04/20/24
November 16, 2009
The Story of Alex Villaplane, France's First World Cup Captain:
13 July 1930 Captains France in their first ever match at the World Cup finals, a 4-1 victory over Mexico.
26 December 1944 Shot by firing squad having been condemned as one of the most despicable traitors in his country's history.
Whoa, that's crazy. Is that based in fact or invented?
posted by yerfatma at 08:08 PM on November 16, 2009
There's probably a bit of both, but rugby was the game of the establishment (read: right wing), and hence by association with the Vichy regime. Rugby League was always more working class (read: socialist and communist) and provincial, and is still stronger in the regions in the south of France where the original maquis were based.
posted by owlhouse at 09:09 PM on November 16, 2009
That's some SportsFilter gold right there. Thanks, yerfatma.
It got me wondering which modern French footballers would collude and which would join the resistance:
Zidane - Maquis
Henry - Vichy
Annelka - Vichy
Barthez - Maquis
Clichy - Vichy
Ribry - Vichy
Evra - Maquis
Vieira - Maquis
Platini - Full-blown Nazi
posted by JJ at 06:43 AM on November 17, 2009
Platini - Full-blown Nazi
He was just following Reichsmarshall Blatter's orders.
posted by owlhouse at 07:28 AM on November 17, 2009
That's an interesting article. Villaplane was an awful human being. It's easy to forget how many people colluded with the Nazis for profit.
posted by bperk at 08:38 AM on November 17, 2009
Or get me to spell his name right.
posted by JJ at 10:38 AM on November 17, 2009
Thanks for posting, yerfatma.
I saw the Guardian's headline earlier and wondered if the article was about rugby rather than football. In France there is still simmering resentment between the two rugby codes, with some of the the Union hierarchy portrayed as collaborateurs, while the Game of XIII sided with the Resistance.