Imre Hirschl: The Hungarian Trailblazer of South American Football | Part One
It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast
The Overlap
4.9 • 667 Ratings
🗓️ 11 November 2025
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. Co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper deep dive into the extraordinary story of Imre Hirschl, the Hungarian who took South American football by storm. In this first part of a two-part series we hear the story of Hirschl's early life, his emigration to South America, and his unexpected rise to coaching fame in Argentina. From starting as a salami salesman to becoming the mastermind behind Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata's success, Hirschl's tale is one of perseverance, innovation, and tactical genius. Tune in to discover the myths, challenges, and triumphs of this unlikely football legend who redefined the game during the early 20th century.
00:00 The Unlikely Beginnings of a Coaching Legend
03:46 The Hungarian Influence on South American Football
07:59 Unraveling the Myths and Realities
09:40 A Journey Through War and Immigration
16:29 The Butcher Turned Football Visionary
21:55 The Mystery of Hirschl's Football Career
24:38 Meeting Béla Guttmann and the Next Chapter
26:21 Hirschl's Coaching Journey Begins
28:14 Tactical Innovations and Success
30:21 Challenges and Triumphs in Argentina
31:14 Early Coaching Stint in Brazil
32:42 Struggles and Determination
42:21 Hirschl's Coaching Philosophy
46:48 Building a Winning Team
49:32 Conclusion and Future Prospects
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | He decided to make some atrocious mistakes at the beginning of his coaching career, |
| 0:11.2 | so his contract would be terminated, who'd be paid the rest of his fee, |
| 0:15.0 | out of which he would then buy the tickets for his family to come to Argentina. |
| 0:19.1 | But what should he do to make the club leaders angry? |
| 0:22.0 | Well, he turned the team upside down in the first match. |
| 0:24.9 | He made the goalkeeper player outside left, and he put the centre half in goal, |
| 0:29.4 | and so the supporters didn't recognise the team. |
| 0:32.1 | And what happened next? |
| 0:34.0 | They beat the most probable winner. |
| 0:36.3 | Hirschel was scratching his head, and then in the second match he made an even bigger mess of the team, |
| 0:40.5 | and they won again. |
| 0:42.1 | And it didn't matter who he put where. |
| 0:44.5 | They won their matches, one after another, and people started to praise him. |
| 0:48.3 | He was labelled a great coach, and Hishel didn't care about the termination of the contract anymore. |
| 0:53.3 | He got carried away with his success. |
| 0:56.0 | Well, welcome to it was what it was, a very special edition with me, Rob Traper, and with Jonathan Wilson, |
| 1:01.0 | because today we are discussing one of Jonathan's great heroes, |
| 1:05.6 | the man on whom he is, the acknowledged world expert, I think, |
| 1:08.6 | well, at least in his own mind, he's acknowledged world expert. |
| 1:11.9 | And it is the incredible story of Imory Herschel, which, to be frank, is a story I knew very |
| 1:17.0 | little about. |
| 1:17.6 | I suspect you know very little about, but I promise you is a fascinating read. |
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