Dubbed as' the Mozart of Football " Austrian Matthias Sindelar (born February 3, 1903) was considered the best player in the thirties. Born in Vienna, Austrian capital, and Jewish family, grew up playing soccer in the streets, where he quickly earned the nickname 'paper man' by the ease with which infiltrating opposing defenses. Sindelar Austrian league debut at age 15. Hertha was in Vienna in 1918, but in 1924 became the most popular Austria Vienna. In the same year he won the first championship, he would repeat in 1926, and also six national cups in 1924, 1925, 1926, 1933, 1935 and 1936, but during his golden career this team also won two trophies Mitropa (the first history of the Champions League) in 1933 and 1936. At 23 years, Sindelar, skilful striker, he was in the national team. Debuted in 1926 and finished leading her to the most important feats. The fame of the Austrian team was such that he was known worldwide as the Wunderteam (great team), who only lost two games in five years and reached the World Cup in Italy 1934 with top seed status, along with the locals, especially because the South American powers did not come with their biggest stars.
By then, Sindelar was easily the best player in the world, and his team, Austria, France eliminated in the second round (3-2), with a goal of his, to Hungary in the quarterfinals (2-1) and only fell in the semifinals against Italy, as was the party for all the World Cup. Some critics say that Italy had to win anyway, by the political system, the fascism of Mussolini Duce, and so was to be completed by imposing the team azzurro of Vittorio Pozzo's 1-0 with a goal of native Guaita , a clear lack Platzer goalkeeper, who was also the deputy head Hiden, injured, and that Swedish referee did not see Ecklind. Then the Austrians, demoralized, lost to Germany for third place (3-2). With good reason: learned that the night before the game against Italy, Mussolini was invited to dinner at Ecklind, who according to the chronicles of the time, came to reject his head a ball into the Italian countryside.
But just a few months later, Sindelar live the worst of nightmares. Austria would enter the Anchluss, the Nazi annexation of the Germans at a time when war was coming up fast. The Rome-Berlin axis was moving forward and on 15 August 1936, FIFA decided to award the seat next World Cup in France at the expense of Argentina (which by rotation of continents was a great candidate) because the Gauls contended that if Germany had organized Berlin Olympic Games that year, Europe had to oppose a libertarian orientation tournament in 1938 and drawing would be held Universal Exposition in Paris.
Sindelar had already integrated the Austrian team for the Olympic Games in Berlin, organized by the Nazis to impose the criterion of "Aryan race", but ended mocked not only by the black sprinter Jesse Owens, but also in football by Sindelar own. The Germans had committed the blunder of placing a substitute against Norway and equipment were quickly removed (2-0) and then the Austrian way was free until they were defeated by Italy again in the final, as had happened two years before Mussolini's World. However, Sindelar was considered the best player in the tournament. The Italians finished with the fascist salute with outstretched arm. Austrian defeat was the third in a series that generated 28 victories.
Austria had played World Cup qualifiers in 1938 and was classified, of course, leaving behind Latvia and Lithuania in the preliminary stage. But was there when it's finished being annexed by Germany in the same 1938, and its facilities were incorporated into the Third Reich. For many, the March 13, 1938, when the annexation occurred, was the end of Wunderteam because Sindelar, Jewish, consistently refused to be part of that team. Months earlier, including all types of injuries claimed not to participate.
was already targeted by the Gestapo, not only by their complete refusal to play for the Germans, but because in a friendly played in Teutonic lands, not only humiliated the local (the order was left to win) but ended up becoming somewhat, the bargain was tired players and missing the last shot. Most serious, however, was to come. After noting the well, Sindelar had the idea to dance in front of the stage for Nazi authorities, an offensive gesture that infuriated the present. It was the final selection, after scoring 27 goals in 44 games, reaching the 1934 World Cup semi-final and final of the 1936 Games, and to obtain the International Cup in 1932 against Italy, which was the precursor of the Euro tournament today.
Depressed by the political situation and by learning about the death of his legendary coach Hugo Meisl, Sindelar appeared suspiciously dead in his room with his Italian girlfriend Camila, in the night from 22 to 23 January 1939 with symptoms of have inhaled carbon monoxide. At his funeral attended by fifteen thousand people, far more than evident Sindelar's popularity and respect he had as a man and as an athlete. The shock that caused his death caused Friedrich Torberg the poet wrote "About the death of a footballer," a poem on the Austrian front. It is unknown if he was killed, but many witnesses said that while it was technically a suicide, the pressure of the Gestapo was no longer tenable for the player.
When word Sindelar's death, many of his former teammates were playing a game on Austrian territory and did not understand that the referee stopped the game, but realizing the reason, many were left lying on the floor, crying and killed. He had left the best player in the world of those times, to the extent that the traditional British magazine World Soccer placed him among the best hundred players in the history and the International Federation of Football History and Statistics of the Austrian named best player of all time. A tragic end.
Source: Don Ball
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