Playing for and against the nation: football in interwar Romania

Abstract

The article explores the development of football in interwar Romania, stressing its role in the dissemination and grounding of Romanian nationalism. I show how, due to its modular form, the game of football was deeply involved in the efforts of centralizing, territorializing and naturalizing the Romanian nation-state of the interwar period. The founding of the leading Romanian sports club at the University of Cluj and the selection of the national representative for the Paris Olympics of 1924, in conjunction with the institutional infrastructure developed to nationally regulate and control the game, are used to present the acute tensions between local/regional and national aspirations and projects, with a strong ethnic component, that have shaped the history of the game in Romania. I argue that the increasing calls for the full Romanianization of football in the 1930s have their immediate roots in these tensions and frictions.

Keywords:

• football
• nationalism
• interwar Romania
• regionalism
• sport

Notes

1. “Creiarea de Stat in Stat nu-i admisibilă”, Sportul Capitalei, An 1, No. 162, 9 August 1937.

2. Boerescu, Neagu. 1931. F.S.S.R., U.F.S.R si O.N.E.F. Începturile şi organizarea sportului in România. Boabe de grâu, Anul II, Nr. 6-7.

3. Chestiunea clubului “Makkabea” din Oradea. Sportul, Cluj, 27 Iunie 1921, 2.

4. See Note 3.

5. Sport sau politică? Sportul. Cluj, An I, No. 5, 30 Mai 1921, 1.

6. Congresul Federaţiei Societăţilor Sportive din România, Sportul, Cluj, An I, No. 9, 27 Iunie 1921 1.

7. See Note 6.

8. See Note 6.

9. See Note 6.

10. În jurul rebeliunei de la Cernăuţi, Gazeta Sporturilor, An II, No. 251, 3 August 1926, 3.

11. See Note 10.

12. Un scandal fără precedent în istoria foot-ball-ului român. Gazeta Sporturilor, An II, No. 243, 15 Iulie 1926.

13. Nedreptăţi şi lacune. Gazeta Sporturilor, An 2, No. 222, 27 Mai 1926, 1.

14. See Note 13.

15. See Note 13.

16. See Note 13.

17. See Note 13.

18. Exodul jucatorilor români în Ungaria. Gazeta Sporturilor, An V, No. 453, 21 Ianuarie 1928.

19. See Note 18.

20. The documents that I allude to were collected by the medical doctor Mihai Iubu in 1978–1979. Iubu was the president of the football section of “Universitatea” during the Second World War when the university and subsequently the club relocated to Sibiu following the Second Vienna Arbitration. He sent out a questionnaire to former players and officials across the country, but many of them went on to produce extensive memories. The doctor did not live long enough to use this material. It was passed on to the local historian Gheorghe I. Bodea. Thanks to the generosity of the late Gheorghe I. Bodea that I am able to use these materials. I have gained access to 30 such recollections. Extensive quotations in Romanian are available in Bodea (2004, 2009).

21. Sabin Tîrla, Dr Iubu Collection, no. 2. Note that I use the ordering numbers assigned by Bodea.

22. Dr Meţianu Ioan Eugen, Dr Iubu Collection, no. 40.

23. Romanian National Archives – Cluj County Direction (Henceforth: RNA-CCD), Fond Documentar “Universitatea Regele Ferdinand I”, Proces Verbal al Senatului Universităţii, 28 Mai 1920, 215.

24. RNA-CCD, Fond “Universitatea Regele Ferdinand I,” Proces Verbal al Senatului Universităţii, 4 Iunie 1920, 221.

25. See Note 24.

26. Constantin C. Buga, Dr Iubu Collection, no. 27.

27. Virgil Dalea, Dr Iubu Collection, no. 20.

28. See Note 27.

29. See Note 27.

30. Un ziar sportiv într'un oraş fără sporturi. Sportul, Iaşi, An I, No. 1, 19 Iunie 1929.

31. Culisele sportului ieşean. Sportul, Iaşi, An. I, No. 1, 19 Iunie 1929, 2.

32. România la Olimpiada VIII-a, Sportul, An I, No. 3, 22 Martie 1924.

33. Echipa restului ţării învinge reprezentativa Clujului 2-0, Sportul, An I, No. 8, 10 Aprilie 1924.

34. Păreri din Ardeal asupra înfrângerii “Restului” la Bucureşti. Sportul, An I, No. 17, 15 Mai 1924.

35. Matchurile de selecţionare pentru reprezentativa Bucureştiului la foot-ball asociaţie. Sportul, An I, No. 8, 10 Aprilie 1924. It seems that the interest was not running high among the footballers in Bucharest. The first game was delayed by an hour as some of the players failed to show up and no ball was available in due time!

36. See Note 35.

37. See Note 35.

38. Echipa română de foot-ball spre Paris. Sportul, An I, No. 18, 18 Mai 1924.

39. Nemulţumiri în lumea sportivă din Ardeal. Sportul, An I, No. 19, 22 Mai 1924.

40. România la olimpiada din Paris. Clujul românesc, An II, No. 23, Cluj, 8 Iunie 1924.