Despite not achieving the same level of success as coach that he had as
a player, he led Greek club Panathinaikos to the European Champions Cup
final of 1971 at Wembley, where the team lost 2-0 to Ajax. This has
been the only time so far (2006) where a Greek club has featured in a
major club competition final. (The 1996 Panathinaikos side came close,
losing a two-legged Champions League semi-final. The team they lost to
was, again, Ajax). Since then, Puskas (already having been admired for
his exploits as a player) has enjoyed legend status in Greece, where he
returned to coach AEK Athens in the 80s, and his regular visits to the
country were always met with widespread interest. A number of players
from the 1971 Panathinaikos team were present at his funeral,
representing the club, along with officials from the Hellenic Football
Federation.