Platko was born in Budapest. The peripatetic nature of his career led to him being known by 3 variants of his name: Ferenc Plattkó, Franz Platko Kopiletz or Francisco Platko. He began his professional career in 1917 with Vasas SC. He briefly joined WAC Vienna in 1920, then had spells with Hajduk Kula (Yugoslavia) and MTK (Budapest). He played 6 internationals for Hungary between 1917 and 1923.In 1922 Platko featured for MTK for in 2 0-0 draws against Barcelona. The Catalans were so impressed with his goalkeeping that they signed him.
Following the legendary Zamora, Platko was Barcelona's first choice goalkeeper from 1923 to 1930.
During this time he acried the following honours:
Copa del Rey winners- 1924-25, 1925–26, 1927–28
Campionat de Catalunya-1923-24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1929–30
Platko's performance in the 1928 Copa del Rey final (a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad) earned him the rare distinction for a goalkeeper of being immortalized in verse. Diving at the feet of a srtriker, Platko had sustained a head injury that required sutures. He finished the game swathed in bandages and ended the day in hospital. Poet Rafael Alberti was at the match. Impressed by the courage of Platko, the golden haired Hungarian bear, spilling his Hungarian blood for Barcelona in a performance that could never be forgotten (I'm paraphrasing), Alberti wrote Oda A Platko. The poem appeared in the newspaper La Voz de Cantabria (27.05.28).
Here it is in the original:
http://www.laredcantabra.com/platko.html
There are of course, two sides to every story, and the Sociedad fan Rafael Celaya wrote Contraoda del poeta de la Real Sociedad, which attributed Barcelona's triumph to crooked refereeing.
Platko later coached Barca, and continued his career in South America.
