovak First League|1968-69]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Belgian Pro League|Belgian First Division]]
|27
|8
| -
| -
| -
| -
|3
| -
|30
|8
|-
|[[1969–70 Czechoslovak First League|1969-70]]
|14
|1
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|14
|1
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!41
!9
!-
!-
!-
!-
!3
!-
!44
!9
|-
! colspan="3" |Career total
!508
!82
!21
!6
!37
!5
!18
!5
!483
!99
|}

===International===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref name = "rsssf">{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/masopust-intl.html |title=Josef Masopust – International Appearances |first=Jiří |last=Slavík |date=10 July 2003 |website=[[RSSSF]] |access-date=1 July 2015}}</ref>
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="13"|[[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]]
|1954||1||0
|-
|1955||0||0
|-
|1956||10||2
|-
|1957||6||0
|-
|1958||10||2
|-
|1959||2||0
|-
|1960||6||2
|-
|1961||7||1
|-
|1962||11||3
|-
|1963||4||0
|-
|1964||4||0
|-
|1965||1||0
|-
|1966||1||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!63!!10
|}

:''Scores and results list Czechoslovakia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Masopust goal.''<ref name = "rsssf"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Josef Masopust
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
|-
| align="center"|1 || 10 May 1956 || [[Charmilles Stadium]], Geneva, Switzerland || {{fb|SWI}} || align="center"|6–1 || align="center"|6–1 || [[1955–60 Central European International Cup]]
|-
| align="center"|2 || 8 August 1956 || [[Estádio do Pacaembu]], São Paulo, Brazil || {{fb|BRA}} || align="center"|1–3 || align="center"|1–4 || [[Friendly (association football)|Friendly]]
|-
| align="center"|3 || 30 August 1958 || [[Strahov Stadium]], Prague, [[Czechoslovakia]] || {{fb|USSR}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–2 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|4 || 13 December 1958 || [[Stadio Luigi Ferraris]], [[Genoa]], Italy || {{fb|ITA}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–1 || [[1955–60 Central European International Cup]]
|-
| align="center"|5 || 1 May 1960 || [[Strahov Stadium]], Prague, Czechoslovakia || {{fb|AUT}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|4–0 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|6 || 22 May 1960 || [[Stadionul Naţional (1953)|Stadionul 23 August]], [[Bucharest]], Romania || {{fb|ROU|1952}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–0 || [[1960 European Nations' Cup|EURO 1960]]
|-
| align="center"|7 || 29 October 1961 || [[Strahov Stadium]], Prague, Czechoslovakia || {{fb|IRL}} || align="center"|6–1 || align="center"|7–1 || [[1962 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|-
| align="center"|8 || 17 June 1962 || [[Estadio Nacional de Chile|Estadio Nacional]], [[Santiago]], Chile || {{fb|BRA}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–3 || [[1962 FIFA World Cup Final]]
|-
| align="center"|9 || rowspan="2"|16 September 1962 || rowspan="2"|[[Praterstadion]], Vienna, Austria || rowspan="2"|{{fb|AUT}} || align="center"|2–0 || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|6–0 || rowspan="2"|Friendly
|-
| align="center"|10 || align="center"|4–0
|}

==Honours==
'''Dukla Prague'''<ref name="FIFA">{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=174738/profile.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910004756/http://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=174738/profile.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 September 2015|title=Czech Knight who wowed in '62|publisher=FIFA|access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref>
*[[Czechoslovak First League]]: [[1953 Czechoslovak First League|1953]], [[1956 Czechoslovak First League|1956]], [[1957–58 Czechoslovak First League|1957–58]], [[1960–61 Czechoslovak First League|1960–61]], [[1961–62 Czechoslovak First League|1961–62]], [[1962–63 Czechoslovak First League|1962–63]], [[1963–64 Czechoslovak First League|1963–64]], [[1965–66 Czechoslovak First League|1965–66]]
*[[Czechoslovak Cup]]: 1960–61, 1964–65, 1965–66
*[[International Soccer League]]: 1961
*[[International Soccer League#American Challenge Cup|American Challenge Cup]]: 1962, 1963, 1964

'''Czechoslovakia'''<ref name="FIFA"/>
* [[Central European International Cup]]: [[1955-60 Central European International Cup|1955-60]]
* [[UEFA European Championship]] bronze medal: [[1960 European Nations' Cup|1960]]
* [[FIFA World Cup]] runner-up: [[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962]]

'''Individual'''
*[[Ballon d'Or]]: [[1962 Ballon d'Or|1962]]<ref name="FIFA"/>
*[[UEFA European Championship Teams of the Tournament|UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament]]: 1960<ref>{{cite news|date=1 February 2011|title=1960 team of the tournament|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/news/0253-0d7f20bc921c-495824f652eb-1000--euro-1960-team-of-the-tournament/?iv=true|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724121103/https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/news/0253-0d7f20bc921c-495824f652eb-1000--euro-1960-team-of-the-tournament/?iv=true|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 July 2020|website=UEFA|access-date=14 May 2020}}</ref>
*[[FIFA World Cup Silver Ball]]: 1962<ref name="FIFA"/>
*[[FIFA World Cup All-Star Team]]: 1962
*[[World Soccer World XI]]: 1962, 1964<ref>{{Cite web|title=Eric Batty's World XI {{!}} The Sixties|url=http://beyondthelastman.com/2013/04/29/eric-battys-world-xis-the-sixties/|website=Beyond the Last Man|date=29 April 2013|access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref>
*[[Allgemeiner Deutscher Nachrichtendienst|ADN Eastern European Footballer of the Season]]: 1962<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ukrfootball.ua/news/albert-dzhayich-blohin-stoyichkov-levandovski-shcho-spilnogo |website=Ukrainian Football |title=Eastern European Footballer of the season |access-date=5 July 2024 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304200112/http://ukrfootball.ua/news/albert-dzhayich-blohin-stoyichkov-levandovski-shcho-spilnogo |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Czechoslovak Footballer of the Year]]: 1966
*[[UEFA Jubilee Awards|UEFA Czech Golden Player]]: 2003<ref name="FIFA"/>
*[[FIFA 100]]
*[[UEFA President's Award]]: 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/about/how-we-work/president/|title=UEFA President's Award|publisher=UEFA|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050415033643/http://www.praha6.cz/cestni_obcane/masopust.php Short biography] {{in lang|cs}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081218142338/http://www.francefootball.fr/FF/ballon_or/bo_1962.html 1962 – JOSEF MASOPUST – LA PRIME AU COLLECTIF, France Football]
* {{FACR player|new_id=29445|old_id=MasopustJosef}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Awards
|titlestyle=background: gold
|list1=
{{UEFA Euro 1960 Team of the Tournament}}
{{1962 FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament}}
{{Ballon d'Or recipients}}
{{Czechoslovak Footballer of the Year}}
{{1962 World Soccer World XI}}
{{1964 World Soccer World XI}}
{{FIFA 100}}
{{UEFA Jubilee Awards}}
{{UEFA President's Award}}
}}
{{Navboxes colour
|title=Czechoslovakia squads
|bg= #DD0000
|fg= white
|bordercolor=#0000cd
|list1=
{{Czechoslovakia Squad 1958 World Cup}}
{{Czechoslovakia Squad 1960 European Nations' Cup}}
{{Czechoslovakia Squad 1962 World Cup}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Managerial positions
|list1=
{{Dukla Prague managers}}
{{Czechoslovakia national football team managers}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masopust, Josef}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:UEFA Golden Players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Most (city)]]
[[Category:Czech men's footballers]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak men's footballers]]
[[Category:Czechoslovakia men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Ballon d'Or winners]]
[[Category:FIFA 100]]
[[Category:1958 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1960 European Nations' Cup players]]
[[Category:1962 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:FK Teplice players]]
[[Category:Dukla Prague footballers]]
[[Category:Czech football managers]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak football managers]]
[[Category:Czechoslovakia national football team managers]]
[[Category:Dukla Prague managers]]
[[Category:FC Zbrojovka Brno managers]]
[[Category:Recipients of Medal of Merit (Czech Republic)]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak expatriate sportspeople in Belgium]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium]]
[[Category:K.V.V. Crossing Elewijt players]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak expatriate sportspeople in Indonesia]]
[[Category:FK Dukla Prague players]]
[[Category:FK Baník Most 1909 players]]
[[Category:Burials at Vyšehrad Cemetery]]