The relations of contemporary elite to the masses is well illustrated by the symbiosis between party leaders and football players. Every regime has the elemental interest to become acceptable for the people. Thus, even dictatorial regimes seek some sort of legitimization. Politicians rising to power strive to justify their authority with peculiar tools, in order to gain public support for themselves. As sports – and football in particular – was a national issue in Hungary since the beginning of the 20th century, communist party-leaders attempted to gain support through the patronage of football clubs and players. This essay argues that the paternalistic exchange between political decision-makers and sportsmen served as a model for the ideal relationship between the elite and the masses in the communist mindset of the 1950s.

full text in Sic Itur ad Astra 62. (2011)