José Leandro Andrade

Andrade (right) in 1928

José Leandro Andrade ( born October 1, according to other sources 20 or November 22, 1901 in Salto, † October 4 according to other sources October 5, 1957 in Montevideo ) was a Uruguayan football player.

" La Maravilla Negra " ( The Black Miracle ) was one of the first superstars - and the first black - the international football. Andrade was considered the best footballer in the 1920s and won with Uruguay in 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games and in 1930 the first football World Cup.

Youth

1901 Andrade, was born as a descendant of black slaves in Salto, in the poor north- western Uruguay. Even as a teenager, he moved to his aunt in the capital Montevideo, where he worked as a street musician, shoeshine boy and newspaper seller. He led the dance group " The poor Cuban Negro " to, was considered a master of the national dance " Candombe " ( brand of Tango) and was rarely seen without his drum. The people called the colored boy also " King of Carnival ".

Club career

In addition to his passion for music Andrade was an avid soccer player. Earlier in his career he played until 1920 for Peñarol. From there his way over Misiones led to Bella Vista. In 1922, he signed a contract there. In 1925 he moved to Nacional, however, one of the largest clubs in the country, championships were denied him.

In the former 2-3-5 system (2 defenders, 3 runners, 5 striker ), he took over as " Right runners " the role that today is called the midfield maestro. He has directed, choreographed the game like a ballet. Exceptionally agile, he played almost disembodied. Andrade said to have invented the scissor-kick, bicycle kick and diving header he mastered perfectly.

1932, the Uruguayan League was transformed into a professional league. Andrade returned in 1931 to local rivals Peñarol, where he played loud Luciano Álvarez until 1932. According to other sources, he will finally have his first and only national championship celebrated with the Aurinegros 1935. After that he played for a short time in Argentina, before he ended his career in 1937.

Career in the national team

The exceptional talent was soon called to the national team and made on June 23, 1923 in a 0-0 draw against Argentina, his first international match. In the same year he won the Copa América his first title with the "Celeste. "

1924 Andrade drove with Uruguay to Europe to take part in Paris at the Olympic Games. To date, the common Europeans had never seen a black man, let alone playing football. Andrade was the only black man of the tournament, which alone caused a stir. In the first game was the best team in Europe at that time, Yugoslavia, disenchanted with 7:0. The South Americans won after four games with 18:1 hits the gold medal and were of European competition runs driven, tactically and technically far superior. Andrade was partly the first known Solotor when he played off against France seven opponents more than 75 meters and scored. A German football correspondent wrote at the time in best German colonial rule: " When the runners a true negro named Andrade took an exotic touch with his stripes. But the man can do more. A zielbewussteres, tactically more perfect game can hardly be imagined. Being Fabulous Can cried spontaneously produces applause. The long Andrade stands out for its preferred heading ability. The blacks seem to have skulls like coconuts "Uruguay was Olympic champion -. Andrade a star.

After this victory and winning the gold medal Andrade remained some months in Paris, lived there and enjoyed the " Roaring Twenties. " He hoofed it singing and dancing by night clubs, bars and cafes along the Seine, a year before Josephine Baker incredible successes in the city ​​celebrated. The fact that he was black, did not matter. Wealthy families were anxious to get him as a piano tuner in the house. Back in South America, Uruguay won the Copa América 1924, but Andrade was not used.

1926 was followed by another victory in the South American championship. Here Andrade had been playing so great that he was voted the best player of the tournament.

At the Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928 Uruguay brought back the gold medal. Andrade had initially denied the along on the trip, so that Eduardo Martínez was nominated in his place. Just before the ship took off, however, be decided by Andrade and went to Europe. After two dramatic playoffs against the neighbor Argentina one was there double Olympic champion. Andrade could not take part in the finals because he incurred in the semi-final against Italy an eye injury, as it bounced off the goal post. Nevertheless, Uruguay was considered a national best in the world and Andrade was the star of the team.

The successes at the Games ensured among other things, that Uruguay was allowed to host the first World Cup in 1930. Here reached the "Celeste" the finals again. In Montevideo we got back to Argentina: Although Andrade did not score, but conducted his team and led them to the world title. The World Cup final on July 30, 1930 should Andrades his last international game, after he announced his resignation.

Overall Andrade graduated from his debut on 24 June 1923 until his last mission on July 30, 1930 34 caps for the Uruguay selection. He scored one goal.

After the career

Andrade loved the success, the show and the fame. After his playing career, he went back to Paris. Here he led a dissolute life and celebrated festivals. His private life suffered from his escapades and two marriages were broken. As the finances were scarce, he first sold his medals, then later everything he owned and moved as a penniless beggar through the streets of Paris.

The German journalist Fritz Hack felt Andrade shortly before his death in a workhouse in Montevideo on. The half-side by the eye injury at the Olympics in 1928 blind Andrade was totally addicted to alcoholism and could not follow the answers gave his sister the questions of the journalists.

José Leandro Andrade finally died of tuberculosis and in absolute poverty on 4 or October 5, 1957 in the poor house Pineyro del Campo.

Obituary

"His life seems to almost as if one specifically for this purpose the concept of stereotypes invented: Poor Negro from the harbor district is famous in the wide world, returns celebrated back, drops the booze and poverty prey and dies without a cent in the poor house " is it over Andrade in Dieter Reibers reference book " century - football football - first century".

Several chroniclers believe that Andrade would be a megastar and become rich, he would have been born 40 years later. But it remains, such as the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote, " a forgotten figure from the distant football time of their art only some blurry stills and some rapturous descriptions are left. "

Andrade was the first " black pearl " of international football, according to the World Federation of Football Historians and Statisticians ( IFFHS ) " the world's best player in the first half of the 20th century." However, opinions vary in this regard. The French newspaper L'Equipe knew in such a ranking his team-mate Héctor Scarone with this award.

At the World Cup 1950 Víctor Rodríguez Andrade, his nephew followed in the footsteps of his uncle and took the world title for the second time to Uruguay.

Achievements

• World Champion: 1930
• Olympic champion: 1924, 1928
• Copa América: 1923, 1924 ( without insert ), 1926
• Uruguayan champion: 1935