| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Germany |
| Dates | 3–15 August 1936 |
| Teams | 16 (from 4 confederations) |
| Venue | 4 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Italy (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Austria |
| Third place |  Norway |
| Fourth place |  Poland |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 16 |
| Goals scored | 78 (4.88 per match) |
| Attendance | 507,469 (31,717 per match) |
| Top scorer | Annibale Frossi (7 goals) |
←1928 1948 → | |
The1936 Summer Olympic Games, hosted by Germany, were the first to feature afootball tournament since the creation of the World Cup by FIFA in 1930. Football was not featured in the1932 Olympics due to a dispute betweenFIFA and theInternational Olympic Committee regarding whether participation should be restricted to professional or amateur players. The International Olympic Committee felt that only amateur players should be allowed to compete, while FIFA argued that professional athletes should be included. Inevitability, without FIFAs involvement, the tournament return to amateur players only.[1][2] Additionally, FIFA expressed concern that if a football tournament were included in the Olympic Games, it would downplay the importance of their newly createdWorld Cup. The tournament was structured as a standard single-elimination bracket and featured sixteen participating countries. The competitors includedAustria,China,Egypt,Finland,Germany,Great Britain,Hungary,Italy,Japan,Luxembourg,Norway,Peru,Poland,Sweden,Turkey, and theUnited States.[3]
Despite the tensions caused by the fact that theHitler Regime was sponsoring the Berlin Olympics, many teams still chose to go. It was decided that it would be purely a sporting event, with no politics involved. However, theDutch Football Federation (KNVB), did decide to stay home in 1936. This was not because of any political controversies, but rather due to the fact that the International Olympic Committee’s rules were too nonprofessional, compared to what they were used to.France also decided not to send a football team to the Berlin Olympics, due to the disputes of allowing professional players in the Olympic Football Games.[4]
Other countries debated on whether or not to boycott the 1936 Olympics.Avery Brundage, president of the IOC at that time, had urged the United States to participate in the games, despite many questioning the morality of attending games hosted by the Nazi Regime. In the end, Brundage would argue that due to promises of non-discrimination from the hosts, that America and other countries should go.[5][6][7]
| Berlin | Berlin | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Stadium | Gesundbrunnen Stadium | ||
| Capacity:100,000 | Capacity:35,239 | ||
.jpg) |  | ||
| Berlin | Berlin | ||
| Post Stadium | Mommsen Stadium | ||
| Capacity:45,000 | Capacity:15,005 | ||
 |  | ||
The Italians, who had emerged victorious over the Austrians at the 1934 World Cup now found the Olympic tournament to be a completely different landscape, as it featured several differences in structure and rules compared to the World Cup. Italy's national team, TheAzzurri included players such asAlfredo Foni,Pietro Rava andUgo Locatelli, who would all play in their World Cup victory in Paris two years later. Italy's progression through the first round was partly due to two incidents: the first when their bespectacled forwardFrossi scored, the second when Weingartner, the German referee, was literally restrained from sending offArchille Piccini after fouling two Americans. Italian players held both his arms and covered his mouth in protest of the ejection. Ultimately, Piccini stayed on the pitch, and Italy won.[3][8][9] The same day, Norway eliminated Turkey 4-0. This was something more thanSweden managed in their tie withJapan the next day inBerlin. With a score of 2-0 in the first 45 minutes, their loss was recorded by the Swedish commentator,Sven Jerring, calling "Japanese, Japanese, Japanese, Japanese all over" (Japaner, japaner, japaner, överallt japaner) during the final minutes as the Japanese defenders held out to emerge as the winners 3–2 with one incident ofTakeshi Kamo leaving the match with an injury.[9] This marked the first time an Asian team had participated in either the World Cup or Olympic Games football competition, and the first time an Asian team emerged victorious. The same day, Germany beat Luxembourg by a large margin of 9-0. The following day, on August 5th, Poland defeated Hungary 3-0, and Egypt was eliminated by Austria 3-1. On August 6th, Peru won against Finland with a score of 7-3, and China lost to Great Britain 2-0.[3]
| Italy | 1–0 |  United States |
|---|---|---|
Frossi 58' | Report |
| Germany | 9–0 |  Luxembourg |
|---|---|---|
| Urban 16',54',75' Simetsreiter 32',48',74'Gauchel 49',89'Elbern 76' | Report |
Peru  | 7–3 |  Finland |
|---|---|---|
| Fernández 17',33',47',49',70' Villanueva 21',67' | Report | Kanerva 42' (pen.) Grönlund 75'Larvo 80' |
Italy defeated Japan after Pozzo's decision to include Biagi, who scored goals. The same day at thePoststadion, Berlin before a crowd that includedGoebbels,Göring,Hess andHitler, Germany were knocked out 2–0 byNorway. Goebbels wrote: "The Führer is very excited, I also can barely contain myself. A real bath of nerves." Norway went on to draw with Italy in the first round of the1938 FIFA World Cup. Germany lost 2–0 and Hitler, who had never seen a football match before, and had originally planned to watch the rowing, left early in a huff.[12]
The following day at theHertha Platz,Austriaplayed Peru. The match was highly contested, and the game went into overtime when the Peruvians drew with the Austrians after being two goals behind. Peru 'scored' five goals during extra time, of which three were disallowed by the referee, and won 4–2.[13][14] The Austrians demanded a rematch on the grounds that Peruvian fans had stormed the field, and because the field did not meet the requirements for a football game.[14][15] Austria further claimed that the Peruvian players had manhandled the Austrian players and that spectators, one holding a revolver, had "swarmed down on the field."[16] Peru was notified of this situation, and they attempted to go to the assigned meeting but were delayed by a German parade.[14] In the end, the Peruvian defense was never heard, and the Olympic Committee andFIFA sided with the Austrians. The rematch was scheduled to be replayed behind closed doors on 10 August, and later rescheduled to be taken on 11 August.[15][16]
As a sign of protest against these actions, which the Peruvians deemed as insulting and discriminatory, the complete Olympic delegations of Peru andColombia left Germany.[17][18] Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Mexico expressed their solidarity with Peru.[16] Michael Dasso, a member of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, stated: "We've no faith in European athletics. We have come here and found a bunch of merchants."[19] The game was awarded to Austria by default.[16] In Peru, angry crowds protested against the decisions of the Olympic Committee by tearing down an Olympic flag, throwing stones at the German consulate, refusing to load German vessels in the docks ofCallao, and listening to inflammatory speeches, which included PresidentOscar Benavides Larrea's mention of "the crafty Berlin decision."[16] To this day, it is not known with certainty what exactly happened in Germany, but it is popularly believed thatAdolf Hitler and theNazi authorities might have had some involvement in this situation.[18]
In the last of the quarter-finals Poland, assisted by their forward,Hubert Gad, played out a nine-goal party to defeat the British side; at one time they were 5–1 to the better. TheCasual'sBernard Joy scored two as Britain fought back gamely but they ran out of time. Prior to the GamesDaniel Pettit received a letter fromthe Football Association which dealt mostly with the uniform he would wear. As he explained to the academicRachel Cutler there was a handwritten PS that said: 'As there is a month to go before we leave for Berlin kindly take some exercise.' Pettit ran around his local park.[12]
Walkover for Austria.
The 1936 finals began on August 10th, 1936, with about 95,000 people in attendance. An Austrian report gave the attendance as 90,000.Alfonso Negro scored the initial first goal for Italy, whileNorway tied the game with a goal byBrustad (Number 57). Italy takes the win in their match againstNorway, withFrossi (Number 15) credited on official reports for the final goal. The next semi-finals match,Austria vsPoland, ended 3-1, withAustria winning the match.Austria scored three goals, firstly by K.Kainberger (Number 17),Werginz (Number 54), andMandl (Number 88), scoring the winning goal. Other reports[3] credit the last goal to Laudon. Poland scored with 1 goal byBrustad (Number 57).[3]
In the final, Italy overcame Austria in a match refereed byPeco Bauwens. The defenses of both amateur teams created a deadlock in the first half of the match. Midway through the second half,Frossi scored first for the Azzurri. Kain Berger equalized forAustria, ten minutes before the end of regulation time. This is debated however, most modern sources crediting the Austrian goal to K.Kainberger, but contemporary Austrian newspapers listed Fuchsberger, withKainberger providing the assist.Frossi got the winning goal for Italy just as extra time got underway and, failing to catch up in the remaining minutes, the Austrians lost. This win gave Italy its very first Olympic Football win in its firstOlympic Football tourament.[20]
| Team details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
| 4 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
| Germany | 9 | |||||||||||||
| 7 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
| Luxembourg | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Germany | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 3 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
| Norway | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Norway | 4 | |||||||||||||
| 10 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
 Turkey | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Norway | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 3 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
| Italy (a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Italy | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 7 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
| United States | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Italy | 8 | |||||||||||||
| 4 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
 Japan | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Japan | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 15 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
 Sweden | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Italy (a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 6 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
| Austria | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Peru | 7 | |||||||||||||
| 8 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
| Finland | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Peru | ||||||||||||||
| 5 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
| Austria | w/o | |||||||||||||
| Austria | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 11 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
 Egypt | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Austria | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 5 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
| Poland | 1 | Third place | ||||||||||||
| Poland | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 8 August –Berlin | 13 August –Berlin | |||||||||||||
 Hungary | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Poland | 5 | Norway | 3 | |||||||||||
| 6 August –Berlin | ||||||||||||||
 Great Britain | 4 | Poland | 2 | |||||||||||
| Great Britain | 2 | |||||||||||||
 China | 0 | |||||||||||||
Annibale Frossi (Italy)
Teodoro Fernández (Peru)Arne Brustad (Norway)Gerard Wodarz (Poland)Carlo Biagi (Italy)Alejandro Villanueva (Peru)Hubert Gad (Poland)Klement Steinmetz (Austria)Wilhelm Simetsreiter (Germany)Adolf Urban (Germany)Karl Kainberger (Austria)Adolf Laudon (Austria)Josef Gauchel (Germany)Bernard Joy (Great Britain)Magnar Isaksen (Norway)Alf Martinsen (Norway)Erik Persson (Sweden)Franz Mandl (Austria)Walter Werginz (Austria)Abdel-Karim Sakr (Egypt)Ernst Grönlund (Finland)William Kanerva (Finland)Pentti Larvo (Finland)Franz Elbern (Germany)Bertram Clements (Great Britain)John Dodds (Great Britain)Lester Finch (Great Britain)Edgar Shearer (Great Britain)Giulio Cappelli (Italy)Alfonso Negro (Italy)Taizo Kawamoto (Japan)Akira Matsunaga (Japan)Tokutaro Ukon (Japan)Reidar Kvammen (Norway)Jorge Alcalde (Peru)Teodor Peterek (Poland)Ryszard Piec (Poland)
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| General |  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournaments |
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| Qualifications |
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| Finals |
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| Squads |
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| Related topics | |||||
