Olympic football tournament history - Football and the Olympic spirit

Posted by bumeral

August 5, 2008

Football and the Olympic spirit ever maintained a close relationship. We always looked with suspicion, as if one had come to take the place of another. And while this is not entirely true, it is true that the most popular sport in the world does not need to be “escorted” from other disciplines to mobilize passions and crowds.

So the interests of one han ido against the other since the start of the World Cup in 1930.

Until this tournament in Uruguay, the most important event for the global football were the Olympics, since it was the only championship that nuclear best selections from all continents.

The football was part of the official programme for the first time in London 1908, right in the same country where he was born as a sport, several decades earlier.

In respect the Olympic spirit, all countries sent teams amateurs. Even Great Britain, which dispensed with his powerful professional team. However, the local team was much higher than each of its rivals and was devoted champion, after 2-0 defeat to Denmark in the finals.

At that tournament only six teams participated, all European Union and the vast difference in class was appreciated in bulky markers: for example, in the first match of the championship, the Nordic team won 9-0 before a combined French and the player Danish Sophus Nielsen scored ten goals in La Gola 17-1 before another selected Gallo.

In Stockholm 1912 was increased to eleven the number of participants and football began to find what would be his most important tournament. The podium was exactly equal to the Games in London: Britain won the gold, silver Denmark and the Netherlands the bronze.

In 1920 culminated forever British hegemony in world soccer. Norway won 2-1 to champion the first two editions and eliminated from the tournament in which debuted a team in a non-European international competition: Egypt fell just before the mighty Italy 2-1. In those games the local Belgium was consecrated after defeating Spain in the final.

From this competition, the British level began to decline until completely disappear in 1960, when the association even stopped playing tournaments clasificatorios.

Nigeria 1996

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Kanu Africa and Nigeria led to the elite in 1996
In 1924 the South American power was announced to the world. Uruguay arrived in Paris with a different football, with winds of change and stayed with the gold and glory. Golea Yugoslavia 7-0, 3-0 to the United States, to France 5-1, 2-1 and 3-0 to Holland to Switzerland in the final. Thus began a reign that would extend until the first World Cup.

In 1928 South American football ended joining the elite world thanks to the spectacular campaigns Argentines and Uruguayans, who defined the title in Amsterdam. It was a new triumph for the Orientals, after two harsh end. That was the last of the Celeste participation in the Games.

After the first World football began to downplay the Olympic event. In fact, in 1932 the Fifa decided not to include in the agenda of the event from Los Angeles to its new competition will not lose relevance.

After the triumph of Italy in 1936, the Olympic tournament became a kind of consolation prize for those teams that failed to succeed in the World Cups. Indeed, never again a team world champion celebrated in an Olympic Games or vice versa.

Selections such as Sweden, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Soviet Union or East Germany, which met only worthy holdings in the World Cup, managed to keep the Olympic gold. In fact, one of the best teams in history could not be world champion but he stayed with the Olympic glory. The Puskas and Kocsis of Hungary who lost so incredible World Cup 1954 was devoted to slack in the Games of 1952.

Between 1948 and London 1980 Moscow was a phenomenon that would produce a radical change in the organization of the Olympic soccer tournament. Of the 27 medals in dispute, 23 were won by teams of socialist countries. Only Japan, Sweden and Denmark would meddle in the hegemony of states in eastern Europe.

The interest of the big powers in this championship was becoming less and Fifa decided that in 1984 the European and South American teams travel to Los Angeles with youth teams.

Thus, a very young French selection kept the gold in the United States after a final against Brazil. The powers to redefine a tournament and the Olympic Fife saw a great opportunity to revive interest in the Games without endangering the importance of the World Cup.

Hungary 1964

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Hungary is selected with more gold medals
From Barcelona 1992, those selected are obliged to play teams with only three sub 23 and older. The last major change could be seen in the emergence of successful African teams.

In Atlanta 96, Argentina and Brazil were the favourites to reach the finals, but Nigeria and all its freshness verdeamarelha eliminated in the semifinals and then surprised the selection of Daniel Passarella at the end.

After several victories in World youth, Africans made real noise in one of the most important planetary competitions in the world.

In 2000, Cameroon took the baton and was consecrated after defeat in defining the party to Spain, who came from 20 sub champion and was the big favorite for gold.

And the last Olympic event saw one of the biggest footballing powers got the first gold medal in its history. Argentina won from end to end and without a goal the tournament in Athens after a historic South American final to Paraguay.

Today, the Olympic tournament misses the relevance enjoyed at the dawn of the twentieth century. However, it has managed to earn himself a place in this super professional sport.

The players show their Olympic spirit and express their wishes without fear of participating in the Games, although this goes against the economic interests of their clubs. It is that, despite the millions, luxury cars and European snobism, they feel that every four years can prove that they are athletes.

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