ALFRÉD SCHAFFER
Henrik Garfunkel | 07/10/1924

Everyone will find it natural that I chose Dom-Kaffé, an amateur farm, as my first stop. Of course, when there was such delicacies as the Spéci and the Konrád brothers. The first day was a bit of bad luck. The Konráds were not in, as I later learned, they don't usually come in. As for Spéci, no sooner had we greeted each other than the waiter announced that the car had arrived to take him to Ober St. Veitba for training. Spéci made excuses, but the conversation could not be postponed.

Spéci, or His Majesty the Football King as he is known for short, had asked for 4 o'clock and punctuality is the virtue of kings — he was waiting for the time allotted for the audience. 

He asked for His Majesty's snack of tea, butter and 15 ounces of Prague ham and was told that I could ask questions. 

And I asked. 

— Dear Spéci, or if you prefer, Sire! I want an honest statement, why did you leave Hungary? 

Spéci here has kindly objected to my calling him King, he has never had such ambitions and so does not like to be teased about it.

After I had declared that I had no such intention, he began his testimony. 

Schaffer: During the communist period, I was on a tour of Germany with MTK and we toured until the end of the communist period. I was in a situation of duress. In the new political situation that arose after the fall of the Communist Party, I was afraid to go home, for understandable reasons, but now I might add without reason. And when I received an offer from I. FC Nürnberg to join the club as a coach and player, I was happy to say yes. And my wanderings began. 

» I had promised that I would only stay at I. FC Nürnberg for three months and then come home to the boys at MTK, but I didn't come because I saw a difference not only in the living standards but also in the way the club treated me. Honestly, I never felt as comfortable in MTK as I did in Nuremberg...

» I was at 1. FC Nürnberg for a year and what I got out of this pretty mediocre team is common knowledge. I brought combination, power and vehemence to the team, — but my work paid off. I trained players like Kalb, his hitters, but I also honed the skills of the others. 

» I was in Nuremberg for a year. I didn't want to stay there any longer, I had won the championship — and I had no ambition to win more. 

» The second stop on my international tour was Basel. It was a dear, beautiful Swiss city. I joined FC Basel. I was there for seven months and it is well known how sensational my results were with the grey, anonymous team that nobody had heard of before. My short stay there was the only reason why we didn't go further. I left FC Basel, incidentally, because of personal differences. 

» In September 1920, I joined Wacker München. It was quite by chance that I ended up in Munich and even more by chance that I stayed there.

» Wacker hired me as a coach and player. I started my work with great enthusiasm and love, because I had great, raw, but very much worth polishing football material at my disposal. But I also trained six national team players such as Bernstein, Rehle, Eschenlohr, Alivater, Nebauer and Klingseis.

» All brilliant names, theses guys knew alot!!!

» After a year and a half of hard work we won the South German championship and it was only by unlucky chance that we didn't win the Imperial championship. 

» I don't know why, but I was driven by the blood to go on, on and on. One fine day I woke up and I was bored of Munich, bored of Wacker and bored of everyone and everything in Munich. 

» And as if they were mind-readers, all of a sudden I received letters from Prague. Sparta sent me fragrant letters lined with offers. A few days later, a delegation from Sparta arrived, inviting me to take up a coaching job for a reasonable fee, and also paying me to play my vimator base in the Czech champions.

» I only wanted to do the latter, because I wanted to get to know the spirit of a team before I took it on. And I was very glad I did, because after three months in Prague, the Sparta (Czech) players started to intrigue me, they wanted to "edge" me and I soon realised that Prague was not the place for me, I picked up my tent, gritted my teeth and the old student went on, on, on...

» I went to Pest, to visit old friends, but only to visit. Here I could not resist the invitation of MTK, I went on the Spanish tour. I should also say here that MTK were the only team on the continent to go seven matches unbeaten on hot Spanish soil. 

» Everyone will remember the rest after that. I came to Vienna, this dear, sweet city. I joined, not on my night, the Amateurs. The Austrian Football Association gave me a playing licence after three months' stay, but I had a good time. By the time I got a playing permit, there were only two months left of the championship season and, given the short time available, I, too, was helpless, unable to win the championship. 

» But then, last season, I showed what I could do and with SC Amateure, a team that no one had any confidence in, we won a double victory, the Austrian championship and the Austrian Cup in the same season... 

By the time Schaffer had got this far in his testimony, he had finished his hearty snack and in the momentary silence I was finally able to speak. 

— My dear Spéci, how long have you been a professional?

Schaffer: Am I a professional? I never was! I never asked for money from anyone! I am a pure amateur footballer! I have always been given money voluntarily, but it has been a long time!!! Or maybe there was a time when it was different, because I don't remember such a time?! 

— One more question. What about you before the Olympics?

Schaffer: It's not worth mentioning, all that happened was that Alfred Hajós, three months before the late Olympics, wrote a letter to the Konráds, in which he asked Kálmán Konrád, Guttmann, Nemes, Schwarzo and myself to train hard, to continue a sporting lifestyle, etc... Because the country will now have great need of us, etc. Finally, he expresses the hope that we five Hungarians abroad will gladly do our patriotic duty and go to Paris — to win.

» Then there was a short break, followed by the Hungarian-Italian and Hungarian-German matches. Great triumphs, which went to the heads of Mr. Hajós and the other MLSz masters. They became intoxicated by the big victories and made the biggest mistake when, instead of measuring everything through reliable grey glasses, they slapped a flirtatious pink monocle in their right eye, which then made everything and everyone — look false.

» For example, it is typical of Mr. Hajós' professionalism (and perhaps a little bit of correctness) that when the Hungarian team achieves 2-3 good results, they forget about everything else, letters, phone calls, etc.Weeks, then slowly months passed, but Mr. Hajós did not contact me, neither personally nor by letter. 

» We stopped our rigorous training (Vienna was happy with less training), because we thought that now the MLAs would no longer need us. Hájós seemed to think that it was enough for them to come, because then they would see and win...

» But let's not go into that, I could talk a lot about that, but let's talk about something else! 

— Then one last question. Do you have any plans for the future?

Schaffer: I'm not going to play right now. I want to rest, and then — you can see me play again, but not — at the Amateurs.

— Why don't you want to go home, Spéci? You can earn as much as an amateur football player in Pest, as in Vienna, or perhaps in Brno!

Schaffer: Home, no! Or rather, not to play football! One day, when I become a big ajscher, then yes, then I will go home, but not until then!!!