Izidor Kürschner

Kürschner was a defensive player on the left side of the field who also found use as centre half. He impressed less with his physique and technique then with his astute positioning and his penchant for headers. His game was marked by simplicity and decisiveness. He played for MTK in his hometown Budapest and contributed to their Championships in 1904 and 1908 as well as their three consecutive wins of the Magyar Kupa between 1910 and 1912. Between 1907 and 1911 he also was called up five times to play for the Hungary national football team. In 1911, to supplement his income, along with fellow MTK player Gyula Kertész he set up a photographic studio.

Beginnings in Budapest and Stuttgart

Kürschner commenced his coaching career in 1918 with MTK in Budapest taking over from the previous coach Jimmy Hogan, but departed the following year, moving on to Stuttgarter Kickers in the south-west of Germany. There he stayed for two years and won in 1921 the championship of Württemberg, which qualified the club for the Southern German Championship.

Championship with Nürnberg

Stuttgart were ousted soon, thus Kürschner became available to lead title defenders 1. FC Nürnberg through the play-offs for the national German title. There the Nürnbergers defeated in the final Vorwärts 90 from Berlin (a precursor club to today's SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin) with 5–0. After this short-term engagement FC Bayern Munich hired Kürschner for the next season as successor to the great Englishman William Townley. Bayern only managed second place in the Southern Bavarian Championship behind local rivals FC Wacker Munich, and thus failed to qualify for the national tournament. This freed Kürschner to guide Nürnberg through their play-off campaign once more. He led the team to its third consecutive German Championship final where the ascending Hamburger SV was the opponent. Two epic matches over altogether more than five hours in what is referred to in German football folklore as the "eternal final", did not produce a winner, and in the consequence no title was awarded in that season. In the next season Kürschner was made the first…