Matthias Sindelar
Encyclopedia
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
.
Known as "The Mozart
of football" or 'Der Papierene' – 'the Paper-man' for his slight build, he was renowned as one the finest pre-war footballers, known for his fantastic dribbling ability and creativity. He was voted the best Austrian footballer of the 20th Century in a 1999 poll by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) and was named Austria's sportsman of the century a year before.
descent, he was born Matěj Šindelář in Kozlov
, Moravia
, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
, into a poor family of blacksmith Jan Šindelář and his wife Marie née Švengrová. The family moved to Vienna
in 1905 and settled in the district of Favoriten
with a large Czech
-speaking community. Young Matěj/Matthias began playing football in the streets of Vienna.
in 1933 and 1936.
In 2001, Sindelar was chosen in Austria's Team of the Century.
Sindelar was arguably one of Europe's best and, in scope, most influential footballers of his generation, recognized for his ball control, passing and dribbling, and especially his creativity. Anecdote has it that some Viennese football fans went to Sindelar's games not only to see him play but to get a better understanding of how football should be played.
43 times for his country, scoring 27 goals. He scored four goals in his first three international matches, including one in his debut match, a 2-1 victory over Czechoslovakia
on 28 September 1926. Sindelar became an essential part of the Austrian Wunderteam
that was coached by Hugo Meisl
.
. The high point was their defeat of Hungary
in quarterfinals, when Sindelar was matched up against centre-half
György Sárosi, who would go on to claim a runners-up medal at the following World Cup in France
. In a bruising encounter, one Hungarian was sent-off, and Johann Horvath
, the Austrian midfielder, was injured and missed the semi-final against Italy
. Austria then suffered a controversial defeat to the host nation, with Sindelar affected by the harsh marking of Luis Monti
.
in the Prater Stadium in Vienna, its last match as an independent Austrian team, as some weeks earlier, Germany had annexed Austria (Anschluss
) and the Nazis ordered the dissolution of the Austrian team into a common team with Germany, albeit it had qualified for the 1938 FIFA World Cup
. The match (German: "Anschlussspiel") was dubbed as a game for celebrating the Anschluss and Austria's "coming home to the Reich". The Austrians played on the wish of Sindelar in red-white-red kits (the national flags colours) instead of their traditional white and black. Austria missed out many sitters in a way it looked deliberate. However in the last 20 minutes, Sindelar and team-mate Karl Sesta
both scored as the game finished 2-0. Sindelar is reported to have celebrated extravagantly in front of senior Nazi dignitaries. In the rematch, Germany responded by winning 9-1.
.
in 1938 (Anschluss), citing old age or injury as his excuse.
On 23 January 1939 both Sindelar and his girlfriend Camilla Castagnola were found dead at the apartment they shared in Vienna
; the official verdict cited carbon monoxide poisoning
as the cause.
Austrian writer Friedrich Torberg
later dedicated the poem "Auf den Tod eines Fußballers" ("On the death of a footballer") to Sindelar. The poem suggested that he had committed suicide as a result of the German Anschluss
of Austria in 1938. On the other hand, it has been thought and reported that his death was accidental, caused by a defective chimney. However, in a 2000s documentary screened on the BBC, Egon Ulbrich, a lifelong friend of the Sindelar, stated that a local official was bribed to record his death as an accident, which ensured that he would receive a state funeral. "According to the Nazi rules, a person who had been murdered or who has committed suicide cannot be given a grave of honour. So we had to do something to ensure that the criminal element involved in his death was removed," he stated.
, also ranking as the world's 22nd best. His career titles include:
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
footballer
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...
.
He played centre-forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for the celebrated Austria national team
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
of the early 1930s known as the 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...
, which he captained at the 1934 World Cup
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
.
Known as "The Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
of football" or 'Der Papierene' – 'the Paper-man' for his slight build, he was renowned as one the finest pre-war footballers, known for his fantastic dribbling ability and creativity. He was voted the best Austrian footballer of the 20th Century in a 1999 poll by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) and was named Austria's sportsman of the century a year before.
Early years
Of CzechCzech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
descent, he was born Matěj Šindelář in Kozlov
Kozlov (Jihlava District)
Kozlov is a village and municipality in Jihlava District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It lies approximately east of Jihlava and south-east of Prague....
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, into a poor family of blacksmith Jan Šindelář and his wife Marie née Švengrová. The family moved 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 1905 and settled in the district of Favoriten
Favoriten
Favoriten, the 10th district of Vienna, Austria , is located south of the central districts. It is south of Innere Stadt, Wieden and Margareten...
with a large Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
-speaking community. Young Matěj/Matthias began playing football in the streets of Vienna.
Club career (1918-1939)
At the age of 15, the Sindelar joined Hertha Vienna, playing there until 1924, when he was brought to FK Austria Vienna, whose name at the time was Wiener Amateur-SV, up to 1926. He helped the team win the Austrian Cup in 1925, 1926, 1933, 1935 and 1936, a league title in 1926, and 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...
in 1933 and 1936.
In 2001, Sindelar was chosen in Austria's Team of the Century.
Sindelar was arguably one of Europe's best and, in scope, most influential footballers of his generation, recognized for his ball control, passing and dribbling, and especially his creativity. Anecdote has it that some Viennese football fans went to Sindelar's games not only to see him play but to get a better understanding of how football should be played.
Austria national team
From 1926 to 1937, Sindelar was cappedCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
43 times for his country, scoring 27 goals. He scored four goals in his first three international matches, including one in his debut match, a 2-1 victory over Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
on 28 September 1926. Sindelar became an essential part of the 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...
that was coached by Hugo Meisl
Hugo Meisl
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.-Background:...
.
1934 World Cup
Sindelar and Austria were especially prominent at the 1934 World Cup1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
. The high point was their defeat of Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
in quarterfinals, when Sindelar was matched up against centre-half
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
György Sárosi, who would go on to claim a runners-up medal at the following World Cup in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In a bruising encounter, one Hungarian was sent-off, and 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...
, the Austrian midfielder, was injured and missed the semi-final against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. Austria then suffered a controversial defeat to the host nation, with Sindelar affected by the harsh marking of Luis Monti
Luis Monti
Luis Felipe Monti was an Italian Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder. Monti has the distinction of having played in two FIFA World Cup final matches with two different national teams. He played the first of these finals with his native Argentina in 1930, which he lost to Uruguay; and...
.
Austria v Germany 1938
On 3 April 1938, the Austrian team played GermanyGermany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in the Prater Stadium in Vienna, its last match as an independent Austrian team, as some weeks earlier, Germany had annexed Austria (Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
) and the Nazis ordered the dissolution of the Austrian team into a common team with Germany, albeit it had qualified for the 1938 FIFA World Cup
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
. The match (German: "Anschlussspiel") was dubbed as a game for celebrating the Anschluss and Austria's "coming home to the Reich". The Austrians played on the wish of Sindelar in red-white-red kits (the national flags colours) instead of their traditional white and black. Austria missed out many sitters in a way it looked deliberate. However in the last 20 minutes, Sindelar and team-mate Karl Sesta
Karl Sesta
Karl Sesta was an Austrian footballer who represented both the Austrian and German national sides.-Club career:He played club football for Vorwärts XI, 1...
both scored as the game finished 2-0. Sindelar is reported to have celebrated extravagantly in front of senior Nazi dignitaries. In the rematch, Germany responded by winning 9-1.
International caps and goals
The following is a list of Sindelar's international appearances and goals with the Austria national football teamAustria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
.
| Cap # | Date | Location | Type of match | Result | Opponent | Minutes played | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sep 28, 1926 | Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million... |
Friendly | 2-1 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 2. | Oct 10, 1926 | 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... |
Friendly | 7-1 | 90 | 2 | ||
| 3. | Nov 7, 1926 | Vienna | Friendly | 3-1 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 4. | Mar 20, 1927 | Vienna | Friendly | 1-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 5. | Apr 10, 1927 | Vienna | Friendly | 6-0 | 48 | 0 | ||
| 6. | May 6, 1928 | Vienna | Friendly | 3-0 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 7. | Oct 28, 1928 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup Dr. Gerõ Cup The Central European International Cup was an international football competition held by certain national teams from Central Europe between 1927 and 1960. There were competitions for professional and amateur teams... |
2-0 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 8. | Mar 23, 1930 | Prague | Friendly | 2-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 9. | May 16, 1931 | Vienna | Friendly | 5-0 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 10. | May 24, 1931 | 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... |
Friendly | 6-0 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 11. | Sep 14, 1931 | Vienna | Friendly | 5-0 | 90 | 3 | ||
| 12. | Oct 4, 1931 | Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
Dr. Gerö Cup | 2-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 13. | Nov 29, 1931 | Basel Basel Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany... |
Dr. Gerö Cup | 8-1 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 14. | Mar 20, 1932 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 2-1 | 90 | 2 | ||
| 15. | Apr 24, 1932 | Vienna | Friendly | 8-2 | 90 | 3 | ||
| 16. | May 22, 1932 | Prague | Dr. Gerö Cup | 1-1 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 17. | Jul 17, 1932 | 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... |
Friendly | 4-3 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 18. | Oct 2, 1932 | Budapest | Friendly | 3-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 19. | Oct 23, 1932 | Vienna | Dr.GeröCup | 3-1 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 20. | Dec 7, 1932 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Friendly | 3-4 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 21. | Feb 12, 1933 | Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
Friendly | 4-0 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 22. | April 9, 1933 | Vienna | Friendly | 1-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 23. | Apr 30, 1933 | Budapest | Friendly | 1-1 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 24. | Jun 11, 1933 | Vienna | Friendly | 4-1 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 25. | Sep 17, 1933 | Prague | Friendly | 3-3 | 90 | 2 | ||
| 26. | Oct 1, 1933 | Vienna | Friendly | 2-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 27. | Nov 29, 1933 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
Friendly | 2-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 28. | Dec 10, 1933 | Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... |
Friendly | 1-0 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 29. | Apr 15, 1934 | Vienna | Friendly | 5-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 30. | Apr 25, 1934 | Vienna | World Cup qualification FIFA World Cup qualification The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments... |
6-1 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 31. | May 27, 1934 | 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... |
World Cup FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body... |
3-2 | 120 | 1 | ||
| 32. | May 31, 1934 | Bologna Bologna Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,... |
World Cup | 2-1 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 33. | Jun 3, 1934 | Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,... |
World Cup | 0-1 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 34. | Sep 23, 1934 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 2-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 35. | Oct 7, 1934 | Budapest | Dr.Gerö Cup | 1-3 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 36. | Mar 24, 1935 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 0-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 37. | May 6, 1936 | Vienna | Friendly | 2-1 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 38. | May 17, 1936 | Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... |
Friendly | 2-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 39. | Sep 27, 1936 | Budapest | Dr. Gerö Cup | 3-5 | 90 | 2 | ||
| 40. | Mar 21, 1937 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 2-0 | 73 | 0 | ||
| 41. | May 9, 1937 | Vienna | Friendly | 1-1 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 42. | May 23, 1937 | Budapest | Friendly | 2-2 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 43. | Sep 19, 1937 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 4-3 | 90 | 1 | ||
| Totals | 3841 | 26 | ||||||
Team record
In the 43 matches that Sindelar played, Austria had a total record of 25 victories, 11 draws, and 7 losses.Death and myth
Always refusing to leave his home country, Sindelar rejected to play for Germany after the Austrian state was annexed by Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in 1938 (Anschluss), citing old age or injury as his excuse.
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...
; the official verdict cited carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
as the cause.
Austrian writer Friedrich Torberg
Friedrich Torberg
Friedrich Torberg is the pen-name of Friedrich Kantor, an Austrian writer.- Biography :...
later dedicated the poem "Auf den Tod eines Fußballers" ("On the death of a footballer") to Sindelar. The poem suggested that he had committed suicide as a result of the German Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria in 1938. On the other hand, it has been thought and reported that his death was accidental, caused by a defective chimney. However, in a 2000s documentary screened on the BBC, Egon Ulbrich, a lifelong friend of the Sindelar, stated that a local official was bribed to record his death as an accident, which ensured that he would receive a state funeral. "According to the Nazi rules, a person who had been murdered or who has committed suicide cannot be given a grave of honour. So we had to do something to ensure that the criminal element involved in his death was removed," he stated.
Honours
Sindelar was ranked as Austria's best footballer of the twentieth century by the IFFHSInternational Federation of Football History & Statistics
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics is an organization that chronicles the history and records of Association football. It was founded on 27 March 1984 at Leipzig by Dr. Alfredo Pöge with the blessings of general secretary of the FIFA at the time, Dr. Helmut Käser...
, also ranking as the world's 22nd best. His career titles include:
- 1× Austrian football championship: 1926
- 5× Austrian CupAustrian CupThe Austrian Cup, in German: ÖFB-Cup is an annual football competition held by the Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB.It has been held since 1919, with the exception of the time of the Anschluss between 1939 and 1945 and the period between 1950 and 1958 when the competition was deemed of...
: 1925, 1926, 1933, 1935, 1936 - 2× Mitropa CupMitropa CupThe 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...
: 1933, 1936 - 1× Central European International Cup: 1932
External links
- Profile at the official web site of FK Austria
- Tribute web page
- Channel 4 News: Matthias Sindelar
- Career stats – National Football Teams
- Player profile – Austria Archive