Why are the last group fixtures of an international tournament played at the same time? We also see it at the end of domestic league seasons, the last round of European group (or now table) football, but it hasn’t always been this way.
The Disgrace of Gijón. 25th June 1982. The World Cup in Spain.
Group 2 at the World Cup included West Germany, Austria, Algeria, and Chile.
A sensational upset in the opening match saw Algeria beat West Germany 2-1. Austria beat Chile the next day, In the second round of matches, West Germany beat Chile and Austria beat Algeria to set up a competitive final round of matches.
On the 24th June, Algeria stepped up, beating Chile 3-2 (warding off a late comeback from Chile after going 3-0 up), meaning that they had a great chance to qualify for the next round. This would be a big shock, as it was only at the 1978 World Cup that an African team had won a match at the World Cup, and none had qualified from the Group Stages.
A day later, West Germany and Austria stepped out onto the turf at the El Molinón stadium in Gijón, and soon the match would turn into a farce, shaking the integrity of the tournament and FIFA as a whole.
It was simple for the European teams to work out. If West Germany won by one or two goals, both teams would qualify for the next round. If West Germany won by more than two goals, it was a draw, or Austria won, Algeria would qualify.
Ten minutes into the match Horst Hrubesch headed West Germany into the lead, and it immediately became clear that this was an ideal result for both sets of players. Surely, there couldn’t be 80 minutes of ‘non’ play? It wasn’t that there was no effort being put in by the players, especially in the second half, and we wouldn’t suggest there was a conspiracy, an agreement between the two teams before kick-off. It might be only natural though, that knowing the current result sends both teams through, that you don’t put 100% into trying to win the match and score more goals.
It was almost passive, not quite the competitive edge that you expect at any level, let alone the pinnacle of the international game. During the second half there were only two shots taken, neither of which gave the keepers any problem.
The jeers from the Spanish crowd were very loud, chanting “Fuera, Fuera!” (“Out, out!”) and Algerian supporters waved banknotes to show their disgust, and white handkerchiefs came out (an insult in Spanish football fandom). Even fans from the two countries on the pitch had had enough with an Austrian commentator imploring fans to turn off and a German commentator refusing to commentate further.
The end result, a 1-0 win to West Germany.
Algeria would be eliminated on goal difference, with the two European nations qualifying for the second round. At a time when there had been few success stories outside of the traditional European and South American teams it was easy to see a conspiracy.
The Algerian FA lodged an official complaint but as both teams denied collusion and nothing could be proven, the result stood and Algeria went home.
The disgrace complete, both teams qualified through to the next stage of the tournament. Africa would have to wait another 4 years before a team got out of the groups, Morocco losing to West Germany in the last-16. In 1990 the famous Cameroon side would shock the holders Argentina in the opening match and make it to the quarter-finals. Algeria will always wonder what if.
The impact on the future of football was significant. FIFA changed the rules for future tournaments, starting at the 1986 World Cup. Playing the last matches in a group or league simultaneously lowers the chances of something like the Disgrace of Gijón ever happening again. It also heightens the drama and makes for a better spectacle for fans in the ground and around the world watching on TV. We’ve all heard commentators say “as it stands” when discussing the impact of a goal on the last match of a league season or in a close group at a Euros or World Cup, seeing the tables change in real-time, adding to the excitement.
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