1978: Córdoba

“Goal, goal, goal, goal, goal, goal! I’m going crazy!” the legendary cries from Edi Finger Sr. on June 21, 1978 on Austrian radio are, to this day, still iconic. Hans Krankl had just scored the winning goal in the sensational 3:2 victory for the Austrian national football team over Germany at the World Cup in Córdoba, Argentina. That both teams were eliminated in the second round was a minor point. Until the “revenge for Sadowa”, the event was hyped up. In Germany, they spoke of “humiliation”.

Undoubtedly, the event gained importance in the process of forming a sense of Austrian national identity. If the sporting achievements of a Toni Sailer – his victories in Cortina – had been a first building block in the contribution of sport to national self-esteem, this was the final step in “cutting the cord” with Germany. A victory over the reigning world champion was already meaningful in itself, but this was about a victory over Germany. This wasn’t just an instance of asserting oneself against the big successful neighbor; it was about defeating a neighbour in a symbolically charged team sport.