Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics

At the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, Uruguay dominated the Football (soccer) tournament winning the Gold.

Amateur Status

In 1921, the Belgium Football Association first allowed for payments to players for time lost from work; in the months that followed four other Associations (Switzerland and Italy amongst them) permitted similar subsidies. The Football Association, perhaps, with foresight considered their statement of 1884 to be one which FIFA should hereafter follow. They had stated: "Any player registered with this Association ... receiving remuneration ... of any sort above ... necessary expenses actually paid, shall be considered to be a professional."

In 1923 the four British Associations sought an assurance that FIFA accept this definition; the four FIFA representatives on the International Football Association Board refused and, consequently, both Great Britain and Denmark withdrew their footballers from representing their nations at the 1924 Olympic Games.

Entries

*Main|Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics - Men's team squads

In "Association Football" (1960), Bernard Joy wrote about the 1912 Games that the authorities in Sweden "had debated for a long time whether to include football ... because its popularity was not yet world wide". Twelve years later, in Paris, football had become so important to the Games that a 1/3 of the income generated came from football. In terms of international development these Games signalled the first participation in a major Championship of a team from South America, a continent which would provide the main competition to Europe from that moment on.

In Paris Uruguay, who had paid their third class passage to Paris and gone on a dazzlingly successful tour of Spain beforehand [http://www.fourfourtwo.premiumtv.co.uk/page/BigRead/0,,11442~1034860,00.html] , would join as many as 18 European teams; the United States, Turkey and Egypt. In terms of the numbers of participating teams this would be the biggest international football tournament until the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain.

The Uruguayans had comfortably won the South American Championship by maximum points in the December of the previous year to qualify for the tournament as their continent's sole participants; defeating bitter rivals Argentina 2-0 in the final game in which Pedro Petrone scored half way through the first half. They would bring to Paris a revolution in ideas. Joy would write: "A doctor and a physical expert were as important elements of the staff as the coach himself. They saw to it that their charges reached perfect physical condition. They were kept that way by staying away from the attractions of Paris at a villa in the quiet village of Argenteuil"." Once they arrived, once they started playing they would amaze and attract. The way their forwards would pass the ball between themselves would captivate, belittling their early doubters. In Paris Jose Leandro Andrade would be dubbed "La Marveille Noire" [http://www.fourfourtwo.premiumtv.co.uk/page/BigRead/0,,11442~1034860,00.html] .

Despite all this little was known about them; they had never played outside of South America and their international experience had mainly been spent travelling across the harbour from Buenos Aires to Montevideo. [Citation
last = Tabeira
first = Martin
title = Uruguay - International Results
publisher = rsssf.com
url = http://rsssf.com/tablesu/uru-intres.html
accessdate = 2008-05-25] It is understandable therefore that, given the general lack of knowledge of the Uruguayans that the Italians and the Hungarians should have been considered favourites, however, both, though strong, had suffered a difficult season.

Italy, having remained unbeaten since 1922, now found themselves beaten 4-0 by an early incantation of Hugo Meisl's Wunderteam (who, tantalisingly, would absent themselves from the Games). [Citation
last = Kutschera
first = Ambrosius
title = Länderspiele Österreich 1920-1929
publisher = austriasoccer.at de icon
url = http://www.austriasoccer.at/LSP/1920_29/192029.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-25] With just six weeks to go before the Games Italy had been walloped 7-1 by Hungary.).Citation
last = Mariani
first = Maurizio
title = Italy - International Matches 1920-1929
publisher = rsssf.com
url = http://rsssf.com/tablesi/ital-intres1920.html
accessdate = 2008-05-25] Other than dropping Giampiero Combi, Vittorio Pozzo would not make major changes; Italy would not prevail. The same policy was adopted by Yugoslavia. Rather than considering dropping players they had sacked their manager Dr Veljko Ugrinic instead (following a 4-1 wiping by those Austrians in Zagreb) but would find his replacement Todor Sekulic just as hapless. [Citation
last = Miladinovich
first = Misha
title = Yugoslavia National Team List of Results 1920-1929
publisher = rsssf.com
url = http://rsssf.com/tablesj/joeg-intres20.html
accessdate = 2008-05-25]

The Hungarians had just come off a good run of results in the previous year, but had been beaten, convincingly, by the Swiss in the days leading up to the Games; Max Abegglen, who had only been playing international football for two years, scoring his 7th international goal that day for the Swiss. [Citation
last = Garin
first = Erik
title = Switzerland - International Matches since 1905
publisher = rsssf.com
url = http://rsssf.com/tablesz/zwit-intres.html#05
accessdate = 2008-05-25] He and they would become quite a feature of the Games. The Swiss, ironically, had been on the verge of withdrawing from the Games due to their continued success. The team's train ticket was valid for only 10 days and their money had run out. An appeal by a newspaper, "Sport", brought in the needed funds. [Citation
title = Paris, 1924
publisher = fifa.com
url = http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/overview.html
accessdate = 2008-05-25]

Entering for the second time Egypt would cause a shocking defeat in their opening game; their true worth exposed not only by the drubbing that eventually signalled their exit but by the comprehensive defeats they experienced on a short European tour after the Games. [Citation
last = Said
first = Tarek
title = Egyptian International First Team Results Since 1920
publisher = egyptianfootball.net
url = http://www.angelfire.com/ak/EgyptianSports/results.html
accessdate = 2008-05-25] The concept of warm-up matches lay far into the future.

Both finalists from the previous Games would be present; Belgium being afforded a bye into the first round; the Czechs drawn against Turkey in the Preliminary Round.

Tournament

The Games competition was assisted by a Preliminary Round which featured the silver medallists from the 1920 Games, Spain in a game with Italy. Since that time Spain had only lost once and that by a single goal away to Belgium and had drawn 0-0 with the Italians in March 1924. [Citation
last = Tejedor Carnicero
first = José Vicente
last2 = Torre
first2 = Raúl
last3 = Di Maggio
first3 = Roberto
title = Spain - List of Results National Team
publisher = rsssf.com
url = http://rsssf.com/tabless/span-intres.html
accessdate = 2008-06-18] There was hardly anything between themselves and Italy when they met, this time, at the Colombes Stadium; Pedro Vallana's own goal handing victory to Italy.

Otherwise there were wildly lopsided results in the opening round. Hungary put five past Poland, the Swiss sent poor Lithuania on their way, 9-0. But the big talking point was the play of the Uruguayans " [they] played first-rate football, combining speed, skill and perfect ball-control. By marrying short passing to intelligent positional play, they made the ball do all the work, and so kept their opponents on the run" wrote Joy. The Uruguayans sailed past Yugoslavia by seven clear goals, then overcame the United States by three goals to nil; only after the Americans had shut bolt their defence. Their team was fundamentally that with which they would dominate World football for the next 6 years.

In the first round Czechoslovakia (following their ill-judged decision to walk off the field in 1920) enhanced their reputation as Olympic 'bad sports' during an ill-tempered fixture against an equally unforgiving Swiss; the game went fruitlessly to extra-time. One Czech was sent off, and the Norwegian referee had to call for order during a break. For the replay, Abegllen took the captain's duties and all was different; Switzerland winning by the single goal. Otherwise there were two big shocks, the first went Egypt's way; 3-0 to the good against Hungary. The second saw Sweden annihilate the reigning Gold medallists, Belgium, quite improbably, 8-1. Oscar Verbeeck's own goal set the Swedes on their way; Sven Rydell's hat-trick the feature of the match.

The Swedish outside-left Rudolf Kock (who would become chairman of the selectors in 1948 working alongside George Raynor), would have another fine game against Egypt where Sweden won 5-0. France and Holland had been similarly dominant in the first round but that was put into perspective when Uruguay beat France 5-1 to claim a semi-final place.

In another quarter-final Italy went out to Switzerland disputing a winner by Max Abegglen, who converted a break-away goal. The Italians protested that he had been off-side. The referee Johannes Mutters, refused to alter the decision of his linesman; a jury upheld the judgement.

There was further dispute in the semi-final where Holland (coached by the old Blackburn Rovers' Cup hero William Townley) took a first half lead against Uruguay through Feyenoord's Kees Pijl. With twenty minutes to go Pedro Cea scored an equaliser and with less than ten Georges Vallat, the French referee, awarded Uruguay a penalty. Suddenly bedlam. FIFA reports: "the Netherlands protested the ruling of a penalty kick that turned out to be the winning goal but then Uruguay protested against the Olympic Committee's selection of a Dutch referee for the final. To appease the South Americans, the committee pulled the name of a final referee out of a hat and picked out a Frenchman, Marcel Slawick". [Citation
title = Paris, 1924
publisher = fifa.com
url = http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/overview.html
accessdate = 2008-06-18]

First round

footballbox
date = May 25, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|ITA|old
score = 1–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32291/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|ESP|1785
goals1 = Vallana goal|84|o.g.
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Marcel Slawik (FRA)
Attendance: 20.000----footballbox
date = May 25, 1924
13:00
team1 = fb-rt|TCH
score = 5–2
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32292/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|TUR
goals1 = Sloup goal|21
Sedláček goal|28 goal|37
Novák goal|64
Čapek goal|74
goals2 = Refet goal|63 goal|82
stadium = Paris
Referee: P. Chr. Andersen (NOR)
Attendance: 5.000----footballbox
date = May 25, 1924
14:00
team1 = fb-rt|SUI
score = 9–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32293/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|LTU|1918
goals1 = Sturzenegger goal|2 goal|43 goal|68 goal|85
Dietrich goal|14
Abegglen goal|41 goal|50 goal|58
Ramseyer goal|63|p.k.
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: A. Scamoni (ITA)
Attendance: 8.110----footballbox
date = May 25, 1924
15:00
team1 = fb-rt|USA
score = 1–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32294/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|EST
goals1 = Straden goal|15|p.k.
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Paul Putz (BEL)
Attendance: 8.110----footballbox
date = May 26, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|URU
score = 7–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32295/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|YUG|kingdom
goals1 = Vidal goal|20
Scarone goal|23
Cea goal|50 goal|80
Petrone goal|35 goal|61
Romano goal|58
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Georges Vallat (FRA)
Attendance: 1.000----footballbox
date = May 26, 1924
13:00
team1 = fb-rt|HUN|1940
score = 5–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32296/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|POL
goals1 = Eisenhoffer goal|14
Hirzer goal|51 goal|58
Opata goal|70 goal|87
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Johannes Mutters (NED)
Attendance: 3.000

econd round

footballbox
date = May 27, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|FRA
score = 7–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32298/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|LAT
goals1 = Crut goal|17 goal|28 goal|55
Nicolas goal|25 goal|50
Boyer goal|71 goal|87
goals2 =
stadium = Saint-Quentin
Referee: Henri Christophe (BEL)
Attendance: 15.000----footballbox
date = May 27, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|NED
score = 6–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32297/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|ROM
goals1 = Hurgronje goal|8
Pijl goal|32 goal|52 goal|66 goal|68
de Natris goal|69|p.k.
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: F. Herren (SUI)
Attendance: 1.000----footballbox
date = May 28, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|SUI
score = 1–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32299/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|TCH
goals1 = Dietrich goal|79
goals2 = Sloup goal|21|p.k.
stadium = Paris
Referee: P. Chr. Andersen (NOR)
Attendance: 12.000footballbox
date = May 30, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|SUI
score = 1–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32305/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|TCH
goals1 = Pache goal|87
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Marcel Slawik (FRA)
Attendance: 10.000----footballbox
date = May 28, 1924
13:00
team1 = flagicon|IRL Irish Free State
score = 1–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32300/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|BUL
goals1 = Duncan goal|75
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: A. Henriot (FRA)
Attendance: 1.500----footballbox
date = May 29, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|ITA|old
score = 2–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32301/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|LUX
goals1 = Baloncieri goal|20
Della Valle goal|38
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Jean Richard (FRA)
Attendance: 2.000----footballbox
date = May 29, 1924
13:00
team1 = fb-rt|SWE
score = 8–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32302/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|BEL
goals1 = Kock goal|8 goal|24 goal|77
Rydell goal|20 goal|61 goal|83
Brommesson goal|30
Keller goal|46
goals2 = Larnoe goal|67
stadium = Paris
Referee: Heinrich Retschury (AUT)
Attendance: 8.532----footballbox
date = May 29, 1924
14:00
team1 = fb-rt|EGY|1922
score = 3–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32303/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|HUN|1940
goals1 = Yakan goal|4 goal|58
Hegazi goal|40
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Luis Collina (ESP)
Attendance: 8.000----footballbox
date = May 29, 1924
15:00
team1 = fb-rt|URU
score = 3–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32304/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|USA
goals1 = Petrone goal|10 goal|44
Scarone goal|15
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Charles Barette (BEL)
Attendance: 10.455

Quarter-finals

footballbox
date = June 1, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|FRA
score = 1–5
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32306/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|URU
goals1 = Nicolas goal|12
goals2 = Scarone goal|2 goal|24
Petrone goal|58 goal|68
Romano goal|83
stadium = Paris
Referee: P. Chr. Andersen (NOR)
Attendance: 45.000----footballbox
date = June 1, 1924
13:00
team1 = fb-rt|SWE
score = 5–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32307/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|EGY|1922
goals1 = Kaufeldt goal|5 goal|71
Brommesson goal|31 goal|34
Rydell goal|49
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Henri Christophe (BEL)
Attendance: 6.484----footballbox
date = June 2, 1924
14:00
team1 = fb-rt|SUI
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32308/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|ITA|old
goals1 = Sturzenegger goal|47
Abegglen goal|60
goals2 = Della Valle goal|52
stadium = Paris
Referee: Johannes Mutters (NED)
Attendance: 12.000----footballbox
date = June 2, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|NED
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32309/report.html Report]
team2 = flagicon|IRL Irish Free State
goals1 = Formenoy goal|7 goal|104
goals2 = Ghent goal|33
stadium = Paris
Referee: Heinrich Retschury (AUT)
Attendance: 2.000

emi-finals

footballbox
date = June 5, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|SUI
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32310/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|SWE
goals1 = Abegglen goal|15 goal|77
goals2 = Kock goal|41
stadium = Paris
Referee: Mihaly Ivancsics (HUN)
Attendance: 7.448----footballbox
date = June 6, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|URU
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32311/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Cea goal|62
Scarone goal|81|p.k.
goals2 = Pijl goal|32
stadium = Paris
Referee: G. Vallat (FRA)
Attendance: 40.000

Bronze medal match

footballbox
date = June 8, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|SWE
score = 1–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32312/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Kaufeldt goal|44
goals2 = le Fèvre goal|77
stadium = Paris
Referee: Heinrich Retschury (AUT)
Attendance: 9.915----footballbox
date = June 9, 1924
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|SWE
score = 3–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32313/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Rydell goal|34 goal|77
Lundquist goal|42
goals2 = Formenoy goal|43|p.k.
stadium = Paris
Referee: Youssuf Mohamed (EGY)
Attendance: 40.522

Gold Medal match

In the other semi-final between Switzerland and Sweden the Swiss prevailed.

In the final the Swiss proved no match, ultimately, for the Uruguayans whose two goals in the second half put paid to their opponent's ambitions, Uruguay eventually prevailing 3-0. Interest in the final had been considerable, such was the draw of the Uruguayan side; 60,000 watched and 10,000 were locked out. [ [http://www.olympic.org/uk/utilities/multimedia/gallery/results_uk.asp?entid=14&MediaType=PIC&page=3] ]

footballbox
date = June 9, 1924
13:00
team1 = fb-rt|URU
score = 3–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197020/matches/match=32314/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|SUI
goals1 = Petrone goal|9
Cea goal|65
Romano goal|82
goals2 =
stadium = Paris
Referee: Marcel Slawik (FRA)
Attendance: 41.000

Trivia

* Sweden, surprisingly, won Bronze. Their 8-1 defeat of the reigning champions, Belgium, in the opening round is still considered one of the biggest upsets in World football by criteria laid down by ELO. [Citation
title = World Football Elo Ratings: Biggest Upsets
publisher = eloratings.net
url = http://www.eloratings.net/Upsets.htm
accessdate = 2008-06-18]
* Some of the games took place at the Vélodrome de Vincennes.
* The lap of honour (or previously called "Olympic turn"), the celebration ritual that any proclaimed champion team do when winning a tournament, was invented by Uruguay team after winning this Olympic title, to salute the attendance by running all around the athletics field.
* Uruguay's Pedro Petrone was two days shy of his 19th birthday when he accepted his gold medal; still the youngest football gold-medallist in the history of the Games.

Medalists

External links

* [http://multimedia.olympic.org/pic/gal1924s_l_19.jpgPhoto from match between Spain and Italy]
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tableso/ol1924f.html RSSSF Archive]

References