The Paper Man and the Dictator | 1934 World Cup Final, Mussolini & Matthias Sindelar

Austria's Wunderteam were arguably the greatest side in the world in 1934. Their star forward, Matthias Sindelar — Der Papierene, the Paper Man — played football with a grace and intelligence that seemed to belong to another sport.In the semi-final, the referee reportedly dined with Benito Mussolini the night before the match. Italy went on to win the World Cup. Five years later, Austria had been annexed by Nazi Germany and Sindelar was found dead in his Vienna apartment. The official cause was carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty chimney flue. Not everyone believed it.This is the story of football's first genius, a dictator's tournament, and one of the game's enduring mysteries.#FootballFiles #FootballHistory #WorldCup #Italy1934 #MatthiasSindelar #Wunderteam #Austria #Mussolini #FIFAWorldCup #FootballPodcast #SoccerHistory #WorldCupHistory #HistoricFootball #NaziGermany #AustriaFootball #FootballStories #FootballDocumentary #FootballFacts #HistoryPodcast #DerPapierene