Grosics, goalie of great 1950s Hungary sides, dies

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Gyula Grosics, the goalkeeper of Hungary's Golden Team of the 1950s, has died. He was 88.

Grosics' death on Friday was announced by his family and the Hungarian Football Federation. Grosics had suffered three heart attacks and other ailments in recent years and was hospitalized this week after a routine checkup.

He played 86 times for Hungary from 1947 to 1962.

Also known as the "Magical Magyars," they hadn't lost in four years when they were upset in the 1954 World Cup final by West Germany.

Grosics also played in the 1958 and 1962 World Cups and won a gold medal at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.

Grosics, called the "Black Panther" because of his black jersey, was born on Feb. 4, 1926, in Dorog, a town north of Budapest.