This article is part of a series called "The feuilets de mon album" — The sheets of my album —, by Jean Eskenazi, published in 1937 & 1938. These series are a collection of footballers and some quick interesting comments of Eskenazi abut every single one of them. You can see the whole episodes by clicking here.

Raised shadows
Jean Eskenazi | 06/01/1938



Dixie Dean


A precursor.

A centre-forward that the sweeping game in no way intimidated...

He broke defenses, pushed goalkeepers into their nets.

The power of a football player who rushed forward with the authority of a tank.

A pest... An Attila of football.

Obstacles on the way to goals never mattered to him.


*   *   *

Jean Devaquez


A Parisian and a pure one...

His game bore the mark.

He had guts and shrewdness to spare. And tumbles, shots in stride like we have never seen in any French wing.

Is now a nçtable representative in cars. Because the record holder of the French selection was not satisfied with having a magnificent playing career.

He also made a good life for himself.


*   *   *

Paul Nicolas


He was not lacking in character... But is not character a proof of personality?

And of the personality Paul Nicolas one had as much as of the class.

A pure class of footballer who reveled in the classics

He did not deliver anything to chance. Precision above all!

Dams the openings he had the genius for and the shots that did not get lost in the clouds...

Precision and foresight.

This is what Paul Nicolas, center-forward of the Descartes country team, was.


*   *   *

Richard Hofmann


The man with the broken ear.

He was for a long time the only footballing glory of Germany.

The "darling" of the teutonic crowds who perhaps has a predilection for the first name of Richard, which Wagner illustrated.

And there was something Wagnerian about his playing, with its power bordering on violence.

Had its consecration to a certain Germany-England and prepared a triumphal way for the generation of Szepan.


*   *   *

Chayriguès


A "Carpentier" of football by unsurpassed class and popularity.

Was born a goalkeeper and knew all the tricks, all the ¡io.elies of the trade.

By the sheer prestige of its staff has stunned entire attacks. His kingdom was 18 meters and it was not good to go tickle him there...

England had made him a golden bridge. But he preferred Paris... and his fries to London... and his money.

Perhaps regret him now... as he will always regret having come ten years too early.


*   *   *

Ramseyer


He wasn't a lamb.

And whoever rubbed against this rock retained a sad memory of it.

Decided beyond all expression received the nickname of "Bull of Bern".

Played about sixty times in the Swiss team.

Bursting with health.

A force of nature.

But of a nature in storm.


*   *   *

Alan Morton


A little bonus man to reign at all in the city.

With an ascetic face, black eyes... piercing.

The look of a Presbyterian clergyman.

On the ground... it was something else.

Watchmaking work...

Extraordinary precision.

Great glory for Scotland, home of football.

A very small reference, in short!


*   *   *

György Orth


A football Brantôme.

A player of the century, as the turfists would say...

A campronissimo, would estimate the cyclists.

A master, think footballers more simply.

Could play all places with equal skill.

Put the ball where he wanted and often in the goal when he was attacking.

His shaved head, following Hungarian custom, will remain as famous as that of Erich von Stroheim.


*   *   *

Gejus van der Meulen


He has not yet been replaced in the Holland squad.

Long as a day without bread possessed an unusual suppleness.

Is now a well-known doctor in his country.

He did not neglect his studies any more than the Holland team ... and often joined his teammates in extremis on the morning of the meeting. A studious pupil and a worthy Batavian with a national feeling seriously anchored in his vain.