A Lost Treasure: The Interviews of Des Lee on Ferenc Puskás
The 2024 Australian documentary Ange and The Boss, directed by Cam Fink, Tony Wilson, and Rob Heath, captures an extraordinary yet often overlooked chapter in football history. It tells the story of Hungarian football legend Ferenc Puskás and his tenure as coach of South Melbourne Hellas in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Though past his athletic prime and facing language barriers, Puskás led his team to a triumphant National Soccer League (NSL) Championship victory in 1991. His captain during that time, Ange Postecoglou, would go on to become one of Australia’s most successful football managers, now leading Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League.
The documentary explores the deep bond between Puskás and Postecoglou, transcending the game itself. It delves into themes of immigration, identity, and belonging, particularly within Melbourne’s Greek community, where football clubs became cultural lifelines for migrant families. Through interviews with former players and associates, the film paints a vivid picture of Puskás—not just as a coach, but as a larger-than-life character whose warmth and wisdom left an indelible mark on Australian football.
Among the many voices in Ange and The Boss, one in particular stood out—a voice that, until recently, had been lost to time. In 2018, the film’s producers conducted an interview with Des Lee (born Dezső Lévi), a close friend of Puskás and a man with his own remarkable history in the sport. It was an honour to witness these long-lost interviews at the recent launch of the documentary, bringing Des’s memories back to life in a way that felt almost tangible.
Des’s connection to Puskás was one of camaraderie and deep mutual respect, a friendship forged in the game they both loved. In his book, I Had Nothing to Lose, Des reminisced about the first time he encountered Puskás on the field:
“I had to mark Puskás, you can imagine…” Des recalls, standing barefoot on the hot sand in front of his seaside hotel, seeking refuge in the shade of Melbourne’s century-old beach cabins.
“I served in the army in Eger in the early ‘50s, and Honvéd came to play an exhibition game. My coach must have had something against me because he told me to mark Öcsi (Puskás’s nickname). If I had passed him on the street after the game, I’m not sure I would have recognised him—I only ever saw his back as he ran past me. The next time we met was nearly thirty years later, here in Melbourne. Over a game of ulti and a bowl of homemade stew, he teased me that ever since that match, he had been trying to figure out which centre-back I reminded him of the most: Lóránt at his peak, Santamaría, or Bellini.”
Des first met Puskás in 1953 while playing for the Hungarian Army Soccer Team. Even after their initial encounter, their friendship endured. On several return trips to Hungary in the 1980s, Des and Puskás reconnected, strengthening their bond. When Puskás later moved to Melbourne, their friendship flourished, often gathering with mutual friends Val and Arpi Kopaz, who hosted Puskás and his wife during their time in Australia.
One of the most poignant symbols of their friendship came in the form of a whistle. Upon his return to Hungary from Melbourne in the early 1990s, Puskás presented Des with the Leo Horne Whistle, a treasured memento. Des never forgot this gesture. In his later years, he passed the whistle on to his dear friend, Tamas Karpati, who used it during the official opening of the New Hidegkuti Nándor Stadium. As the Hungarian Prime Minister concluded his speech, the shrill sound of this very whistle marked the beginning of a new era in Hungarian football.
In a poetic turn of fate, the whistle was then gifted to Zoltán Bohus, Hungary’s renowned glass artist. At the time, neither Tamas nor Bohus knew that this would be the final piece of art the master would ever create. Bohus, known for infusing poetic beauty into geometric simplicity, transformed the whistle into a breathtaking glasswork—a tribute to the weight of history and the invisible ties that bind generations together.
Des Lee passed away in August 2020, but his stories, his laughter, and his deep love for the game live on in moments like these.
As we watch these lost interviews, we are transported back to the past, standing once again in the sun-soaked stadiums where legends walked and friendships were forged. It is a reminder that history is not only found in trophies or titles but in the stories we tell, the moments we cherish, and the people who leave an indelible mark on our hearts.
Des Lee retelling the story of visting Puskas in hospital in Hungary (3 mins)
Part One The first part of the interview (57mins)
Part 2 Interview Continued 37 mins