Football at the 1936 Summer Olympics

The 1936 Olympic football tournament, won by Italy, has, obviously, come to share an affinity with the political backdrop against which it was being played; in terms of the history of football, however, the tournament suffered as a reaction to the development of the FIFA World Cup.

The introduction of the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 (which had, in itself lead to the absence of a football tournament from the 1932 Games programme) lead to a devaluation in the strength of each subsequent Olympic football tournament. Competing nations would from now on only be permitted to play their best players if those players were amateur or (where national associations were assisted by interested states to traverse such a rule) where professional players were state-sponsored.

The reinstatement of Olympic football was ensured in 1936 because the German organisers were confident that such a competition would be justified by the income it would generate. The fear that any failure by the host side would result in a loss of income had been a matter of contention despite the fact that going into the competition Germany were one of the favourites. (They had only lost at home once in three years). In the event, the early failure of the national side did nothing to deter the supporters, as the bronze and gold medal games were watched by a combined total of 195,000 people.

Background

The Italian side, victors in the 1934 FIFA World Cup and managed by Vittorio Pozzo were favourites.

Squads

Medalists

Gold	Silver	Bronze
Italy Bruno Venturini Alfredo Foni Pietro Rava Giuseppe Baldo Achille Piccini Ugo Locatelli Annibale Frossi Libero Marchini Luigi Scarabello Carlo Biagi Giulio Cappelli Sergio Bertoni Alfonso Negro Francesco Gabriotti	Austria Franz Fuchsberger Max Hofmeister Eduard Kainberger Karl Kainberger Martin Kargl Josef Kitzmüller Anton Krenn Ernst Künz Adolf Laudon Franz Mandl Klement Steinmetz Karl Wallmüller Walter Werginz	Norway Henry Johansen Fredrik Horn Nils Eriksen Frithjof Ulleberg Jørgen Juve Rolf Holmberg Sverre Hansen Magnar Isaksen Alf Martinsen Reidar Kvammen Arne Brustad Øivind Holmsen Odd Frantzen Magdalon Monsen

Competition

The competition began in dramatic circumstances. The Italians, convincing winners against the Americans at the 1934 World Cup now found the Olympic side, with ten changes, a completely different proposition. The Azzuri could hardly argue that their side was without talent; Alfredo Foni, Pietro Rava and Ugo Locatelli would all play in their World Cup victory in Paris. That they eventually prevailed was due to two incidents: the first when their bespectacled forward Frossi scored, the second when Wiengartner, the German referee, was literally restrained from sending off Archille Piccini after fouling two Americans. Italian players held both his arms and covered his mouth in protest. Piccini stayed on the park, Italy won. [1]

This was something more than Sweden managed in their tie with Japan the next day in Berlin. Two-nil up within 45 minutes their demise was shockingly recorded by the legendary Swedish commentator, Sven Jerring’s, calling “Japanese, Japanese, Japanese” as they ran out 3-2 winners. It marked the first time an Asian side had participated in either the World Cup or Olympic Games football competition. Their neighbours, China, lost, immediately, to Great Britain the next day, although there was still no disgrace: Britain were being held at the break. Otherwise there were thumping wins for Peru and the hosts, 9-0 versus Luxembourg.

First round

August 3, 1936
12:00

Italy	1–0	United States
Frossi 58'	Report

Background

Squads

Medalists

Competition

First round

Quarter Finals

Semi Finals

Bronze medal match

The Final (Gold medal match)

Bracket

References