After a year without activity as a result of the closure derived from the pandemic, the Kempes Provincial Sports Museum opened its doors again, recovering visits to its halls and the playing field.
Among the first guests that received the corner that treasures the memory of Cordovan sport, the presence of two Austrian diplomats stood out who came to see the World Cup stage where the Central Europeans achieved a historic and epic 3-2 victory over Germany, in 1978 .
Federico Scherzer, Consul of Austria in Córdoba, and Lisa Butzenlechner, Minister Counselor of the Embassy, did not hide their emotion when they stepped on a stadium with a very special significance for their people, from that triumph of June 21, 1978, when they won the current champion and staunch opponent. It is worth noting that the citizens of that country lead the presence of international visits to the Cordovan coliseum, in a constant pilgrimage to a stadium that they call Spielplatz der Helden (Patio de los Héroes). During the tour, visitors were able to enjoy the screening of the documentary generated by the Córdoba Sports Agency, which recreates the strong link between Córdoba and Austria.
Luxury donation
The reception was in charge of Gonzalo Sosa (deputy director of the ACD), Valeria Martínez Ghirardi (deputy director of Public Relations) and Gustavo Farías (coordinator of the Museum) and after discussing the existence in Vienna of the Cordobaplatz (Plaza Córdoba), the Offer to donate a row of original seats from the ’78 World Cup to decorate that public space in the Austrian capital, a gesture that was taken with great pleasure by European officials.
That victory, the first achieved against the Germans, is known there as “The Miracle of Córdoba” and has enormous significance in that country, far exceeding the sporting arena.
In 1938, Austria had formed a powerful team that was a candidate to win the title and which they called Wunderteam (wonder team). However, that dream collided with the crudest of realities, when shortly before the start of the tournament, Hitler’s Germany annexed it as a new state of the Third Reich. The wonderful selected was dissolved and his golden generation became a memory. Somehow, the triumph of ’78 claimed the pride of the land of Johan Krankl, its great scorer.
In 1978 and after discreet appearances, Austria once again made history by qualifying for the second round. Although his good performance was not enough to get on the podium, the victory against the Germans is still celebrated today like a championship.
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