ARGENTINA v. PERU: THE POLITICAL ACCORD
Yesterday we brought you the conspiracy that did not work but today, we are bringing you the conspiracy that worked and only discovered after a very long while, when it is too late. Although it was a World Cup qualifier yesterday, today we are taking you to the second round of the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina
To appreciate what we are talking about, we need to explain the format of the FIFA World Cup those days. The World Cup did not have a clearly established format as it is today; the format is based on each World Cup as decided by the organizers. The 1978 World Cup format was such that the 16 qualified teams would be divided into four groups of four teams each. The winners and the runners up of all the groups would proceed to two groups of four teams. The winners of the Second round groups would proceed to the final. A winner of any match would be awarded 2 points while a draw attracts 3 points. Where there was a tie in points teams would be separated by goals difference.
Argentina was hosting the FIFA World Cup for the first time after several attempts to host same and though not a major favourites yet but eventually won the mundial albeit in a controversial way. Argentina was hosting the competition in the midst of a military junta led by Dictator Jorge Videla. The World Cup had such a wonderful effect on the people that they seemed to have forgotten the poverty in the land. According to one of the players the people “would be running after our team bus, praying for us and holding rosary beads”.
Argentina was placed in the same group with Hungary, France and Italy. The host nation managed to place second in the group behind Italy. However, almost all the matches Argentina won were laced with a lot of controversy, yet there was none that could stand with the game we are about reporting.
In the Second round of groups, Argentina was placed in the same group with Brazil, Peru and Poland. The winner would progress to the final while the runner up will play third place play off. Brazil had defeated Peru 3-0 in the first game while the host defeated Poland 2-0. In the second game, Argentina drew goalless with Brazil. Oh, forgive me I didn’t remember to tell you that in those days, the last group games were not played simultaneously like they do today. Brazil had played their last game earlier and defeated Poland 3-1. Brazil had +5 goal difference while Argentina had +2 goal difference. They needed to beat Peru with at least 4 goal margins to advance.
On 21st June, 1978 at the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario, Argentina faced Peru in search of 4 goals margin. They were 2-0 up in the first half but ended up winning by staggering 6-0. It could have been a great feat but almost everyone except the Argentines believed the match was rigged in favour of the host but there was no prove. However, years later revelations began to emerge that Peruvian government and the Argentine military Dictator had traded the match since Peru were already out before the match.
It was believed that the Argentine military government thought that a home World Cup win would help pacify the people, and help the image of the country internationally. During Videla’s regime, opponents of the government were thrown out of an airplane into the sea with concrete tied to their legs. It was such a crazy moment. However, the Peruvian government was still a friend of Videla. The then Peruvian military President Francisco Bermudez was also a serious Dictator, who specialize subjecting opponents to series of degrading human treatment.
Several years after the controversial win, a renowned Peruvian Senator Genaro Ledesma had claimed that Bermudez had a prior agreement with Videla. It was allegedly agreed that Bermudez would send 13 prisoners to Argentina for torture and in turn the Peruvian National team would allow Argentina score enough goals to qualify for the final.
Obviously, almost all the Argentines did not know they were being used, while only a few important Peru players would know what was going on. For instance Leopold Luque, a player who scored 4 goals in the tournament said
“With what I know now, I can’t say I am proud of my victory. But I didn’t realize, most of us didn’t. We just played football”
Another player Ricky Villa said there is no doubt they were being used politically.
Peruvian players also had their say. A couple of their players agreed they were pressured by the government to let in goals for Argentina. Jose Velasquez, one of the Peru best players at the time was substituted early in the second half which was quite unusual in the tournament. He said they “Were we pressured? Yes, we were pressured. What kind of pressure? Pressure from the government. From the government to the managers of the team, from the managers of the team to the coaches.”
Peru's former captain Hector Chumpitaz said Argentine military president Jorge Videla visited the Peruvian dressing room prematch. They were surprised about the visit but never knew the intention behind the visit. He said
“We started looking at each other and wondering: shouldn’t they have gone to the Argentine room, not our room? What’s going on? I mean, they wished us luck? Why? It left us wondering….”
What effect did the visit had on the team? Velasquez said “Something happened. Our team was changed. I was changed in the tenth minute of the second half – when we were already losing by two goals. There was no reason to change me. I always was an important piece in our team. So what can one think?”
Can you imagine Russia doing the same thing like Argentina? Crazy what people do to win matches but more crazier the reason people take such actions to win.
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