Sport is not just about games, actions win, and losses. It is also made up of the stories that pass on those deeds, anecdotes, of memories. This is what in a way makes it magical and incredibly binds it to our lives, which makes it a family business. Because through the lives of our favorite champions, through their hidden stories, we learn to give greater density to their businesses and to make them our own.
The same is true for football, the sport that here in Italy moves souls and minds in one direction or another. A sport that has a very long history, which touches on very different moments of our recent era and of our geography. We have therefore chosen five particularly significant stories, five anecdotes that have made the history of football. We tell you about them with the aim of refreshing your memory or at least passing on to the youngest the memories that once belonged to our grandparents.
The worst organized Olympic Tournament in History
The abandonment of Czechoslovakia in the 1920 final
Let’s start from afar, from 1920. Europe had just emerged from the First World War, which ended in 1918. The ghost of that conflict, however, had not yet been left behind. The peace treaties had been long and laborious and sparked lively protests. In Italy, for example, there were complaints about the “mutilated victory”, that is, the fact that our state had not been assigned all the territories that had been promised to us with the London Pact. But discontent was skyrocketing in other countries as well.
One of the hot topics was the punishment to be inflicted on central empires. Great Britain and especially France, in fact, wanted Germany and Austria to play hard for the choice to start the war. Despite the opposition of the United States, the treaties ended up being particularly punitive towards these two powers. Austria lost its empire and saw itself fragmented into a series of partially national and partially false states. Germany was humiliated in such a way that it would not have become difficult for the Nazis to ride the spirit of revenge.
All this happened on a political level, but that wave also touched the football. In fact, in 1920 the seventh edition of the Olympics took place. The host country was Belgium which during the Great War had been tormented by the conflict, as well as unjustly attacked, given its neutrality. And precisely in the perspective of an Olympics that ended the war, the defeated powers were excluded from the demonstration. Thus, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey could not participate in the games.
THE NATIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WAR
The problem was that the Austro-Hungarian Empire was not only made up of Austria and Hungary. Before 1918 it also included Bohemian, Slovakian, Croatian, Slovenian, and even Italian territories. The question then was: should newborn nations like Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, formed in part or wholly on the ashes of that Empire, have to take part in the Olympics? In the end, it was decided that yes, but not without controversy. Also because Czechoslovakia – one of the national teams in question – managed to reach the final of the football tournament.
The race for gold was epic in its own way, albeit in a negative way. Unfortunately, it is difficult to give a historically reliable version, because the chronicles of the time are often characterized by a certain bias. In any case, Belgium, the host, and, in fact, Czechoslovakia, a newborn but already very fierce national team, faced each other in the match. The referee was an elderly English gentleman, a certain John Lewis, who obviously refereed in the way he was used to at home. That is, leaving a lot to run on contrasts.
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At 6 ′ minutes of the first half, the first crime occurred immediately. In the fiery atmosphere of a decidedly home stadium, the Czechoslovakian goalkeeper who had already captured the ball with his hands was charged by an opponent. Falling, he lost the ball. His defender convinced that the referee would have whistled the foul, took the ball with his hands. Lewis actually whistled, but not the charge on the goalkeeper: given the use of his hands, he instead awarded a penalty to Belgium, who took the lead.
Around 39 ‘, after Belgium had in the meantime also doubled (probably offside), another foul occurred. Steiner, a Czechoslovakian defender, abruptly stopped an opponent attacker hurled towards the net. This time Lewis seemed not to apply his usual permissive method and whistled the foul, ejecting the visiting full-back. The whole Czechoslovakian team, which felt unfairly persecuted by the referee and the public, subjected the referee to protests, protests that resulted in a momentary abandonment of the field.
THE INVASION OF THE FIELD BY BELGIAN FANS
There was no time to placate the spirits and convince the Czechoslovakians to end the meeting. As soon as the team signaled to go out with the expelled Steiner, the Belgian public, who were already crowding the stadium, invaded the field to lift their favorites in triumph. Not only was Belgium proclaimed the winner by abandoning the opponent, but Czechoslovakia was not even given the silver medal. Indeed, another mini-tournament was organized between the defeats in the semifinals and the quarter-finals to award the other two medals.
However, there were many oddities in those Olympics. For example, during an interminable tennis match (between the American Lowe and the Greek Zerlentis) the ball boys mutinied, as they were too hungry. Or we should remember our water polo team, which did not complete the opening match because they thought the pool water was too cold.
The most beautiful and memorable element of the Antwerp Olympics, however, was the moment when our walker Ugo Frigerio, winner of the 3 and 10 kilometers, received gold in the presence of King Albert of Belgium. The band that was to sing the hymn – which at the time was still the Royal March – had in fact lost the score. Then the director decided to play the only Italian song that all the musicians knew by heart. Thus it was that Ugo Frigerio was awarded on the notes of ‘O sole Mio, which was also sung by the public.
The Birth of the Cesarini Area
The Argentine player who managed to give his name to the end game
Another of the most beautiful stories from the dawn of football is the one concerning Renato Cesarini. Probably born in Senigallia and emigrated with his family to Argentina when he was still a few months old, Cesarini became known to the Italian public in 1930, when Juventus made his debut in Serie A after buying him from Chacarita Juniors. He was an advanced midfielder with good technique, but whose lavish lifestyle and stunts are also remembered.
The legends about him are many, and probably true. It is said that he changed his shirt three times a day at a time when the shirt was a luxury. It is said that he arrived late to practice by taxi and got out of the car wearing a tuxedo. It is also said that he learned Italian from prostitutes. What is certain, however, is that he went down on the pitch and often scored. In fact, in 1930, his Juventus got their hands on the championship and won the Scudetto for five consecutive seasons.
In January 1931 Renato Cesarini also made his debut in the national team, called by Vittorio Pozzo. He immediately scored a goal in the first game, but then in the following, he didn’t shine. The coach who would have led the Azzurri to win the World Cup twice in fact could not bear his indiscipline, even though Cesarini was certainly a very talented player. On 13 December 1931, he wore the blue again, in one of the most prestigious tournaments of the time, the International Cup.
THE GOAL AGAINST HUNGARY
In Turin, the National team hosted the Hungarian forts. The match proved to be balanced and was heading towards the 2-2 final. At least until, in the 90 ‘, Cesarini failed to put in the goal of the 3-2 final. Given that he had already succeeded in such a feat a couple of other times in the league, the journalists began to talk about the “Cesarini Zone”. An expression that is used even today, even outside the football field, when a difficult situation finds a solution in extremis.
Among other things, it must be borne in mind that at the time, scoring at 90 ‘was much less easy than today. Until the mid-1960s, in fact, no substitutions were allowed on the playing field. The 11 who started the game were also the 11 who finished it. If someone got injured, the race was outnumbered. This certainly favored hard play (if you “dented” an opponent without being sent off, you could play with the extra man) but it also made it more difficult to score in the final game, when fatigue accumulated. But for Cesarini this was not a problem.
“Sensational at the Cibali!”
The origin of one of the most used expressions by commentators
We remain in the context of the expressions loved by chroniclers and which have often entered our common language. In addition to “Zona Cesarini”, another phrase that has had great success in Italy was the “Clamoroso al Cibali!” pronounced by Sandro Ciotti on June 4, 1961. Let’s reconstruct its history.
The Cable, as you know, is the stadium in Catania which today is actually named after Angelo Massimino, but which often continues to be called by his old name. In 1961 the Sicilian team played in Serie A and was playing an excellent championship. In fact, it closed in eighth place, but in the first round, it was also in the upper parts of the standings.
The first round ended with the Etna team who had visited Inter in Milan. The Nerazzurri had great ambitions, also because Helenio Herrera had just arrived on the bench, who had done well in Spain. In fact, in that match at the end of January, the Nerazzurri scrambled the Catania players, winning 5-0 with 4 own goals from the guests. Herrera, who already displayed an outspoken character, declared that his team had played against a team of “postelegraphers”. A somewhat dated expression, which today we would replace with “postmen” or at least “dopolavoristi”.
The people of Catania did not take it well. And when, on the last day of the championship, Inter returned the visit, they did everything to make the Argentine coach and his team pay for it. Also because that match was also very important for the fate of the championship. At the beginning of June, Inter and Juve were in the lead on equal points, even if there was still an open question. In the direct match played in Turin the previous April, in fact, the match had been suspended due to an invasion of the field and the victory had been given to Inter. But Juve was waiting for the outcome of the appeal.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE APPEALS COMMISSION
The judgment of the Federal Appeals Commission was issued on June 3, a few days before the last championship match. And he ordered the repetition of the match in Turin, effectively putting Inter at -2 from Juventus. The controversy floated, because the then Juventus president Umberto Agnelli was also head of the FIGC and therefore there was a certain conflict of interest. Nothing, however, was still lost. In the last season, in fact, Juventus drew at home with Bari and a victory would have been enough for Inter to get back to -1 before the direct clash.
But that victory did not come. In Catania, the Nerazzurri were literally demolished by the team of “postelegrafisti”, who entered Mario Da Pozzo’s door twice. Juve thus escaped at +3, becoming unattainable. In the repetition of the direct clash, in protest, the president Angelo Moratti thus made the Primavera take the field, which was defeated 9-1. But the expression with which Sandro Ciotti announced the collapse of Inter – on the very popular radio show All football minute by minute – entered the collective imagination.
The Opposite Punishment of Zaire
The most famous gesture of the 1974 World Cup
After two Italian and local stories, we return to a more international dimension. And we are also beginning to approach the present day, to the moments when it is easier to find video finds of the companies that gave rise to the anecdotes we are talking about. In particular, we have chosen to tell you what – during the 1974 World Cup – had Zaire players as protagonists.
If you don’t know where this country is, don’t despair. For once, it’s not your knowledge that’s flawed. That was in fact a rather ephemeral name, which was given to the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1971 to 1997. In the 1974 World Cup, held in West Germany, in fact, Zaire showed up for the first and only time.
The team was unknown to European journalists and observers but had achieved excellent results on their continent. Not surprisingly, in that summer of 1974, she was also reigning African champion, repeating a success already achieved in 1968. Those good results were also the result of the investments that the dictator in the government of the country, Mobutu Sese Soko, had made in the field of sporty. Investments that in the following months would also bring Muhammad Ali and George Foreman to Kinshasa for one of the most famous fights in boxing history.
THE TERRIBLE DEFEAT AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA
The Congolese team, however, was not up to par with the European and South American ones. Inserted in an iron group, she lost on her debut 2-0 against Scotland but above all she was humiliated in the second game, taking 9 goals from Yugoslavia. The third and last match of their world championship was played by the Zaireans against Brazil, in an atmosphere that was certainly not pleasant. President Soko, in fact, had let the players know that in case of a too heavy defeat he would put them in prison.
It was perhaps also for this reason that during the match some African players showed an unexpected nervousness. One, in particular, made history. At one point, in fact, the referee Rainea awarded a free-kick to Brazil. The green-gold ace Rivelino, already world champion four years earlier, took charge of the shooting. The Brazilian was gifted with a particularly powerful shot, which already in Mexico had earned him the nickname of “patada Atomica”. Obviously, therefore, there was some concern about the Zaire barrier.
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The Romanian referee whistled, but Rivelino waited a few tenths of a second before starting his run-up. It was somehow fatal to him. In fact, a Zairian defender, Ilunga Mwepu, suddenly detached himself from the barrier and ran towards the ball, and gave him a powerful kick, sending him into the opposing half of the pitch. A mixture of disbelief and laughter immediately spread among the audience and even among the players. But did the Zaireans really not know the rules of the free-kick?
Perhaps, as mentioned, the tension from the threats suffered played a bad joke on Mwepu and his companions. But his gesture remained epic and helped to remember a national team that otherwise, with 14 goals conceded in three games, would soon have been forgotten.
Panenka’s Spoon
The origin of the “Totti” penalty kick
Let’s go back to talking about Czechoslovakia. After the Olympic final of 1920, lost in that way, the national team of the Central European country had other opportunities to triumph, but they all failed. In fact, in 1934 he lost the final of the World Cup with Italy, while in 1962 in Chile he was always defeated in the final by Brazil. He had won an International Cup in 1960 but therefore lacked success in the most prestigious tournaments.
This success came, surprisingly, in 1976. In that year the final phase of the European Championships was held in Yugoslavia, which at that time were limited to the semifinals and the final. The four admitted teams qualified through elimination rounds and a match – the quarter-finals – played in two rounds home and away.
In Zagreb and Belgrade then four representatives appeared, ready to fight for the title. There were the Yugoslav hosts, rather aggressive. There was reigning world champion West Germany, with players like Berti Vogts, Franz Beckenbauer, and Uli Hoeness. There was the Netherlands vice-champion of the world, the national team of total football, with Ruud Krol, Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, Rob Rensenbrink, and above all Johan Cruijff. And then, to complete the quartet, there was Czechoslovakia, the one that everyone gave up for dead.
THE SEMIFINAL AGAINST CRUIJFF’S HOLLAND
In the semifinal against the Netherlands, however, the Bohemians did record the first surprise. Captain Anton Ondruš signed the Czechoslovakian advantage in the first half, but in the second, thanks to the expulsion of Jaroslav Pollák, the same Ondruš was guilty of an own goal that brought the match back to a draw. Accomplices two Dutch expulsions, however, the Czechoslovakians managed to win the match in extra time by 3-1.
In the final, they found West Germany, with our referee Gonella directing the match. Czechoslovakia even managed to reach 2-0, but 10 minutes from the end they were reached 2-2. The extra time ended with a stalemate and thus came to penalties. The Czechoslovakians scored the first four pitches, while Germany made the first three. The fourth was instead missed by Hoeness. This gave the Czechoslovakian fifth penalty taker the match point: if he had scored he would have given the first international title to his team.
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Antonín Panenka, midfielder of Bohemians Prague, the fourth most important team in the capital, showed up on the spot. Panenka in his homeland had not won any title, because the Scudetto was the prerogative of other more important teams, but he was a purebred footballer. And most importantly, very cold. For this, he had been chosen to take the decisive penalty.
The opposite was Sepp Maier, Bayern Munich goalkeeper who instead boasted a long list of titles in his Palmares. Reigning European and World Champion with the national team, he had also won 4 league titles, 1 Cup Winners’ Cup, and 3 European Cups with his club team. The latest of which came just a month before the match against Czechoslovakia.
SEPP MAIER MOCKED
Panenka, however, was not intimidated by the caliber of the opponent. And he decided to play cunningly. Instead of angling the shot, he chose to “spoon” it, trusting that Maier would have dived anyway. So in fact, it happened and Czechoslovakia was able to win its first title, becoming the European champion.
It is no coincidence that the rigor that we in Italy call “spoon”, in the rest of the world is known as “Panenka” rigor. All the great champions who have performed it over the years – from Totti (at the 2000 European Championships) to Pirlo, from Zidane to Neymar – have not managed to deprive the Czech player of the honor of giving him his name.
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