Gschweidl's selection was a pre-Wunderteam period, when Gschweidl was still the centre-forward of the Austrian team. This period began in the late 1920s and lasted until the rise of Wunderteam. At that time, as much as Austrian football had evolved, it was still marked by a series of inconstancy and discontent between Hugo Meisl and Gschweidl, with the latter often threatening to leave the national team. Meisl, however, as much as he had his conflicts with the Austrian ace, always managed to get Gschweidl to change his mind, therefore returning to the selection.


Friedrich Gschweidl

The period was very marked due to the rise of Gschweidl as the main figure — until then — of Austrian football, and, of course, the national team depended a lot on his quality to stand out. At that time, Gschweidl was considered one of the best centre-forwards in the world — for many, the best — and one of the most brilliant footballers. The period, moreover, also marked the return of the considered sovereign England to Vienna, after 21 years of the last game.