Politics and The Game, Part Six

1- Argentina President Carlos Menem and 1990 World Cup

Edgardo Codesal was the Uruguay-born Mexican Referee of the 1990 World Cup Final (July 8, 1990, West Germany 1-Argentina 0).

Many Argentines criticized his handling of the Final where he sent off two Argentinean players, yellow carded Maradona as well as awarding West Germany’s winning kick.

Even after the Final whistle, Codesal had to be protected by officials from the angry Argentina players.

Argentina President Carlos Menem also got into the mix and labeled the Referee as a cheat.

Menem further stated that Codesal (who was a Gynecologist by trade) should concentrate on medicine and not carry on causing damage to soccer.

Photo From: Soccer International, Issue 9, October 1990

(Mexican Referee Edgardo Codesal Mendez being surrounded by Argentinean players, July 8, 1990, World cup, West Germany 1-Argentina 0)

Photo From: World Soccer, May 1992

(Diego Maradona with Argentina President Carlos Menem)

2- Yugoslavia Civila War, 1991

The Yugoslavian Civil War in the summer of 1991 affected Soccer in Australia.

August 30, 1991, Victoria State Federation decided that the match between Australian First division Clubs: Westgate of Melbourne and North Greelong on September 4^th, 1991 should be played behind closed doors.

The reason was that Westgate is the club of Ethnic Serbs in Australia and North Greelong is that of the Ethnic Croatians.

3- Karl Rappan and Nazi Authorities, 1940s

In 1942 Switzerland were to play Germany in the (then annexed) Vienna.

Switzerland’s Swiss Manager Karl Rappan had to present himself to the German consulate in Zurich, for a medical exam to be mobilized.

Initially, since he had problems with his lungs, he was to be incorporated into an office role.

The Swiss Federation President Robert Zumbuhl interved for Rappan to remain in Switzerland by using his influende with the German Ambassdaor.

4- The Austria National Team and the Anschlus 1938

This Political Cartoon shows the Austrian players fleeing from Adolf Hitler.

The Austrian National Team players were to be incorporated into the new German National Team.

Photo From: Football Football Magazine, Issue 20, September 1961

(Austrian players fleeing from Hitler after the Anschlus in 1938)

5- Dino Zoff and Silvio Berlusconi, 2000

After the 2000 UEFA European Championships Final (July 2, France 2-Italy 1), AC Milan President and Politician (he was the Opposition Leader at the time) Silvio Berlusconi criticized the National Team Manager Dino Zoff for not man-marking France’s Zinedine Zidane.

Due to this attack, Zoff resigned from the National Team on July 4^th, 2000.

There was an outcry for Berlusconi’s comments that many felt went too far.

Berlusconi stood by his comments and said that he had been criticizing the tactics  not referring to Zoff personally. 'I have no apologies to make to anyone,' he said. 

Photo From: Calcio 2000, Issue 33, August 2000

(Dino Zoff and Silvio Berlusconi headlines)

Politics and The Game, Part Four

1- Ivica Osim and War in Bosnia, 1992

On May 23, 1992, Ivica Osim resigned as Yugoslavia National Team Manager as protest over the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He was a native Bosnian and the fighting had intensified in Bosnia after they declared Independence in 1992.

Photo From: World Soccer, August 1991

(Ivica Osim)

2- Karl Rappan and the Nazi Authorities

The famous Austrian Manager Karl Rappan had his run-ins with Nazi Officials while he was managing the Swiss National Team. He managed the Swiss National Team during the 1938 World Cup (concurrently with Grasshopper Zurich).

After leading the Swiss to victory over the Germans during the 1938 World Cup, he was ordered by a Nazi Official to leave the lodgings in France where the Swiss squad were residing and return to Munich at once (remember Austria was part of Germany after the Anschlus). He refused this demand/order.

Just after the World Cup, he was approached by another high-ranking Nazi Official and offered (given an ultimatum according to Rappan) to replace Sepp Herberger as Germany’s National Team Manager.

Upon returning to Switzerland, his contract was extended by Grasshopper President Dr. Hoffmann and was asked not to make any hostile comments about Zurich’s German community.

Photo From: Die Nati, Die Geschichte der Schweizer Fussball-Nationalmanschaft, author Beat Jung, 2006

(Karl Rappan)

3- Robbie Fowler and Dockers, 1997

The Liverpool Dockers strike was a strike in support of Dockers who had been fired by their employers.

On one occasion, Native-born Scouser Robbie Fowler after scoring a goal lifted his shirt to show a T-Shirt in support of the Dockers (designed similar to Calvin Klein Logo).

Photo From: World Soccer, May 1997

(Robbie Fowler)

4- Vladan Lukic/Joel Muller and NATO bombings of Yugoslavia, 1999

Former Yugoslavian International striker Vladan Lukic was playing for French club Metz when NATO bombings of Yugoslavia took place in 1999. He publicly stated that he was ready to take up arms, which drew the ire of his Manager Joel Muller, because France were part of the coalition bombing Yugoslavia and in essence he was stating he was ready to take arms against France.

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Hors Serie 26, August 1997

(Metz Manager Joel Muller)

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Hors Serie 26, August 1997

(Vladan Lukic at Metz)

5- The 1981 British Home Championship

The 1981 British Home Championship was incomplete and no team was declared winner. Northern Ireland were to host England and Wales at Belfast. However, both teams refused to go because of security concerns due to Political unrest.

Old Team Photographs-Part 24a

Photo From: World Soccer, February 1991

(Germany squad, Top, left to right:  Lothar Herbert Matthäus, Bodo Illgner, Rudolf 'Rudi' Völler, Guido Buchwald, Jürgen Kohler, Matthias Sammer, Stefan Reuter, Thomas Helmer,  Thomas Häßler, Thomas Berthold, Jürgen Klinsmann, December 19, 1990, Germany 4-Switzerland 0)

Photo From: Goal,  March 1998

(England squad, Top, left to right: Bryan Robson, Raymond Colin Wilkins, Stephen James Coppell, Terence Ian Butcher,  Graham Rix, Phillip Bernard Thompson, Trevor John Francis, Paul Mariner, Kenneth Graham Sansom, Peter Leslie Shilton, Michael Denis ‘Mick’ Mills, June 16, 1982, World Cup, England 3-France 1)

Photo From: 100 Melhores do Futebol Portugues, Vol II, Author Rui Dias, 2002

(Portugal squad, Top, left to right: Eurico Monteiro Gomes,  Antonio Luis Alves Ribeiro Oliveira, Adelino de Jesus Teixeira, Manuel Galrinho Bento,  Humberto Manuel de Jesus Coelho  , Gabriel Azevedo Mendes, Bottom, left to right: Sheu Han, Fernando Mendes Soares  Gomes ,  Manuel Jose Tavares Fernandes, João Antonio Ferreira Resende Alves,  José Alberto Costa  , October 11, 1978, EC Qualifier, Portugal 1-Belgium 1)

Photo From: se Lvickem na prsou-Authors O.Bartunek, J.Kalat

(Czechoslovakia squad, Top, left to right: Jan Lala, Adolf Scherer, Viliam Schrojf,  Svatopluk Pluskal, Jan Popluhár , Bottom, left to right:  Jozef Bomba,  Tomas Pospichal,  Jan Geleta, Jozef Masopust, Andrej Kvasnak, L’udovit Cvetler  , April 11, 1964, Italy 0-Czechoslovakia 0)

Photo From: Azzurri, Storia della Nazionale di calcio tre volte campioni del Mondo, 1910-1983

(Italy squad, Top, left to right: Franco Zaglio, Armando Segato, Carlo Galli, Sergio Castelletti,  Gianfranco Petris, Guido Gratton , Bottom, left to right: Lorenzo Buffon,  Enzo Robotti, Amos Mariani, Sergio Brighenti, Gaudenzio Bernasconi , May 6, 1959, England 2-Italy 2)

Photo From: 90 Joer Letzebuerger Footballfederatioun / 90 ans Federation Luxembourgeoise de Football

(Luxembourg squad, Top, left to right: Gustave Kemp, Jean Jaeger, Paul Feller, Joseph Fischer, Camille Libar, Nicholas Witry, Pierre Becker,  Emile Everard, Joseph Witry, Ernest Mengel,  Francois Dumont , March 31, 1940, Holland 4-Luxembourg 5)

Photo From: Österreichs Fußball Länderspiele Chronik 1902 – 1993, Author: Anton Egger

(Austria squad, Top, left to right: Heinrich Lebensaft alias "Saft" , Karl Rainer, Karl Geyer, Karl Rappan, Josef Weiss, Josef Blum , Karl Jiszda , Bottom, left to right: Ferdinand Wessely, Johann Horvath, Johann Richter, Leopold Hofmann , April 10, 1927, Austria 6-Hungary 0)

Photo From:  år med Svensk Fotboll 1904-84, Author Glanell Thomas red

(Denmark and Sweden squads, May 25, 1913, Denmark 8-Sweden 0)