Hugo Meisl
Encyclopedia
Hugo Meisl brother of the journalist Willy Meisl
, was the multi-lingual football
coach of the famous Austrian 'Wunderteam
' of the early 1930s, as well as a referee.
, starting out as a bank clerk after moving to Vienna
in 1893 but soon developed an interest in football finding employment as an administrator with the Austrian Football Association when he was in his early 40s, rising to the position of General Secretary. In the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm
, Meisl even turned out as a match referee. He had previously refereed the first international match between Hungary
and England
on 10 June 1908.
, the development of the Central European International Cup and the development of professional League football in Austria in 1924. His interest in football lead him to develop friendships throughout Europe most notably with Vittorio Pozzo
in Italy
and Herbert Chapman
in England
. Another English coach, Jimmy Hogan
, who worked in Vienna
, helped Meisl develop a technique for dispensing with aerial passing and placing emphasis on groundwork.
, the man of paper, 'Der Papierene', known for his ability to glide past rough challengers. On 11 February 1934 the Austrians beat Italy
in Turin
4-2 (3-0 at half-time) in the Central European International Cup competition: a defeat that signalled the end of the international career of the Italian captain Umberto Caligaris
and rightly made the Austrians one of the strong favourites going into the 1934 World Cup.
in a game that saw one player sent-off, a penalty awarded to Hungary and an injury to Johann Horvath
that would rule him out of the semi-final against Italy
. The Italians would win that game, an early goal and desperate defending ensuring the hosts won through to the final. A goal would also separate the sides in the Gold-medal match at the 1936 Summer Olympics
in Berlin
. The second of these games is the only time that Austria have competed in an international final.
Meisl died after suffering a heart-attack in 1937; Nazi Germany annexed the Austrian state and, consequently, the players in 1938.
Willy Meisl
Willy Meisl was an Austrian-jewish sports journalist in the 20th century; the brother of the Austrian national football manager, Hugo Meisl....
, was the multi-lingual football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
coach of the famous Austrian 'Wunderteam
Wunderteam
Wunderteam was the name given to the Austria national football team of the 1930s. Led by manager Hugo Meisl, the team had an unbeaten streak of 14 games between April 1931 and December 1932. The style of the team was based on the Scottish school of football that focused on quick passing introduced...
' of the early 1930s, as well as a referee.
Background
Meisl was born to a Jewish famiy in BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, starting out as a bank clerk after moving to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1893 but soon developed an interest in football finding employment as an administrator with the Austrian Football Association when he was in his early 40s, rising to the position of General Secretary. In the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Meisl even turned out as a match referee. He had previously refereed the first international match between Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on 10 June 1908.
Interest in Football
Meisl's enthusiasm for the game resulted in the development of a Central European club tournament: the Mitropa CupMitropa Cup
The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale was one of the first really international major European football cups for club sides...
, the development of the Central European International Cup and the development of professional League football in Austria in 1924. His interest in football lead him to develop friendships throughout Europe most notably with Vittorio Pozzo
Vittorio Pozzo
Vittorio Pozzo 21 December 1968) was an Italian football coach who was most famous for leading the Italian national team to victory in the 1934 FIFA World Cup and 1938 FIFA World Cups; managed the side that won the 1930 and 1935 editions of the Central European International Cup, as well as the...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman was an English association football player and manager. Though he had an undistinguished playing career, he went on to become one of the most successful and influential managers in early 20th century English football, before his sudden death in 1934.As a player, Chapman played for...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Another English coach, Jimmy Hogan
Jimmy Hogan
James "Jimmy" Hogan was an English football player and coach of Irish descent...
, who worked in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, helped Meisl develop a technique for dispensing with aerial passing and placing emphasis on groundwork.
Austrian 'Wunderteam'
Meisl became coach of the Austrian national side in 1913 alongside Heinrich Retschury, assuming full control in 1919 and oversaw their rise to prominence in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The 14-match unbeaten run of the Austrian national side from 12 April 1931 until 7 December 1932 placed the Austrians at the forefront of international football; they had routed most of their European rivals. Among their players was Matthias SindelarMatthias Sindelar
Matthias Sindelar was an Austrian footballer.He played centre-forward for the celebrated Austria national team of the early 1930s known as the Wunderteam, which he captained at the 1934 World Cup....
, the man of paper, 'Der Papierene', known for his ability to glide past rough challengers. On 11 February 1934 the Austrians beat Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
4-2 (3-0 at half-time) in the Central European International Cup competition: a defeat that signalled the end of the international career of the Italian captain Umberto Caligaris
Umberto Caligaris
Umberto Caligaris was an Italian international footballer who played, normally at left back, for A.S. Casale and Juventus. His 59 caps for the Italian national team stood as a record for many years....
and rightly made the Austrians one of the strong favourites going into the 1934 World Cup.
1934 World Cup
During that tournament Austria renewed their rivalry with their neighbours HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in a game that saw one player sent-off, a penalty awarded to Hungary and an injury to Johann Horvath
Johann Horvath
Johann "Hans" Horvath was an Austrian footballer.-Club career:One of Austria's most prolific strikers of the 1920's, Hansi Horvath played for several club teams in Vienna. He spent most seasons with 1...
that would rule him out of the semi-final against Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The Italians would win that game, an early goal and desperate defending ensuring the hosts won through to the final. A goal would also separate the sides in the Gold-medal match at the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. The second of these games is the only time that Austria have competed in an international final.
Meisl died after suffering a heart-attack in 1937; Nazi Germany annexed the Austrian state and, consequently, the players in 1938.