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Hugo Meisl

Hugo Meisl

Name: Hugo Meisl
Date of birth: 16 November 1881
In the 1930's Austria laid claim to a team whose quality and verve sent legitimate shockwaves throughout Europe. The mastermind and father of this Wunderteam often mentioned in the same breath as the great Hungarian side of the 1950s and Brazil of 1970, was Hugo Meisl.
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He Was My Coach

He was a great motivator and always got his message across. He believed in keeping possession and playing unpredictable football, surprising the opposition. This is what set him apart from other coaches." Josef Bican

    Did You Know?

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    • Meisl counted many coaches among his friends, including Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo, Hungary’s Gusztav Sebes and England’s Herbert Chapman.
    • Meisl was one of the founders of the Mitropa Cup, a precursor to the European Champion Clubs Cup, which was first held in Venice in 1927.
    • Meisl’s striking sensation, Matias Sindelar, was so popular in Austria that 20,000 people turned up for his funeral amid the tensions of 1939.
    • Meisl was a member of the Viennese Cricket Club and he spearheaded a football programme that eventually led to the founding of FK Austria.
    • Hugo Meisl made Vienna’s Ring-Café his campaign base where he would talk over his tactics with Austria-based English coach Jimmy Hogan.

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