Hugo Meisl facts for kids
 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 November 1881 | ||
| Place of birth | Maleschau, Bohemia | ||
| Date of death | 17 February 1937 (aged 55) | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 1912–1914 | Austria-Hungary | ||
| 1912–1913 | Wiener Amateure | ||
| 1919–1937 | Austria | ||
Hugo Meisl (born November 16, 1881 – died February 17, 1937) was a very important person in Austrian football. He was a talented football coach and a referee. Meisl spoke many languages. He became famous for coaching the amazing Austrian 'Wunderteam' (Wonder Team) in the early 1930s.
Contents
Who was Hugo Meisl?
Hugo Meisl was born into a Jewish family in Bohemia. In 1895, he moved to Vienna and started working as a bank clerk. Soon, he became very interested in football. He played as a winger for the Vienna Cricket and Football-Club.
After a short time playing, Meisl started working for the Austrian Football Association. He quickly moved up to become the General Secretary. He even worked as a referee in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. Before that, he refereed the first international match between Hungary and England in 1908.
Meisl's Love for Football
Meisl's passion for football led to many new ideas. He helped create the Mitropa Cup, a club tournament for teams in Central Europe. He also helped start the Central European International Cup. In 1924, he helped make professional league football possible in Austria.
His interest in the sport helped him make friends across Europe. He became good friends with Vittorio Pozzo in Italy and Herbert Chapman in England. Another English coach, Jimmy Hogan, worked in Vienna. Hogan helped Meisl develop a new way of playing football. This style focused on passing the ball along the ground, instead of high in the air.
The Austrian 'Wunderteam'
Meisl became a coach for the Austrian national football team in 1913. He took full control of the team in 1919. Under his leadership, the team became very strong in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
The Austrian team had an amazing run of 14 matches without losing. This streak lasted from April 12, 1931, to December 7, 1932. This made Austria one of the best teams in international football. They beat many of their European rivals.
One of their most famous players was Matthias Sindelar. He was known as 'Der Papierene' (the man of paper). This was because he could easily move past tough defenders. On February 11, 1934, Austria beat Italy 4-2 in Turin. This victory made Austria a top favorite for the 1934 FIFA World Cup.
1934 World Cup and Olympics
In the 1934 FIFA World Cup, Austria played against their neighbors, Hungary. During this game, one player was sent off, and Hungary was given a penalty. An injury to Johann Horvath meant he could not play in the semi-final.
Austria then played against Italy in the semi-final. Italy scored an early goal and defended very well. This helped the host team win the game and move on to the final.
Two years later, Austria played in the Gold-medal match at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. They lost to Italy by just one goal. This was the only time Austria has ever played in an international final.
Hugo Meisl sadly passed away in 1937 after having a heart attack.
See also
- In Spanish: Hugo Meisl para niños
