Matthias Sindelar
Matthias Sindelar (10 February 1903 – 23 January 1939) is a former Austrian football player. His nicknames were "Mozart of football" and "Der Papierene-the Paperman" due to his slight figure. He has played for Austria national team. Sindelar was elected for Austria's "Team of the century".
| File:Sindelar-aut.jpg Matthias Sindelar in the jersey of Austria's team | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthias Sindelar | ||
| Date of birth | 10 February 1903 | ||
| Place of birth | Jihlava, Austria-Hungary | ||
| Date of death | 23 January 1939 (aged 35) | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker (retired) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1918–1922 | Hertha Vienna | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1921–1924 | Hertha Vienna | 23 | (4) |
| 1924–1939 | Austria Wien | 312 | (240) |
| National team | |||
| 1926–1937 | Austria | 43[1] | (26) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Club career
Matthias Sindelar was of Czech origin. He and his family came to Vienna in 1905. They lived in Favoriten where Matthias started playing football with Hertha Vienna from 1918 to 1924. Then he went to FK Austria Wien (which was called Wiener Amateur-SV until 1926). For this club he played from 1924 until his death in 1939.
International career
He was an important part of the Austrian team in the early 1930s. This team is called "Wunderteam" and had won lot of matches against leading European nations. The following is a list of Sindelar's international appearances and goals with the Austria national football team.
| Cap # | Date | Location | Type of match |
Result | Opponent | Minutes played |
Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sep 28, 1926 | Prague | Friendly | 2-1 | 22x20px Czechoslovakia | 90 | 1 | |
| 2. | Oct 10, 1926 | Vienna | Friendly | 7-1 | 22x20px Switzerland | 90 | 2 | |
| 3. | Nov 7, 1926 | Vienna | Friendly | 3-1 | 22x20px Sweden | 90 | 1 | |
| 4. | Mar 20, 1927 | Vienna | Friendly | 1-2 | 22x20px Czechoslovakia | 90 | 0 | |
| 5. | Apr 10, 1927 | Vienna | Friendly | 6-0 | 22x20px Hungary | 48 | 0 | [2] |
| 6. | May 6, 1928 | Vienna | Friendly | 3-0 | Yugoslavia | 90 | 0 | |
| 7. | Oct 28, 1928 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 2-0 | 22x20px Switzerland | 90 | 0 | |
| 8. | Mar 23, 1930 | Prague | Friendly | 2-2 | 22x20px Czechoslovakia | 90 | 0 | |
| 9. | May 16, 1931 | Vienna | Friendly | 5-0 | 22x20px Scotland | 90 | 1 | |
| 10. | May 24, 1931 | Berlin | Friendly | 6-0 | 22x20px Germany | 90 | 0 | |
| 11. | Sep 14, 1931 | Vienna | Friendly | 5-0 | 22x20px Germany | 90 | 3 | |
| 12. | Oct 4, 1931 | Budapest | Dr. Gerö Cup | 2-2 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 0 | |
| 13. | Nov 29, 1931 | Basel | Dr. Gerö Cup | 8-1 | 22x20px Switzerland | 90 | 1 | |
| 14. | Mar 20, 1932 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 2-1 | 22x20px Italy | 90 | 2 | |
| 15. | Apr 24, 1932 | Vienna | Friendly | 8-2 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 3 | [3] |
| 16. | May 22, 1932 | Prague | Dr. Gerö Cup | 1-1 | 22x20px Czechoslovakia | 90 | 1 | |
| 17. | Jul 17, 1932 | Stockholm | Friendly | 4-3 | 22x20px Sweden | 90 | 1 | |
| 18. | Oct 2, 1932 | Budapest | Friendly | 3-2 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 0 | |
| 19. | Oct 23, 1932 | Vienna | Dr.GeröCup | 3-1 | 22x20px Switzerland | 90 | 0 | |
| 20. | Dec 7, 1932 | London | Friendly | 3-4 | 22x20px England | 90 | 1 | |
| 21. | Feb 12, 1933 | Paris | Friendly | 4-0 | 22x20px France | 90 | 1 | |
| 22. | April 9, 1933 | Vienna | Friendly | 1-2 | 22x20px Czechoslovakia | 90 | 0 | |
| 23. | Apr 30, 1933 | Budapest | Friendly | 1-1 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 0 | |
| 24. | Jun 11, 1933 | Vienna | Friendly | 4-1 | 22x20px Belgium | 90 | 1 | |
| 25. | Sep 17, 1933 | Prague | Friendly | 3-3 | 22x20px Czechoslovakia | 90 | 2 | |
| 26. | Oct 1, 1933 | Vienna | Friendly | 2-2 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 0 | |
| 27. | Nov 29, 1933 | Glasgow | Friendly | 2-2 | 22x20px Scotland | 90 | 0 | |
| 28. | Dec 10, 1933 | Amsterdam | Friendly | 1-0 | 90 | 0 | ||
| 29. | Apr 15, 1934 | Vienna | Friendly | 5-2 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 0 | |
| 30. | Apr 25, 1934 | Vienna | World Cup qualification | 6-1 | 90 | 1 | ||
| 31. | May 27, 1934 | Turin | World Cup | 3-2 | 22x20px France | 120 | 1 | |
| 32. | May 31, 1934 | Bologna | World Cup | 2-1 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 0 | |
| 33. | Jun 3, 1934 | Milan | World Cup | 0-1 | 22x20px Italy | 90 | 0 | |
| 34. | Sep 23, 1934 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 2-2 | 22x20px Czechoslovakia | 90 | 0 | |
| 35. | Oct 7, 1934 | Budapest | Dr.Gerö Cup | 1-3 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 0 | |
| 36. | Mar 24, 1935 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 0-2 | 22x20px Italy | 90 | 0 | |
| 37. | May 6, 1936 | Vienna | Friendly | 2-1 | 22x20px England | 90 | 0 | |
| 38. | May 17, 1936 | Rome | Friendly | 2-2 | 22x20px Italy | 90 | 0 | |
| 39. | Sep 27, 1936 | Budapest | Dr. Gerö Cup | 3-5 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 2 | |
| 40. | Mar 21, 1937 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 2-0 | 22x20px Italy | 73 | 0 | [4] |
| 41. | May 9, 1937 | Vienna | Friendly | 1-1 | 22x20px Scotland | 90 | 0 | |
| 42. | May 23, 1937 | Budapest | Friendly | 2-2 | 22x20px Hungary | 90 | 0 | |
| 43. | Sep 19, 1937 | Vienna | Dr. Gerö Cup | 4-3 | 22x20px Switzerland | 90 | 1 | |
| Totals | 3841 | 26 | [5] |
Honours
Sindelar was ranked as Austria's best footballer of the twentieth century by the IFFHS, also ranking as the world's 22nd best. His career titles include:
Club
- 1. Liga
- Winner: 1926
- Runner Up: (2) 1925, 1937
- Austrian Cup
- Winner: (5) 1925, 1926, 1933, 1935, 1936
- Mitropa Cup
- Winner: (2) 1933, 1936
International
- FIFA World Cup
- Semi-finals: 1934
- Central European International Cup
Individual
- FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 1934
- Central European International Cup : best player: 1927-30,1933-35
- Mitropa Cup : top scorer:1932,1933
- IFFHS : Austrian player of the century
- Austrian Football Bundesliga : top soccer : 1926-27,1931-32,1932-33
- European leagues : Top Soccer :1932-33
International career statistics
| Austria national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1926 | 3 | 4 |
| 1927 | 2 | 0 |
| 1928 | 2 | 0 |
| 1929 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | 1 | 0 |
| 1931 | 5 | 5 |
| 1932 | 7 | 8 |
| 1933 | 8 | 4 |
| 1934 | 7 | 2 |
| 1935 | 1 | 0 |
| 1936 | 3 | 2 |
| 1937 | 4 | 1 |
| Total | 43 | 26 |
Death
Matthias Sindelar was found dead in his home in Viennas Annengasse on 23 January 1939. The official reason was carbon monoxide poisoning. But soon after his death myths arose that it was because he said he wouldn't play for Germany, which occupied Austria, and therefore he was murdered. But the rumours were never verified.
Matthias Sindelar Media
- Ehrengrab Matthias Sindelar.jpg
Sindelar's grave at Vienna's Zentralfriedhof
References
- ↑ Some sources, including the RSSSF (Austria – Record International Players), list 26 goals in 43 matches. Other sources say he appeared in 44 matches or scored 27 goals.
- ↑ Entered game as substitute (42')
- ↑ Scored the first 3 of Austria's goals; second international hat-trick in eight months.
- ↑ Match suspended at the 73rd minute. Not considered official by the Italian Football Federation. Sources: http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/unb-italy-19.html (see note [5]); http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/ital-recintlp.html (see NB); http://www.austriasoccer.at/LSP/1930_39/1937/s1937_02.htm
- ↑ Some sources, including the RSSSF (Austria - Record International Players) list 27 goals in 43 matches. Other sources say he appeared in 44 matches.
- ↑ "Matthias Sindelar - International Goals". www.rsssf.com.
Other websites
- Profile at the official web site of FK Austria Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
- Tribute web page
- Channel 4 News: Matthias Sindelar Archived 2010-06-11 at the Wayback Machine
- Career stats – National Football Teams
- Player profile – Austria Archive