Pál Dárdai

Pál Dárdai

Dárdai as a Hertha player (2009)
Personal information
Date of birth	(1976-03-16) 16 March 1976 (age 40)
Place of birth	Pécs, Hungary
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Hertha BSC (coach)
Youth career
	Pécs
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1991–1995	Pécs	68	(11)
1996	Budapesti VSC	22	(3)
1997–2011	Hertha BSC	297	(17)
Total		387	(31)
National team
1996–1997	Hungary U21	5	(1)
1998–2010	Hungary	61	(5)
Teams managed
2012–2015	Hertha BSC (youth)
2014–2015	Hungary
2015–	Hertha BSC
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Pál Dárdai (born 16 March 1976) is a Hungarian retired footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder, and the current coach of German club Hertha BSC.

In a 20-year professional career he played for over a decade in the same team, Hertha BSC in Germany. With 286 Bundesliga appearances, he is the club's most capped player.

Dárdai gained 61 caps for Hungary in 12 years, and also worked as the country's manager.

Born in Pécs, Dárdai started his professional career with local Pécsi Mecsek FC, moving in January 1996 to BVSC Budapest.

He helped his new club finish second in both the league and cup.

In January 1997 Dárdai signed with Germany's Hertha BSC, appearing in ten games for the second division side before the end of the season as it eventually promoted. In 1998–99 he contributed with 21 matches (only six starts however) to a final third position, only trailing vice-champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen by one point.

On 13 November 2008, Dárdai marked his 250th Bundesliga appearance during the 1–0 win against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Following the match, he thanked "the team and the fans".

On 16 January 2009, Dárdai damaged his meniscus during training. He was operated by Gert Schleicher after returning to Berlin from Marbella in Spain, where Hertha spent their winter training camp.