Matthias Sindelar, Austrian footballer and manager (b. 1903)
Matthias Sindelar (German: [maˈtiːas ˈʃɪndəlaːɐ̯]; 10 February 1903 – 23 January 1939) was an Austrian professional footballer. Regarded as one of the greatest Austrian players of all-time, Sindelar played for Austria Wien and the Austrian national team.
He played as a centre-forward for the celebrated Austrian national side of the early 1930s that became known as the Wunderteam, which he captained at the 1934 World Cup. Known as "The Mozart of football" or Der Papierene ("The Paper Man") for his slight build, he was renowned as one of the finest pre-war footballers, known for his fantastic dribbling ability and creativity. He was voted the best Austrian footballer of the 20th Century in a 1999 poll by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) and was named Austria's sportsman of the century a year before.Matthias Sindelar was a forward. With the Wunderteam, he showed himself as one of the key elements of this formation, evolving in 2-3-5 . It gave, according to specialists like Paul Dietschy, "such fluidity to the Austrian system" that it was nicknamed the "Viennese whirlpool" . Although the Wunderteam regularly lacks efficiency, this lack is compensated by Sindelar, his technical skill and his vision of the game.
1939Jan, 23
Matthias Sindelar
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Events on 1939
- 3Mar
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
In Bombay, Mohandas Gandhi begins a hunger strike in protest at the autocratic rule in British India. - 1Apr
Francisco Franco
Spanish Civil War: Generalísimo Francisco Franco of the Spanish State announces the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the last of the Republican forces surrender. - 6Sep
Nazi Germany
World War II: South Africa declares war on Nazi Germany. - 14Dec
Soviet Union
Winter War: The Soviet Union is expelled from the League of Nations for invading Finland. - 24Dec
Pope Pius XII
World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.