AN UNEXPECTED SUCCESS
— Gautier-Chaumet | 29/05/1924 —

The field of the Olympique de Paris was filled yesterday, as in the greatest days. And it was a Wednesday afternoon — the eve of a public holiday, it is true. And we must have made around 75,000 francs in revenue: which should bring the total for the first four days to around 500,000 francs.

Having emerged from the long lethargy in which it had been kept by omnisport leaders who were unaware of it, the magnificent game of round ball has slowly awakened thanks to the dedication of the pontiffs of the Rue de Londres and all their active collaborators in the regional leagues, and now to the Lazarus, rise and walk! Here is the universal sport, our true national sport — which is also the sport of most nations in all parts of the world — here is football, immense and superb, standing tall, dazzling the crowd, seducing it and winning it over once and for all.

To complete the work, our Olympic internationals must be able to give us at least one more success. What does the quarter-final draw have in store for us? We will then know if we can claim to take this new step.

Let's have confidence despite everything, the Czechs demonstrated yesterday that the best reputations hardly count when the opponent is stubborn, fast and eager to fight. On their game yesterday which was harsh and only imbued with that wild beauty that fights without a future possess, the struggles which must leave only one winner and throw the vanquished irremediably into the shadows. On their game yesterday we can hope to defeat both the Swiss and the Czechs, but on condition that our eleven plays as they did against the representative team of England.

We could hope to beat Ireland who did not obtain a very famous result against Bulgaria, we also have our chance against Belgium, Holland, or even against Italy, despite having beaten Spain.

The big favorites are now the Hungary and the Uruguayans. If we are not against them we can, we must qualify for the semi-finals.

And even if we came across one of the two super-aces of this super-Tournament, we would still have to count on the French miracle which has already, sometimes, come true.