THE NOVEL OF THE WUNDERTEAM

III.: THE WUNDERTEAM, AN EXCELLENT FINANCIAL BUSINESS
Rudolf Hiden | 08/02/1939

Now that you know Hugo Meisl, the conductor of the Wunderteam, it is a question of introducing you to the musicians, that is to say the some twelve or thirteen footballers who shone with a brilliance exceptional the sport of the round ball in Austria.

Around 1930-31, that is to say when the Wunderteam was about to be born, professionalism was instituted in Austria.

There were ten clubs in the first series: Rapid, Admira, First Vienna, F.C. Wien (ex-Nicholson), Favoritner A.C., Floridsdorfer A.C. (club where Gusti Jordan started, currently centre-half of the team de France and Racing C.P.), Wiener A.C., Wacker, Austria and Sportklub.

The professional job was lucrative. You made a good living being a professional soccer and those who belonged to the Wunderteam could put in at the end of the season some nice and good thousand schilling tickets on the left.

LET'S TALK FINANCES

Hugo Meisl had insisted that all his children have an occupation alongside their profession of footballer.

The monthly salary of a pro could not be less than 300 schillings, that is to say less than 1.800 francs. The maximum was not fixed. Year in, year out, a footballer received approximately — bonuses included — some 4.000 francs a month.

Each selection in the Wunderteam brought its beneficiary 400 schillings, or 2.400 fr. The bonuses rained down, they found all the more that our team won and that the sliding scale introduced by Hugo Meisl came to play.

For the Switzerland-Austria match of November 29, 1931, match which we won by 8 to 1. Hugo Meisl had to use a slide rule for the distribution of profits.

The most wonderful thing about our wonder team was to bring us wonderful tickets.

There was also the issue of transfers. We had the English system which is much preferable to the French laws governing transfers. Today we were at the W.A.C., the next day we could play under the colors of the Admira.

The basics of the transfer were settled when one entered a team. Example: on our contract of engagement it was specified that in the event of transfer to another club, the transferee club would pay us 25% of the amount of the sale price.

The transfer became an excellent business for the footballer who was considered an actor. The sport of the round ball was a show business in Vienna.

HERE ARE MY ELEVEN COMRADES



Rainer, 27 years, was one of our best defenders. He was married to a graceful young girl who ran a creamery. He, for his part, was a representative in shoes; it was up to him to wear all the Wunderteam. As most of the players were rich, they ordered their high heels, their pairs of shoes for hunting, for football, their pairs of travel shoes, sports shoes from Rainer.

The team captain was Blum, whom Sesta later replaced. Blum belonged to the First Vienna; he looked after the stadium buffets with his wife. It was an excellent concession that brought in a lot of money!

The third back is the famous Sesta who has just recently had some trouble with the German sports authorities for an unfortunate punch thrown right in the face of a Reich footballer. Sesta was the teaser, the enfant terrible of the team. One could not contain his youthful ardor. Endowed with a melodious voice, this newsboy from Vienna made Tyrolean duets with Rainer which were very well received on the stage of a theater if our two lads had wanted to give vocal concerts!

Sesta was more vivid than the quicksilver! Mounted on his motorbike, it was impossible to stop him. he passed between the trams, smashed the entrance doors to the locker rooms.

Besides, Sesta cumulated. He was the great attraction of a guinguette on the outskirts of Vienna. There he sang for the clientele who drank Grizing wine!