Tam Courts says the chance to try to restore Honved to former glories was too good to turn down. Courts decided to quit Dundee United after a hugely successful first season in charge, to take over at the fallen Hungarian giants.
The move came after United sporting director Tony Asghar phoned him while he was on a family holiday in Turkey, to give him permission to speak to Croatian side Rijeka. And it was while he was talking to Rijeka that Honved – where Courts’ old United colleague Chris Docherty is sporting director – made their move.
Honved were the top team in Hungary in the 1950s when the likes of Ferenc Puskas starred for them, but they’ve only won the title twice in the last 30 years and have spent recent seasons at the wrong end of the table. Courts said: “It (Rijeka) probably dragged on a wee bit too long, which allowed Honved to step in.
