“La Blanquirroja” – Perú's Forgotten Heroes of Olympic Football
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“La Blanquirroja” – Perú’s forgotten heroes of Olympic Football By Volker Kluge The Peruvian football team before their match against Austria in the Hertha BSC Stadium in Berlin- Gesundbrunnen on 8th August 1936. Standing (from left): Carlos Tovar, Víctor Lavalle, Juan Valdivieso, Arturo Fernández, Segundo Castillo, Orestes Jordán, Juan Delgado (Masseur); kneeling: Adelfo Magallanes, Jorge Alcalde, Teodoro “Lolo” Fernández, José Morales and Alejandro Villanueva. In the first match against Finland Teodoro Alcalde had played instead of his brother Jorge. The Peruvian capital Lima will host the 131th IOC Session of the match was no less well known: Baron Pierre de Photos: Volker Kluge Archive this September. The gathering will put the focus on a Coubertin. country with an Olympic tradition which stretches all the In May 1901 de Candamo was nominated as Envoy way back to 1900, when the Olympic Games were held in Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Perú in Paris. Among the participants that year was a Peruvian Great Britain. This was probably the reason Coubertin who took part in fencing and tennis. His name was invited him to join the IOC in November 1903. He lived Carlos González de Candamo y Rivero and he came from in the Atlantic resort of Biarritz, and was an envoy to one of the richest families in the country.1 His father was Paris. In Olympic circles, de Candamo proved an elusive the Ambassador in France. (An uncle, Manuel Candamo figure, a veritable “phantom”. Of the 15 IOC Sessions Iriarte, was Mayor of Lima who became State President which were held during his tenure, he was present at in 1903 but was struck down by cancer and spent only only three. These were all after the First World War. Perú eight months in office.) had entered on the side of the allies in 1917 and on the Carlos de Candamo was born in London, but studied formal document of setting out the Treaty of Versailles his in Paris, where he joined the elite Racing Club de signature can be found: “F.G. Candamo”.3 France (RCF). In 1891 he reached the quarter finals in Perú had not yet sent a team to the Olympics, but in the first French tennis championships (now known 1923 Alfredo Benavides succeeded de Candamo as an IOC as the French Open). The following year, he captained Member. He also came from a very rich family. His mother his team in the final of the first French Rugby Union was the niece of Pedro Diez Canseco and Francisco Diez Championship. Amongst his team mates was the Canseco. Between them, they had led their nation five famous French all-rounder Frantz-Reichel.2 The referee times in the second half of the 19th century. 6 Football – the Peruvian national sport known as “broken time” should be admissible. Although they discussed the matter at great length, no British sailors had brought football into the country. satisfactory solution was found.5 While their ships were being unloaded in Callao, an FIFA reacted in its own way. It removed the paragraph important Pacific port, they amused themselves with the from its rule book. This triggered the resignation of the round leather ball. Soon they had also invited locals to British associations, who insisted on the amateur rules. play against them. On the evening of 18th May 1929 in Barcelona FIFA In 1893, a group of young Peruvians founded the decided that a World Championship, styled the “World Unión Cricket club in Lima. This had sections for cricket, Cup” would be held in Montevideo the following year. tennis and also to football. Among the members was The tournament would be a knockout competition. NOC President Eduardo Benavides, who used his contacts to secure the finance Uruguay was celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Dibós Dammert. He for the construction of a football stadium, the Estadio independence in 1930, so the government allocated joined the IOC in 1958, Guadalupe.4 300,000 gold pesos to the event. They also set aside and remained a From 1914 to 1920, he was manager of the foreign 200,000 gold pesos for the construction of the stadium. member until he was ministry diplomatic office and also an important pro- For FIFA the offer was tempting, as they received ten per succeeded in 1982 by moter of sport. In 1918 he founded a tennis club, a jockey cent of the gross income. his son Iván Dibós Mier. club and the Peruvian athletics association. Perhaps his As FIFA was not prepared to return to the amateur In 1931 Dibós Sr. be- most important sporting endeavour was the foundation regulations decided upon in Prague, it became clear came Vice-President of the Comité Olímpico Peruano (COP), which came into after the 1930 Olympic Congress that the 1932 Games of Goodyear in Perú. being on 9th October 1924. in Los Angeles would take place without football.6 He was Mayor of Lima The early years of football in the country had been Despite that dealings went on behind the scenes, as the from 1938 to 1940 and somewhat “wild”, overshadowed by conflicts between Americans too were interested in “soccer”. After all, the again from 1950 to the clubs. In 1912 an agreement had been reached in on football tournament had accounted for 40 per cent of all 1952. From 1958 to 1959 the foundation of a football league, and an unofficial ticket sales in Amsterdam.7 he served as Minister national championship title. A national association, When the member associations of FIFA gathered for Development and the Federación Peruana de Fútbol (FPF) only came into in Berlin at Whitsun 1931 for their 31st Congress non of Public Works. being in 1922. It received formal recognition at the 13th them really believed that football would be excluded Congress of the International Football Federation (FIFA) from Los Angeles. For that reason they empowered the in 1924 in Paris. The next year it also joined the South Executive Committee, led by the Frenchman Jules Rimet, American continental association (CONMEBOL). to renewed negotiations with the IOC, which however The setting up of the national team initially faltered came to nothing. In 1932 football was left out of the for economic reasons. In 1927, the matter became rather programme. more pressing because Perú had been asked to host the South American championship (Now known as the Copa América). The hosts managed to beat Bolivia 3-2. It was no surprise when they lost 4-0 to Uruguay and were beaten 5-1 by Argentina. In the run-up there had again been problems between the rival clubs Alianza Lima and Universitario de Deportes. These had arisen because Alianza players had been excluded. They did not return to the fold until 1930 when they took part in the inaugural World Cup tournament. The Peruvians were drawn in Group 3, but lost 3-1 to Romania and by a single goal to Uruguay. Hymns of Praise for the “All Pacific Team” By this time professional football was beginning to grow. First in Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, then in Italy, France, Uruguay and Argentina. At their 1925 The “All Pacific Team” Olympic Congress in Prague, the IOC had decided that made headlines on its eligibility would be down to the amateur definitions six month European enforced by the individual international federations. tour although they They discussed the question for hours. The issue was lost 4-1 to Barcelona whether payment for lost earnings and paid holidays, on 8th December 1933. JOH 2 | 2017 “La Blanquirroja” – Perú’s forgotten heroes of Olympic Football 7 FIFA did not wish football to be permanently excluded A 7-3 victory – “90 enjoyable minutes of play” from the Olympics. Two years later they agreed to the IOC demand and would only permit amateur teams for the Since the early 1930s Perú had been considered an 1936 Games in Berlin. Because of the large number of interesting trading partner by Germany. Even the entries, some kind of qualification system was included National Socialists showed respect for the great for the first time. For South America, the continental history of the Incas, also because in the “ruling class championship of 1935 was used to determine who personalities with really recognisable Indio traits” had would go to Berlin. Uruguay won the tournament from been recognised, whose “future possibilities” were Argentina and Perú. predicted.10 But as Uruguay and Argentina were concerned that As a by product of the Olympic Games it was hoped their amateur teams might not perform well enough, to attract rich people from non-European states. They they decided not to take part. It was left to Perú to were offered the incentive of freedom from taxes for represent South America alone in Berlin. They appointed one year and in the event they took up residence in Alberto Luis Denegri, a veteran of the 1930 World Cup Germany, for ten years.11 The Peruvian NOC President, squad as coach. He named a party of 22 – the majority Eduardo Dibós Dammert, who was of German origin from Alianza, Universitario and Sport Boys Lima. Only was also considered “very useful”. As President of the three had World Cup experience. These were goalkeeper Touring Club he was seen as the “driving force” behind Juan Valdivieso and forwards Arturo Fernández and road building in Perú, so he was invited to Germany in Alejandro Villanueva. September 1934 to view the Alpine autobahns.12 The Peruvians were not an unknown quantity in State President Óscar R. Benavides was also in favour Europe. From September 1933 to February 1934 they of promoting good relations with Germany, nothing had toured seven countries.