Ferenc Puskás Immortalized Again—This Time in a Danish Novel

As reported by puskas.com, the book by Danish writer and journalist Peter Rewers brings to life the twilight of Ferenc Puskás’s life through imagined conversations with two of his closest contemporaries—Alfredo Di Stéfano and József Bozsik.

“This is fantastic news from Denmark,” said György Szöllősi, Puskás’s biographer and official ambassador of his legacy. “Following an Italian stage play, a Spanish novel, and an American screenplay, another literary work about Puskás is now being published—this time in Danish. The novel The Death of Puskás is written by Peter Rewers, a former top-tier footballer turned author and journalist.”

György Szöllősi, who guided Peter Rewers during his research in Budapest prior to the pandemic, added that their conversations were instrumental in shaping the unique narrative, taking place largely inside the hospital room on Kútvölgyi Street where Puskás spent his final days. The novel also delves into the inner world of the ailing sports icon.

“The framework of the story—a fading star grappling with memory loss and existential doubts—bears resemblance to Gianfelice Facchetti’s 2021 stage drama in Milan,” György Szöllősi noted.

As the book’s press release says, The Death of Puskás is not just about football—it is about the soul of the game. It is also a human story, portraying a national hero who fled his homeland during the 1956 revolution and ultimately found redemption at Real Madrid after a series of life-altering events.

“Ferenc Puskás lies in a Budapest hospital bed, nearing death. Doubts torment the legendary footballer: the game he and Hungary’s unbeatable Golden Team once revolutionized has become outdated and predictable—driven by commercial interests far removed from its true spirit,” reads the press release. “Yet under his bed lies a bag holding a secret that could restore the game’s original nobility: his jersey from the iconic 6–3 victory over England at Wembley in 1953.”

As night falls in the story, ghosts of the past emerge—Alfredo Di Stéfano and József Bozsik, his old teammates from Madrid and Kispest, appear by his side. “Will they judge him—or absolve him?” the release asks.

Speaking to puskas.com, author Peter Rewers revealed that the title is a direct allusion to Hermann Broch’s modernist novel The Death of Virgil, which explored the final hours of the Roman poet and his reflections on civilization. Peter Rewers also expressed hope that his novel might one day be published in Hungarian, acknowledging the help he received from György Szöllősi during his research in Budapest.

Via MTI; Featured image: Fortepan/ Kovács Márton Ernő

The post Ferenc Puskás Immortalized Again—This Time in a Danish Novel appeared first on Hungary Today.

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