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.

Masterminds and strategists
Jean Eskenazi | 17/12/1937



Gschweidl


When he played, a large body swayed like that of a choripheus when she dances Coppélia.

The master of pretense. A balloon magnetizer. A mystifier for his adversaries.

Achieved this record of being and remaining famous with the most unlikely name. In Scotland, he received the nickname "the-great-player-whose-one-cannot-memorize-the-name".


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David Jacks


Paganini was born to be a violinist.

He was born to be a insider.

Offensive genius. The flash of light for the pass, as for the shot. All domains have their masters and one quality especially situates them: race. And David Jack had the most beautiful breed there was. The British Race. What clothing. Manly. And footballing is the end of the ends.


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Trello Abegglen


The youngest of an illustrious family. The youngest, see. But let's be discreet, often lives on the names of his elders.

Trello had the modesty to be admired for himself.

And he honestly was. Of all the stars of Sochaux, he was the one we loved the most.

Because he was the least theatrical. The most football.

Little Louis who, by dint of cheating, came to know the Greek, told me that Trello meant "crazy" in the language of Mr. Venizelos.

This is surely a patronomic error.


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Regueiro


Another one that bears the hallmark of Spanish football.

What enthusiasm! What enthusiasm in his game!

And I double and I open on the wing and I volley. Thépot, in Madrid, did not forget a certain shot from 30 meters shot by Regueiro.

And Jean-Bernard Levy can't be consoled for not being able to keep the one who left singing: O Mexicana.

But it's Racing that has been in a revolution ever since!


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Voorhof


Capricious as a beautiful player.

In his days.

When he's in a bad mood, you shouldn't ask him anything. He puts the whole team in trouble. But when he has it in his head to distinguish himself. So watch out!

The power of this tall blond fellow is formidable. A Mattler does not scare him and he goes, he goes relentlessly.


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Emile Veinante


There are good horses, but they are so unhappy that they cannot be great horses. All racing incidents are for them.

For a long time, such was the situation of Veinante.

A clod of earth, an unfortunate rebound spoiled lines of light worthy of the greatest. Fortunately France-Switzerland was for him a complete rehabilitation with the "hesitant" who could doubt his undeniable class of footballer.

Finally, Veinante, a real piqué of football, has another quality: he is the French player who knows football the best.


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Smit


Does not have the starving aspect of the stars of Central Europe. On the contrary, gives the impression of belonging to the generation of the "well fed".

Has chubby cheeks to make those of a comic trooper blush!

On a field, he shows "that he has some in his stomach".

Has the robustness of a British "pro" and his healthy and effective conception of football.

No wonder we made eyes at him on the banks of the Thames.


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Ferrari


Has an early, but distinguished baldness.

Just like Mr. Caillaux!

The great man of the Italy team.

The head, but also the legs, because when necessary he is there to score.

And his shot is quality. We saw it in Turin, we see it now in Milan. Always in the Italy team. Above all, we see him always correct.

A great guy.


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Toldi


Has all the qualities of a great, very great footballer:

The dribbling, the shot, the precision is great; it in the pass. Has only one flaw, but he is too hard.

Hiden has a bad memory, and still others too.

Calm in life. On the football ground, this sheep suddenly becomes enraged, and he sticks a diplomatic incident like nothing.

Dangerous!


NOTE: Above the strategists, there are the animators, and we will introduce you in this series to Braine, Bastin and a few others.