Former Real Madrid coach at Újpest

Hungarian First Division football team Újpest FC has a new sports director, Leo Beenhakker. The Dutch football expert has a successful past as he won league titles in Holland (Ajax, Feyenoord) and in Spain (Real Madrid).

Following a spell as technical director at Feyenoord in the Netherlands (2009-11), Leo Beenhakker agreed on a three-year deal with Hungarian first division side Újpest FC to fill the position of sports director.

Újpest FC managing director Csaba Bartha said Beenhakker's main duty is to work with the first team, however, the club also plans to use his diverse and extensive personal relationships to establish a scouting network across Europe.

Leo Beenhakker has been in coaching and managerial positions for close to four decades. Besides collecting three league titles in the Netherlands (Ajax, Feyenoord) and three in Spain (Real Madrid), he also coached the national teams of Poland, Trinidad & Tobago and Saudi Arabia.

"Újpest has great traditions in European football and it must get back to the place worthy of its traditions," Beenhakker said.

Újpest FC, established in 1885, is based in the 4th district (Újpest) of Budapest, in the north of the Hungarian capital. Along with its predecessors, it has won 20 league titles and 8 domestic cups.

Before World War II, it won the Cup of Nations, one of the forerunner competitions of the European Champions Cup. In 1969, it was the runner-up in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and in 1974, it qualified for the semifinals of the European Champions Cup. this golden era was also marked by seven consecutive Hungarian league titles (1969-1975).