Rudolf Wetzer
Encyclopedia
Rudolf 'Rudy' Wetzer was the captain and team-coach alongside Octav Luchide, under the management of Costel Rădulescu
of the first Romania
n side to participate in a FIFA World Cup
. He was a Jewish-Romanian footballer.
Wetzer owed his position as team captain to a decision by Costel Rădulescu
in the weeks prior to the tournament. In May 1930 the Romanians had lost the King Alexander's Cup (a two team event) to Yugoslavia
in Belgrade
. At the time Emerich Vogl
was team captain. Wetzer was brought back into the side two weeks' later for a friendly against Greece
in Bucharest
. This decision reaped considerable rewards for both Rădulescu and Wetzer because Wetzer scored 5 goals in an 8-1 victory for his team. In total Wetzer was to play 17 times for Romania scoring 13 goals.
Romania had been grouped with Uruguay
and Peru
in the tournament, defeating the Peruvians 3-1 before losing to the eventual winners and hosts 4-0. The second of these games was held at the Estadio Centenario
in Montevideo
.
Wetzer was a very prolific scorer for Romania
. He was the top goalscorer of the 1929-1931 (first) edition of the Balkan Cup
(which Romania
won). He scored 7 goals for his country in that tournament alone.
In club football Wezter played for Juventus Bucureşti
(who were Romanian national champions in 1929-1930 season), as such he was a colleague of squad members Vogl and Ladislau Raffinsky
. In the 1920s he had played for Unirea Timişoara (appearing, whilst with them, at the 1924 Olympic Games
) and Chinezul before moving on. His last matches for Romania (played while he was playing for Ripensia were in 1932; his last match came in a 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria
in Belgrade
. Otherwise he played for BSK Belgrade, Újpest FC
, Hyères FC
, ILSA Timişoara and Craiovan Craiova. While playing in Hungary, he used the name Rudolf Veder, in Serbia, Rudolf Večer.
After retiring as a footballer Wetzer became a trainer. In 1958, during a purge by the ruling national party against "revisionism and bourgeois ideology, indiscipline and descriptive anarchic elements" Wetzer became subject to an order forbidding him from "leaving the collective in which he was engaged without good reason, under penalty of being expelled from the trainers' corps.
Costel Radulescu
Constantin 'Costel' Rădulescu was a footballer and manager from Romania who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s...
of the first Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n side to participate in a FIFA 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...
. He was a Jewish-Romanian footballer.
Wetzer owed his position as team captain to a decision by Costel Rădulescu
Costel Radulescu
Constantin 'Costel' Rădulescu was a footballer and manager from Romania who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s...
in the weeks prior to the tournament. In May 1930 the Romanians had lost the King Alexander's Cup (a two team event) to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. At the time Emerich Vogl
Emerich Vogl
Imre Vogl -Emeric Vogl- was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy.- Club career :Emerich Vogl played as a youth for Chinezul Timişoara...
was team captain. Wetzer was brought back into the side two weeks' later for a friendly against Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. This decision reaped considerable rewards for both Rădulescu and Wetzer because Wetzer scored 5 goals in an 8-1 victory for his team. In total Wetzer was to play 17 times for Romania scoring 13 goals.
Romania had been grouped with Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in the tournament, defeating the Peruvians 3-1 before losing to the eventual winners and hosts 4-0. The second of these games was held at the Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution...
in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
.
Wetzer was a very prolific scorer for Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
. He was the top goalscorer of the 1929-1931 (first) edition of the Balkan Cup
Balkan Cup
The Balkan Cup was an international football tournament played on and off between 1929 and 1980 between countries from the Balkan region. The first tournament was played between Romania, Greece, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria over 3 years from 1929 to 1931....
(which Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
won). He scored 7 goals for his country in that tournament alone.
In club football Wezter played for Juventus Bucureşti
FC Juventus Bucuresti
FC Juventus Bucureşti can refer to two Romanian football teams.* FC Juventus Bucureşti * FC Juventus Bucureşti...
(who were Romanian national champions in 1929-1930 season), as such he was a colleague of squad members Vogl and Ladislau Raffinsky
Ladislau Raffinsky
László Raffinsky was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1938 FIFA World Cup in France...
. In the 1920s he had played for Unirea Timişoara (appearing, whilst with them, at the 1924 Olympic Games
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
) and Chinezul before moving on. His last matches for Romania (played while he was playing for Ripensia were in 1932; his last match came in a 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. Otherwise he played for BSK Belgrade, Újpest FC
Újpest FC
Újpest Football Club , earlier known as Újpesti TE and Újpesti Dózsa, is a Hungarian football club, based in Újpest, Budapest. The club's colours are purple and white...
, Hyères FC
Hyères FC
Hyères Football Club is a French association football team playing in the city of Hyères, Var. The club was founded in 1912 and played the first ever season of professional football in France in 1932–1933 but was relegated...
, ILSA Timişoara and Craiovan Craiova. While playing in Hungary, he used the name Rudolf Veder, in Serbia, Rudolf Večer.
After retiring as a footballer Wetzer became a trainer. In 1958, during a purge by the ruling national party against "revisionism and bourgeois ideology, indiscipline and descriptive anarchic elements" Wetzer became subject to an order forbidding him from "leaving the collective in which he was engaged without good reason, under penalty of being expelled from the trainers' corps.
External Links
- Wayback Machine: Archived Geocities account of 1930 World Cup Finals in Uruguay
- Rudolf Wetzer at National-Football-Teams.com
- Rudolf Wetzer at Playerhistory.