COLLECTED REFLECTIONS
Mario Brun | 02/11/1933

What you have to admire first of all in these people is the discipline with which they train, the seriousness they bring to their task as footballers. Yesterday afternoon when they entered this ground of the Parc des Princes that most of them already knew from having come there either with the Wunderteam or with their club teams, at a simple sign from Hugo Meisl they lined up three by three and under the guidance of Sesta, walking and singing, they made in good order, without any disorder, a lap of the track under the strong wind which whipped them.

ATHLETIC PLAYERS

It was while they paraded in this way that one could at leisure realize the athletic qualities of the Viennese footballers. Whether tall or small and stocky, all have an imposing build and sinewy legs. What beautiful specimens Vogl, with his left knee unfortunately a little fragile, Schall, Sesta, the former wrestler, Platzer, the goalkeeper, who, seen in profile, has a little resemblance to Rudi Hiden!

For a quarter of an hour, without forcing, applying themselves to play the feint around Hugo Meisl, they gave a small glimpse of their know-how, demonstrated their perfect condition and proved that a long journey does not had in no way tired them.

SÁROSI'S PRAISE

When they had gone to the shower, the curious rushed to see Hugo Meisl. It is always interesting to hear about this tribune who knows football so well and all the footballs that are played in the world. He has seen it all. Last May at the Coaching School in Rome, where he was giving a lecture, I heard him praising David Jack, the famous Arsenal insider, according to him the best player in the world. Yesterday he wanted to do that with Sárosi, the Hungarian centre-half.

Meisl: Athletic, so skilful, so fine, so understanding and with that so correct, I consider him to be the best centre-half in Europe at the moment.

» Better as a centre-half than as a centre-forward.

» Certainly, and whatever the Hungarians say.

I ask him about his match against Scotland in Glasgow on November 29. 

Meisl: We will probably be beaten but we will certainly play as well as against England at Stamford Bridge. In any case, we will be more confident.

— Sindelar will play again?

Meisl: I believe him. But I probably won't be able to count on Smistik, who has gone down a lot since he got married.

— Who will be your centre-half then?

Meisl: Hummemberg or Hofmann. Everything will depend on the match tomorrow. If Hummember gives me satisfaction I will keep it. Isn't this Paris-Vienna match a test match for me...

— There will be a lot of people though, won't there? — Hugo Meisl said, blinking as I left him silent.

He knows better than anyone that his players are successful and he is rightly proud of it. Because Austrian football is basically his work and his personality.