The Story Has Been Told

Copyright © 2010 by Milile Kraba.

ISBN:   Softcover   978-1-4535-0340-9

ISBN:   Ebook   978-1-4535-6610-7

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CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SETTTING THE SCENE

3. THE FIRST WORLD CUP IN URUGUAY, 1930

4. MUSSOLINI’S CHAMPIONS

5. DARK CLOUDS GATHER

6. THE FATEFUL FINAL

7. THE MIRACLE OF BERNE

8. THE VICTORY IN BLUE

9. GARRINCHA’S SHOW

10. ORIGINAL MASTERS FINALLY DO IT AT LAST

11. THE SAMBA KINGS

12. THE LOST FINAL

13. HUG OF THE SOUL

14. FROM ZERO TO HERO

15. HAND OF GOD

16. TEARS OF A FLAWED GENIUS

17. GOD EXISTS!

18. WE LOST BECAUSE WE DIDN’T WIN

19. REDEMPTION TIME

20. WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?

21. IT IS TIME

DEDICATION

To my late parents, who always reminded their children to pull up their socks and sleeves, for their love of education, music and the beautiful game, for instilling in me a love of reading and writing with care and constancy as well for their insistence to always try to make the best of the worst and the most of the best.

In memory of my cousin Vukile Boy Qunta and my friend and team captain Mbuyiselo Dikiso who both passed on tragically.

When a world game matters to billions of people, it ceases to be just a game. Football is never just football: it helps make wars and revolutions, and it fascinates mafias and dictators. Simon Kuper

Tell me how you play and I’ll tell you who you are.

Eduardo Galeano

ABOUT THIS BOOK

THE STORY HAS BEEN TOLD

The book is the result of an idea conceived in 2006, the writing itself begun in October 2007 and took almost two years to complete. In writing about the history of the World Cup, I have had the intellectual pleasure of having been afforded the privilege to stand upon the broad, high shoulders of many first-grade thinkers and scholars who have written insightfully about the subject from the perspectives of their own disciplines, experience and times. I salute them. Sources for the project, which included official FIFA publications were numerous and varied. These together with other publications and studies published by other authors as well as video and DVD materiel that proved to be of great value were consulted, information and facts checked and counter-checked for accuracy and have proved full of inspiration and fired enthusiasm for the subject are listed in the Bibliography. An essential guide for the 2010 World Cup and beyond, The Story Has Been Told traces the idea of a World Cup from its conception, inception and how it has evolved over the years as an event to what has become a multibillion-dollar spectacle.

The project, it is hoped, is aimed at informing and raising awareness of what the FIFA World Cup entails as South Africa prepares to host the event, how the idea was first conceived and developed over the years, the decision to have a football World Cup tournament, the early challenges of staging the event, the milestones of each event, the distance traversed and most importantly individuals and personalities who have from its inception and throughout the years became ‘shakers and movers’. The book does not pretend to be a complete record, but it does, hopefully provide some insight into the world’s largest and most successful sporting event. For me this has been a fascinating journey of discovery and it is hoped that the reader will also experience the same thrill as I have in researching this book.

The book is organized as follows:

• The introductory part provides a brief background and then chronicles how the idea of a World Cup was conceived, translated into reality as well as the personalities and countries involved during the early part of the 20th century.

• Thereafter is a presentation of each World Cup tournament beginning with the maiden event hosted by Uruguay in 1930, followed by an examination of each event right up to the last one in 2006, hosted by Germany. In total there have been eighteen (18) World Cup competitions at the time of writing and the approach used is to examine each event separately, where it was staged, countries that qualified for the finals, a summary of results, in some instances a closer look at some of the memorable matches particularly those involving teams that have gone on to lift the coveted prize.

• Finally, a brief preview of the forthcoming 19th World Cup competition to be hosted by South Africa.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are first of all the multiple sources both written and human that have been consulted (and which hopefully have all been properly acknowledged). The list of people who have contributed directly and indirectly to this book is fairly extensive. Therefore I will only mention those without whose help I would have had a hard time completing the manuscript. To my friends given to me by the beautiful game, too many to mention, however I am grateful to the Morojele brothers, Moraba and Mphethi, Andrew Mbanga, Zi Ndebele, Sello Moloko, Vuyo Zambodla, Connel Ngcukana (convener of our debating forum), Sizwe Mncwango, Mlungiseleli Jadezweni, Bereng Malgas, Roy Ngcelwane, Sakhi Dumakude, Jabu Mangena, Vuyo Makunga, Vusi Mbeje, Lungile Oliphant, Velile Dube, Thabo Mashologu, Phumelele Luthuli, Melvin Macdecorney, Mbuyiseli Buthelezi, Andrew Matseke, Luyanda Frans, Nkanyiso Buthelezi, Simphiwe Cele, Percy Machaba, Thabo Matiso, Mvuyo Macanda, Mike Hlophe, Pankie Matomela, Mpilo Makiwane, Makabongwe Mfengu, Mbulelo Tshangana, Joe Kgatla, and my cousin Loyiso Qunta for the conversations we had on this story. Thanks for your advice, support and encouragement. A word of gratitude goes to Ms Sandy Gericke for her willingness to extend a hand of assistance whenever called upon particularly her eye for detail and technical expertise. I am indebted to my former school mate and friend, Nceda Mkabile who kept on reminding me, ‘you are falling behind schedule’ with this project. There are also those who took a more distant interest in the project itself perhaps, but who nonetheless offered moral support and encouragement. I am grateful to the entire staff at The Book Lounge for their professionalism and for having ensured that I have access to essential material for this project. To my family for understanding and supportive role played at all times. Finally, my sincerest gratitude goes to the entire team at Xlibris for their guidance and professionalism. I owe you all a huge debt of gratitude. I am solely responsible for any shortcomings identified.

Milile Kraba,

Cape Town, June 2010

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Milile Kraba was born in Cape Town, attended school at Marsh-Moor Primary (Molteno), Tsengiwe Junior Secondary (Cala) and Blythswood High School (Ngqamakwe) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A graduate of the University of Cape Town and also holds a Master’s degree in Economic Policy from the University of Stellenbosch. A father of two, he lives in Cape Town, where he spreads his affections for the ‘beautiful’ game amongst Table Mountain Wolves, Real Madrid (a team visited in 2004), AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspurs as well as writing football articles featured in local publications.

THE STORY OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP

INTRODUCTION

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Every four years the world of football comes together for one of the greatest sporting events, if not the greatest, during which the best and finest teams battle for the ultimate prize, the World Cup. In May 2004 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) awarded South Africa the right to stage the nineteenth FIFA World Cup tournament in 2010, a first for Africa. In part this decision was a direct result of African football increasingly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the global game, a recognition that led FIFA to debut the World Cup on the African continent with the 2010 event to be staged in South Africa. The selection of South Africa to host the 2010 event was the culmination of an intense and vigorous campaign to have the only major continent not to have hosted a football World Cup acknowledged. South Africa staved off competition from sister African countries, namely, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya for the honour. It should be borne in mind that South Africa had for many years been barred to participate from all the activities of FIFA due to the country’s then racial policies. It was only in the early 1990s with the nascent political changes in the country that South Africa was readmitted as a full member of the football world body, FIFA.

Since South Africa’s readmission to international sports competition in 1992, the country has of course hosted a series of major sports events to date such as the Rugby World Cup in 1995, the 1996 African Nations Cup, the Cricket World Cup in 2003, the Cricket WorldTwenty20 competition in 2007 and the Indian Premier League Cricket in 2009 however the football World Cup though is different. To paraphrase Brian Glanville, its stakes are higher than anything seen before and it is set to attract literally thousands of both spectators and hours of television air-time coverage world-wide as well as command the attention of millions of football fans in every continent. According to official FIFA figures, the 2006 World Cup in Germany had a total television audience of more than 26 billion.

As Glanville notes, more than the billions of dollars, pounds, euros and rands it will generate, the tournament will fire imaginations and inspire people everywhere, young and old, as they witness legends being born, new names being added to the roll of honour from the past: Petrone, Orsi, Monti, Leonidas, Ghiggia, Schiaffino, Zizinho, Puskas, Yashin, Didi, Garrincha, Fontaine, Kopa, Pele, Charlton, Moore; Hurst, Eusebio, Banks, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Krol, Kempes, Rossi, Zoff, Maradona, Milla, Romario, Zidane, Rivaldo and Ronaldo to mention but a few. The World Cup is the realization of every footballer’s dream as it provides a player with an opportunity to showcase his talent on a much bigger stage—a pinnacle of a football career.

In his book, ‘The Meaning of Sport, Simon Barnes writes, The World Cup audience does not look only for victory. It begins to look for early signs of the player of the tournament, for the team that will carry all before it, for the stars that will dominate football for years to come, for new ways of playing, for old beauties in new forms. At the same time, the World Cup divides the world into cheerers for their own nation, and unites the world in a sporting conspiracy of excellence and beauty. Enmity and comradeship walk hand in hand. Thus the only certainty is that new heroes, dramas, and controversies will be added into the story of the World Cup in 2010. Such is the history of the FIFA World Cup, rivaled only by the Olympics in its sporting appeal, it is set to have returned, as strong and as magnetic as ever. How and where did it all begin? How has the World Cup evolved and developed through the years? Let the story be told!

SETTTING THE SCENE

THE BIRTH OF INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL

Tony Mason in Passion of the People? Football in South America contends Football has been and remains a popular activity to which historians and sociologists have been reluctant to pay attention. He is of the view that since football is an integral aspect of modern society and constitutes an important part of popular culture it ought to be afforded closer scrutiny and analysis. Both Mason and Eduardo Galeano, the Uruguayan writer, bemoan the fact that official history tends to overlook football, a practice Galeano describes as an astonishing void. Galeano in Soccer in Sun and Shadow argues Contemporary history texts fail to mention it, even in passing, in countries where it has been and continues to be a primordial symbol of collective identity. I play therefore I am: a style of play is a way of being that reveals the unique profile of each community and affirms its right to be different. Tell me how you play and I’ll tell you who you are. For him football is seen as revealatory of wider social, economic and cultural dynamics, a reflection of society around it. Thus no history of the modern world is complete without an account of football. Keir Radnedge in World Soccer, views football as a concept of enjoyment and entertainment whose simplicity permeates almost every aspect of modern society—educational, artistic, cultural and commercial.

It is in this context that an endeavour to document how the World Cup came into being, a story that has been told somewhat different by others before, this project was conceived and translated into these pages. As the world awaits the first ever World Cup tournament to be staged on the African continent, a continent, to paraphrase Galeano, whose children and/or grandchildren continue to shine on the national teams of other countries other than those of Africa, it is imperative to provide an insight as to how and when this greatest sporting spectacle began, and how it continues to captivate the world’s imagination. Thus football is in essence not something separate from society but an integral aspect of our lives.

The story of the World Cup is a tale of a vision that transcends national boundaries, a vision that could only be concretized through selflessness, dedication and determination of particular individuals who early on saw the need to establish international football. It has been a long road that has seen cooperation and growth of the sport. However, the road has also been fraught with controversy, conflict and ongoing power struggles. It is a story whose road to development has been littered both figuratively and literally with blood, tears, sweat and glory. Thus this spectacle has not been without its share of controversy and a myriad of other challenges.

Brian Glanville in The Puffin Book of the World Cup writes, Though it was not until 1930 that the first World Cup was held in Uruguay, the idea of a professional tournament was conceived as early as 1904 with the birth of FIFA. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) which is the world governing body of football was founded without the benefit of British presence, generally regarded as the inventor of the modern game. Exasperated by the prevarication and procrastination of the British Football Association, continental Europe decided to go ahead with the formation of an international football body that would ‘best serve the interest of football’. As the growth of football spread at the turn of the 19th century, so there was an increasing belief throughout Europe that countries should band together for the promotion of the sport they loved. During a congress held on 21 May 1904 in Paris, comprising representatives from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Spain, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was formed by delegates from seven countries and the man credited for this was Robert Guerin, a former French journalist who was also the president of one of the French sports governing bodies solely devoted to football, the Union des societes francaises sportives et athletiques (USFSA). Aged only 28 Guerin after organizing the inaugural meeting in Paris became its first president and his reign lasted from 1904-06.

Geoff Hare in Football in France: A cultural history, writes: . . . France’s long commitment to the world game also owes much to the tradition of individual unpaid enthusiasts in the French sporting federations and clubs. In particular, a small number of prominent administrators have worked enthusiastically to set up international structures to govern football and thereby integrate French football into the wider world game. This to a certain extent explains the strong Gallic tradition of FIFA as it appears to have strong roots to the early visionary endevours of the initial volunteers who devoted themselves to the early development of international football. Hare argues that Over the years, French administrators have been at the heart of moves to give an international dimension to football. In support of his argument he states that FIFA, the World Cup, and various European competitions owe their existence to French initiatives. And it came as no surprise that France was one of the early hosts when it hosted the third World Cup finals in 1938.

According to David Goldblatt in The Ball Is Round: A Global History of Football, Britain’s reluctance to assume a decisive leadership role in the creation of international football may be attributed to the peculiar conditions of Britain’s early football development and the nation’s relationship with international politics of Europe which produced an elite that tended towards isolationism bordering on arrogance. However the British did join the new organization in 1905. Having shunned the opportunity to play a leading role in the formation of football’s world governing body only a year earlier, in July 1906 a Football Association (FA) delegation attended a FIFA conference in Berne and one of them, Daniel Woolfall, was duly elected as its second president, a position he held until his death in 1918.

During his tenure of office, Woolfall played a key role in drafting the FIFA constitution and rules of the game. However the relationship that prevailed within the organisation at the time could be described at best as cordial, an uneasy alliance due to England’s previous apathy and suspicion of the rest of the world. As a consequence the other seven member countries, all of them European, haboured reservations of England’s motives for joining and as a consequence the Scottish and Irish FAs were initially refused membership as they were thought they would be puppets of the English FA. Goldblatt argues that the British isolationist tendencies, lack of enthusiasm and their apathy towards FIFA in its early years meant more than just relinquishing the name of the world body to the French language. It also meant that the organisation’s ideological soul was and remains more Gallic than Anglo-Saxon.

From the time of its formation in 1904, FIFA’s growth was sure and steady as demonstrated by the increasing number of associations that came on board. From the original seven founding member associations the number of affiliated associations had risen to 24 by the time of the start of the First World War in 1914. Around the time of the in principle acceptance of the World Cup in the early 1920s the number had increased to 31. However, in 1920, two years after the end of the First World War, England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales (the so-called home nations) decided to withdraw from FIFA in protest at Germany, their principal enemy during the First World War, being allowed membership. Indeed relations between the British and FIFA would break down time and again in the years before the Second World War over the English FA’s refusal to pay FIFA a share of revenue generated by international fixtures and rejection of any FIFA attempt to intervene in domestic matters. The other row was over the definition of amateurism as well as a general feeling that national associations were ceding too much power and control to a central body. FIFA was concerned that countries could not field their best teams at the 1928 Olympics if the games’ rules on non-professionalism were adhered to strictly and suggested that players should receive broken-time payments as compensation for loss of pay and other expenses. But the British football associations refused to accept the proposal by FIFA, and did not rejoin until 1946.

According Goldblatt during its early years FIFA remained as much a gentlemen’s club as it was an international bureaucracy: its membership was exclusively male and upper class or professional in social origin. He contends that its work was in the main concentrated on the administrative matters of regulating international football, providing referees, deciding who could join and who could play with who and when.

In 1920 FIFA had, following an exhaustive debate, accepted the concept of a World Cup in principle. In a follow-up to the ‘in-principle’ acceptance of the possibility of a football-only competition, the Olympics did stage the first international football tournaments but without assuming full responsibility for all the organization. By the 1920s it had become perfectly clear that the football game had simply grown too big for the Olympic tournament and that some alternative professional competition for football was required as it had became quite apparent that the game had spread with phenomenal speed in both Europe and South America, and although professionalism was not recognized officially, it was no secret that many, even perhaps most, of the leading players were recipients of some income.

However, it was only in 1926 at another FIFA congress that the remarkable Frenchman, Henri Delaunay, who was Secretary of the French Football Federation from 1919 until his death in 1956, declared, ‘Today, international football can no longer be held within the confines of the Olympics; and many countries where professionalism is now recognized and organized cannot any longer be represented there by their best players.’ The industrious Delaunay was ably assisted by another equally dedicated and visionary Frenchman, Jules Rimet, President of the French Football Federation (who later became the President of FIFA following the death in 1918 of FIFA’s British president Woolfall and would stand down as president of FIFA in 1954, two years before his death at 83), after whom the cup was eventually named in his honour in 1946. The two men complemented each other Rimet and under Rimet’s leadership FIFA membership grew from 20 to 85.

In 1928 a motion for a world football tournament was passed, all that had still to be decided was where it should be played. Two factors prompted FIFA to move towards the creation of an international football tournament:

• Initially, although to a lesser extent since the success of the 1924 Olympic tournament, the determination of the British Football Association to insist upon a strict distinction between the professional and amateur players, had a paralyzing effect on all developments. But the departure of the British FA from FIFA in 1920 gave the organization freedom to act and the concept of a World Cup duly adopted.

• Secondly, in 1926 four central European countries—Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary and Italy—announced that they planned to stage an international tournament. This was a cause for concern for the Executive Committee of FIFA who felt powerless to intervene. However, this prompted the Executive Committee into action leading to a special commission being set up to look into the matter of a creation of an alternative international competition, a competition under the exclusive control of FIFA, and which involved the best teams regardless of the professional status of players. Clearly, FIFA sought to seize the initiative in order to ensure that the idea of a World Cup was translated into reality before national associations went ahead and established regional competitions over which FIFA had no authority.

At the Helsinki Congress in 1927 one of the proposals of the special commission was for a World Cup every four years, which would entail a system of grouping teams, and participation of non-European teams. The Congress was impressed by the proposals that Jules Rimet announced the intention to organize a World Cup starting in 1930, with the venue yet to be decided. Rimet underlined that the decision to stage a World Cup was a response to the differences in opinion between FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the question of amateur status. Delaunay proposed the creation of an organizing committee for the 1930 World Cup and was agreed to unanimously at the 1928 FIFA Congress held in Amsterdam which took place at the same time as the Olympic Games which were held there.

In the wake of