Romania was somehow off the radar – regarded as a strong football country, yet, providing no big news. The failure to qualify for the World Cup was somewhat of a surprise, but no attention was paid. Hence, it is difficult to evaluate the real situation. Politically, Romania refused to participate in the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, which was interpreted (both in West and East) as a liberalization of Dracula land. There were other, mostly economic, overtures to the West, seen as more signs of possible changes. In football, such signs were seen or imagined too: the grip of Bucharest, and, more precisely, the evil dual dominance of Army and Police clubs, was not present since 1965. Various provincial clubs won championships. Even more: like Poland, Romania started exporting players to the West. It was very quiet and careful affair, never mentioned in the press – selected old former national players were sold mostly to Turkish clubs, to Cyprus, but few – to France, Belgium, West Germany, and Austria. The practice was halted around 1974, which, for lack of any official reason, may be interpreted as a general return to hard policies. There were two accidents, which support such interpretive view. As far as I know, the following players were sold abroad: Ion Nunweiller from Dynamo (Bucharest) to Fenerbahce (Istanbul). He played 91 games and scored 7 goals for fenerbahce between 1967 and 1970. Former national player. Mircea Sasu, who played 9 games and scored twice for Romania (last match in 1968) also went to Fenrebahce around 1970. Ion Ionescu was transferred in 1968 from Rapid (Bucharest) to Alemania (Aachen, West Germany). Gheorghe Constantin (Steaua Bucharest, 39 caps and 12 goals for Romania) went to Kayserispor (Turkey) in 1969 and played until 1971. Ilie Datcu (Dynamo Bucharest and member of 1964 Olympic squad of Romania) joined Fenerbahce in 1969 and played 220 matches for the Istanbul club, where he retired in 1975. Emerich Jenei (Steaua, 12 matches for Romania and member of 1964 Olympic squad) played for Kayserispor between 1969 and 1971. Another Nunwieler – Lica – changed Dynamo’s kit for Besiktas in 1969 and played in Istanbul one season. Fresh from the 1970 World Cup, Vasile Gergely (Dynamo Bucharest, 36 matches and 2 goals for Romania) went to Hertha (West Berlin) in 1970 and played until 1972. Same year another Dynamo player – Ion Parcalab (38 matches and 5 goals for Romania, played at 1964 Olympics) joined Nimes Olympique (France) and stayed with them until 1973. Another member of the 1970 World Cup Romanian squad – Dan Coe – went to Antwerpen (Belgium) in 1971 and returned back in 1973 to play for his original club FC Galati to the end of his career.

Dan Coe at the World Cup 1970 and a bizarre story: he returned to Romania after playing in Belgium, but defected after the end of his playing career to West Germany. He was found dead in 1981 and the Police never determined the nature of the death – murder or suicide. He was a building caretaker at the time. Ion Barbu (Arges, 7 caps and no goals for Romania) joined Besiktas for one season. Florea Voinea moved from Steaua to Olympique Nimes and played in France 1970-72. Two more members of 1970 World Cup team moved abroad in 1972 – Mihai Mocanu (Petrolul Ploesti, 33 caps for Romania) went to Omonia (Nicosia) for the next two seasons. Nicolae Lupescu (Rapid Bucharest, 21 matches and 2 goals for Romania) did better – went to Admira-Wacker (Austria), where he retired in 1977. And finally in 1973 Constantin Fratila, who did not play for Romanian national team since 1967 (7 caps and 7 goals in total) transferred from Dynamo (Bucharest) to Omonia (Nicosia). He played only one season in Cyprus. And that was the end, as far as I can find out. Only two players are recognizable names: Ion Nunweiler, quite famous in his best years, but also part of respected and talented dynasty of players – 7 brothers in total. The other one is Emerich Jenei, but if he is familiar name, that is because of his coaching career. However, two events, no doubt unpleasant to Communist Romania, happened: Vasile Gergely, an ethnic Hungarian, changed his name and declared himself Hungarian as soon as he was arrived in West Germany. He was also involved in the West German bribing scandal of 1972 and punished. Not good for squeaky clean Communist image.

No longer Romanian Vasile – in West Germany it was Laszlo Gergely, Hungarian. Playing for Hertha (West Berlin) The goalkeeper Ilie Datcu went a step further – becoming something of a legend for Fenerbahce, not only he did not return to his Communist homeland, but took Turkish citizenship in 1978 and changed his name to Ilyas Datca. The change of name was not his fault, for it is a constitutional requirement for citizenship in Turkey, but from Romanian perspective it was a big blemish: a traitor and an enemy, at least as official version.

Ilie Datcu growing mustache and going Turk. So much for ‘liberalization’ and ‘relaxation’ But Steaua (the Army club) and Dynamo (the Police, and naturally the Secret Police) were not hegemonic yet – this was coming back, but a few years later.

Hungary continued her long spasmodic decline – missing 1970 World Cup, ending 4th at European Championship 1972, and again failing to qualify for World Cup 1974. Unlike the wave-like ups and downs of Czechoslovakia, Hungary was clearly declining, so temporary similarity to her western neighbour is misleading. The national team was able to produce occasional fit of small success, but for the clubs the road ended pretty much in 1975, so 1974 is more or less the last year of strong club football. Ujpesti Dosza dominated domestic football, winning its 15th title and 5th in a row from 1970 on.

Now, Lilak (the Purples) are the oldest existing club in Hungary. The football section is not as old, but since it belongs to the all-sports club, the oldest it is, despite the grumbling of MTK and Ferencvaros. The rivalry is Budapest-based and like many other countries Budapest ruled local football and in the first half of the 20th century it was largely MTK – Ferencvaros rivalry, Ujpest coming third. Things changed when the Communists took power: old ‘tainted’ clubs had to be diminished or eliminated one way or the other. Ferencvaros was the most tainted, accused with supporting the old Admiral Horthy’s regime and became the black sheep. And similarly to elsewhere in Eastern Europe, the ‘fascist’ club was not only the most popular, but particularly popular with the working class. The Communists, championing the ‘working class’ curiously ostracized working class sport clubs, but never mind for now. The prime result is the building of mythology and resistance: Ferencvaros became the oppressed ‘people’s’ club opposing the ‘state’ clubs. The state copied the prime model – USSR – and quickly established the classic ‘working class’ clubs dear to all: the Army (Honved) and the Police. In the Hungarian class a step further was taken to outdo the prime model – not one, but two Police clubs: MTK was taken by the Secret Police in 1949. Ujpest was taken simply by the Police in 1950. All clubs were properly renamed to purge them from their ‘bourgeois past’ and Ujpest became Budapesti Dosza – named after medieval Transylvanian-born leader of peasant revolt. The 1950s – the great decade of Hungarian football – was dominated by Honved and MTK (under different names). During the failed revolt in 1956 old names were restored with two exceptions: Honved remained (and restored its original name Kispest in 1990) and Budapesti Dosza became Ujpesti Dosza. MTK was no longer Police club, so ‘Lilak’ remained the club of regular and secret Police. Correspongingly, Honved and MTK lost their grip, replaced by Ferencvaros – Ujpesti Dosza dominance in the classic clear opposition of ‘people’ vs ‘the state’. Naturally, Ferencvaros were victimized, cheated, oppressed, etc. For the numerous fans of Ujpesti Dosza remained the discomfort of supporting cops’ club when cheering yet another title. The first half of the 1970s was entirely Lilak – and politics aside, football arguments spoke in their favour. Ferencvaros was aging and Ujpesti Dosza had younger squad. They were also able to replace old players smoothly and reached their peak in 1974.

Top, left to right: Szentmihalyi, Kolar, P. Juhasz, Nosko, Dunai III, Harsanyi, Horvath, Dunai II, Szigethi.
Bottom: Fazekas, Fekete, A. Toth, Bene, Zambo, Kellner, L. Nagy.
Almost everybody played for the national team, always a sign of strong team. But there was more: in 1974 the Ujpesti Dosza came very close to playing total football unlike Ferencvaros. The arch-rivals had to change almost the whole team at that time and their very young squad lacked experience – I saw both clubs live at that time and Ujpesti Dosza were fun; Ferencvaros were not. Lilak seemed to have the right chemistry, the right skill and intelligence, and the right policy – for example, Bene was nearing retirement, but Fekete was expected not only to replace him, but to become the next ‘big player’. Both played together, the transition was to go smoothly. Well, Fekete did not become big star… but for the moment everything was great, temporary obscuring the deepening crisis of Hungarian football. Ferencvaros got the cup. Unlike Ujpesti Dozsa, ‘Fradi’ were not made yet – it was young squad, not fully formed, and far from reaching its potential. Transitional team.

Top, left to right: Gyozo Martos, Istvan Juhasz, Istvan Geczi, Miklos Pancsics, Peter Vepi, Istvan Megyesi, Ferenc Csanadi – coach.
Bottom: Istvan Szoke, Laszlo Branikovits, Jozsef Mucha, Zoltan Ebedli, Zoltan Engelbrecht. Both winning clubs performed well in the European club tournaments. More layers eclipsing reality.

The Czechoslovakian Cup was also won by Slovan – the final was played between the winners of the Czech and the Slovak Cups. The Czech Cup was won by Slavia (Prague). This is the oldest Czechoslovakian club, found in 1892. The football section was established in 1896. Slavia, along with their arch-rivals Sparta (Prague), were the leading club before the Communists took power. Every country has a football team, which claims martyrdom built on real and imagined persecutions. Slavia is the Czech version – the ‘bourgeois past’ of the club made them a prime target. The club was renamed three times – to Sokol Slavia in 1948, Dynamo Slavia in 1953, and finally Dynamo in 1954. The original name was restored in 1965, when the liberalization leading to the ‘Prague spring’ started. Yet, during the whole period of Communist rule Slavia won only once – the Czech Cup in 1974. A strong evidence of victimization, so 1974 stays as shining example of defying the state.
Politics are one thing, purely football arguments – quite another. Unlike Slovan, Slavia had only one real star – Frantisek Vesely, plus two local heroes – Zdenek Klimes and Frantisek Zlamal. It was not a squad able to win championship and even reaching the the final for the national cup was more or less just good luck. Slavia was better suited for providing puzzling amusement: at the time 1893 was featured as founding year; now it is 1892. The other thing will come at the end of the 1970s, when Czechoslovakia started exporting players – the strange ‘package’ including very, very old Frantisek Vesely attached to coveted Antonin Panenka. The Czechs made a point that they are for sale together, not separately… but this was in the unforeseen future in 1974.

Other losers now: European this time. Czechoslovakia so far is practically unmentioned, but it is timely now, for the country is to play stronger role soon. So far, the Czechoslovakians had been in something like a decline. They did not play strongly at the 1970 World Cup and after that – nothing. Missing 1974 World Cup as well. Yet, traditional European power… relegated to middle ranks by now. Or may be not – for if one looks carefully, the Czechoslovaks were always up and down, and now they were at their down. There was an interesting change in Czechoslovakian football, though – the failed ‘Prague Spring’, terribly suppressed in 1968, affected football too. During the liberalization the Communist-sponsored and not exactly liked by the Czechs Dukla (Prague) lost its dominance. This was mostly political – since the Communist Party lost its grip, their club lost its privileged position as well, but unlike the Party, the club did not recover quickly and benefited little from the Soviet-led invasion in 1968. Instead provincial clubs came to dominate Czechoslovakian football. And not only that – Slovak, not Czech, teams ruled the early 70s. By 1974 the Czechoslovakian First Division featured more Slovak than Czech teams (Slovan and Inter from Bratislava, ZVL Zilina, Spartak Trnava, VSS and Lokomotiva from Kosice, AC Nitra, and Tatran Presov. No Czech club won a title between 1967 and 1976. Correspondingly, more Slovaks than Czechs played for the national team, which was not big deal until 1976 – at that year finally became interesting to think about the Slovak revival. Why the Slovaks? Less oppressed? More indifferent? Less sophisticated than the Czechs, and therefore excelling in ‘profane’ activities? Or better coaches? Or better talent? Or refusing to play for Prague for both nationalistic and anti-communist reasons? Certainly there was a sign of resistance: Spartak (Trnava) bravely played in the European Champions Cup in 1969 as if in protest against the invasion. They played when the Eastern European invaders refused to participate in the club tournaments in ‘protest’ against the Western protest of the invasion. Strange days for football…Slovan won the title in 1974, ending the dominance of Spartak (Trnava) – champions in 1968, 69, 71, 72, and 73. Now, Slovan was traditional power in Czechoslovakian football and performed well during the above years, but managed only one title – in 1970 – which was a sign of the rise of provincial football, represented by the smaller town of Trnava. For the moment it looked like the centre was restoring its normal leading position. However, the notion was suspect – Bratislava was still provincial from Prague’s perspective and from the general Bohemian-Moravian point of view: the ‘peasant’ Slovaks were still winning. No matter – strong Slovakian years in football!

This is a classic champion squad: a mix of experienced veterans, national players in their prime, and talented new blood. It was finely tuned team, where replacement came at the right time, fitted well, and patched weaker positions. Point in case – the national team right full back Jan Pivarnik, who joined Slovan in the summer of 1973, after captaining VSS Kosice. Masny, Svehlik, Vencel, Gogh, Pivarnik, Hrivnak, Moder, Zlocha, Jokl, and the Capkovic brothers – former and current national players. Not all of them were well known outside Czechoslovakia, but half of them will be – in1976, when they were the core of the new European champions. The only unlucky man here is the goalkeeper and Slovan’s captain Alexander Vencel. The curse of coinciding… he was of the same age as the great Ivo Viktor, and because of that was permanent reserve in the national team. Eventually, younger players were preferred instead of him, just because they had many years to play ahead of them. The curse reached his son as well – the younger Vencel, also named Alexander, who played mostly in France suffered the same fate in the 1990s. Anyway, Slovan won its 6th title in 1974.

Peru also failed. The likeable team of 1970, which so impressed fans and specialists, was eliminated by Chile.

Chumpitaz, Baylon, Mifflin, Cubillas, Sotil provided class, but the team was erratic and inconsistent. Didi, the Brazilian legend, quit coaching Peru after 1970 World Cup and was replaced by Lajos Baroti. The Hungarian had big reputation, but Peru had no spark under his guidance and he was replaced by Roberto Scarone, not exactly a famous name. Chile eliminated Peru. Sotil and Cubillas went to play in Europe. For the others remained only domestic consolation.

Universitario (Lima) won the Peruvian championship in 1974.

The squad consisted of: Julio Aparicio, Carlos Carbonell, Fernando Cuellar, Héctor Chumpitaz, Rubén Díaz, Juan Carlos Oblitas, Juan José Oré, César Peralta, Marco Portilla, Oswaldo Ramírez, Percy Rojas, Luis Rubiños, Eleazar Soria, Rubén Techera, Juan Toyco, Ricardo Valderrama, Enrique Wolf. Not bad, with the likes of Chumpitaz, one of the best ever Peruvian players, Rojas, Oblitas, and Ramirez. The coach was Juan Eduardo Hohberg, certainly of bigger profile than the national coach Scarone. Hohberg was born in Argentina, but played for Uruguay at the 1954 World Cup finals. In 1970 World Cup coached Uruguay to 4th place. In 1974 Uruguay was to play at the World Cup again, but Hohberg and Chumpitaz had to settle for Peruvian title.

A notch up the football scale – Central and North America. Since ranking is ranking no matter what, the pathetic region was usually considered third in the world order, thanks to Mexico. The only country outside Europe and South America with passable domestic football, already professional for years and importing foreign players, as well as regular World Cup finalist. NASL was not yet buying old European stars, so the whole region was practically Mexico… which failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, a huge surprise. Regardless the failure Mexico deserves a few lines, because of two records.
Until 1998 Antonio Carbajal was the only player in the world who played in 5 World Cup finals – 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, and 1966. The legendary goalkeeper born in 1929 retired in 1966, after playing for Club Espana and Leon in the Mexican league. Lothar Matthaus equaled Carbajal’s record in 1998, but it is unlikely another player to achieve that, let alone better it.
Antonuo Carbajaal between Chava Reyes and Guillermo Sepulveda – ‘El Tigre’. Mexican stars all, but only Carbajal is familiar to the world.
Carbajal was already in the history books, but history books are known for additions. In 1972 one Velibor Milutinovic arrived in Mexico City to join UNAM. His arrival attracted little attention, although deserving more – the Yugoslavian player was one of the very few European players to go to Central and South America. In Mexico itself it was rarity and remained a rarity – the next European vintage came in mid-1990s!
And here is new boy Bora smiling with new UNAM teammates: from left - Héctor Sanabria, Miguel Mejía Barón, Ramón Alberto Ramírez, Arturo Vázquez Ayala, Antonio De la Torre, Velibor "Bora" Milutinovic, José Luis "Pareja" López, and Genaro Bermúdez. Second from right is the coach – Angel Zubieta. ‘Los Pumas’ with European flavor.
Bora came from FC Winterthur, Switzerland, after rather adventurous career. Born in 1944, he started in his native Yugoslavia, of course. First with the small FK Bor, then in the better OFK Beograd, than – Partizan (Belgrade), where he played along his two brothers Milos and Milorad. Milos Milutinovic was a big star in Europe in the late 1950s and early 60s, but younger Bora was just a journeyman. However, good enough to play for AS Monaco, OGC Nice, and FC Rouen, before moving from France to Swutzerland, and from there – to Mexico, where he played to the end of his career in 1976.
UNAM with pet puma naturally and always smiling Bora (with the ball) around 1974.
Bora married a Mexican and became Mexican citizen, and stayed in his new country to coach. And coached he did – he led Mexico to the World Cup 1986. Much more followed – he is the only coach appearing in 5 World Cups, leading Mexico in 1986, Costa Rica in 1990, USA in 1994, Nigeria in 1998, and China in 2002. Presently, he is coaching the national team of Iraq – since the beginning of 2009. True, not a single really powerful national team, yet records are records. Once again, it is unlikely this record to be broken (unless Bora breaks it) and it is a record belonging to Mexico as well, since the coach is Mexican citizen.
In 1995 my Argentine-born friend Diego spotted Milutinovic in an airplane, remembered me, and asked for an autograph. Good natured as ever, Bora obliged:
‘To Vesselin from Bora’ in Serbian.
Nothing of the above existed in 1974 and nobody was able to foresee it. It all happened much later. But started in the early 1970s, when Mexico failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Another rare glimpse – at the outcasts. As much as FIFA emphasized that football was and must be apolitical, politics always played significant role. South Africa and Israel were banned from international football and FIFA had no say in that, for both were expelled by their own continental federations – the first for apartheid, the second for anti-Arabism (to make it short). It was relatively easy call: Muslim and Black African states refused to play against Israel and South Africa and the acute crisis was resolved ‘mathematically’ – two coutries were less important than the whole. FIFA swallowed the decisions – otherwise there were not going to be African and Asian pariticipation and membership in the world football at all. And with that both countries sunk bellow the horizon – little news, if any, came from them. Outcast football lived, however. The scale was small and messy, but the sport existed. Israel had regular regular championship and national cup despite the wars with neighbours. Structurally, the Israeli development was so regimental, it was to make East Europe envious: clubs started as ideologically motivated and politically charged movements and it is easy even today to outline origins and persisting ties just by the names. There were and are 4 general names: Maccabi, Hapoel, Beitar, and Elitzur (Communist coutries provided larger variety of names than Israel). Maccabi started as Zionist sport movement, eventually linked to what passes for Liberal party in Israel. Hapoel was originally Socialist alternative, linked to the Labour Party. Beitar represents the right wing and Elitzur – the ultra-conservative religious variety. If you never heard of Elitzur, the reason is exactly because of what they represent: there are no Elitzur football clubs participating in the regular Israeli football, because it is played mostly on Sundays – on the prohibited Sabath. So Istaeli football is played by clubs from different cities, but with uniform names and depending who was governing the country one or another kind of clubs flourished or sunk. By mid-70s the rule of the Labour Party was somewhat replaced by the rivals and Hapoel fans were already looking nostalgically to the ‘golden years’ in the past – the 1950s. Hapoel (Haifa) won the Cup in 1974, which was rare success of the provincial club by that time. If anything approximating international fame was related to the club, it was Zlatko Cajkovski: the builder of great Bayern, of Beckenbauer and Muller, ended his own playing career in Haifa. ‘Cik’ played for Hapoel from 1958 to 1960 and moved to coaching.

There is nothing I can tell about the Sharks… not even their names, but here they are in their full glory:

Playing in red and white stripes, seemingly using permanent numbers US style (unless not having enough shorts and using whatever available).

As for stars, perhaps Eli Levental was one. Speaking of local stardom, of course, for hardly anybody heard of him outside Israel. Such is the fate of outcasts.