František Fadrhonc

Who was František Fadrhonc?

František Fadrhonc was a football manager, who was born in Nymburk, Austria-Hungary, present day Czech Republic. He performed his coaching wonders, however, in the West, mostly in the Netherlands. After winning the Dutch championship with Willem II Tilburg in 1952 and 1955, he coached SC Enschede and Go Ahead Eagles.

In 1970, he took over the Netherlands national football team and was their coach as they qualified for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, besting, among others, their eternal rivals Belgium. However, it was Rinus Michels who took over in 1974 and who led them in the finals of that tournament.

Fadrhonc left the Netherlands for Greece to coach AEK Athens FC in the 1975 football season. He stayed until the beginning of 1978. During that period, he led AEK to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1976 and the Greek Championship title in 1978.

In the UEFA Cup campaign of 1976, he is credited with the substitution of regular goalkeeper Lakis Stergioudas with veteran Nikos Christidis in extra-time of the second leg of the encounter against QPR. His move was justified when Christidis stopped two penalties and AEK went through to the semi finals. He died aged 66 in Nicosia, Cyprus.