Austria was one of the strongest teams in Europe in the early 1930s. After a series of major victories, the Austrians got the nickname «Wunderteam» (wonder-team). The first team from the continent to beat the Scots was the Austrian team of that pattern. May 16, 1931, the Austrians skated over the British by scoring 5 unanswered balls. That match was a landmark in the career of one of the most legendary players in football history, Mattias Sindelar.

Sinderlar was born on 10 February 1903 in the small Czech village of Kozlov. When he was 3 years old, his parents decided to move to the capital city of Vienna. Since the Czech Republic at that time was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, many Czechs followed the example of the Sindelar family. It was in Vienna that Mattias began to learn the basics of football. Together with the same boys, he drove a home-made ball on the Viennese deserts. Football was the very outlet for the boy, which helped him to distract from the difficult conditions of existence. Already at a young age, Sindelar outperformed his peers in possession of the ball.

In the first season for «Gert», Sindelar very well into the team and scored some important balls. For his filigree technique and flaccid build, fans gave him the nickname «Paper man». And already the next season Mattias started as a regular. In addition to fantastic technique and sense of the ball, contemporaries noted his magnificent field vision. Sometimes it seemed that Sindelar was able to see 360 degrees around him. And his highest level of technology depended directly on his build. The skinny kid just couldn’t physically stand up to bigger rivals. So he found a way out - to work on his technique. The more advanced you are, the less likely your opponent will be able to reach you.

In 1926, Sindelar made his debut with the Austrian national team in a match against Czechoslovakia. In his debut match, Matias scored a goal, thus making a significant contribution to the victory over the Czechs (score 2:1).

For the next 2 years, «Paper man» played for the national team 14 matches, and then his career in the national team was interrupted. The head coach of the Austrian team, Hugo Meisl, stopped inviting Cinderella. The main reason for such a decision was Sindelar’s excessive initiative on the field. In the opinion of the coach, Mattias too often took the game on himself, and thus questioned the team’s interests. This continued until 1931, when the Austrian football public forced Meisel to change his decision and re-invite Mattias to the national team.

On 16 May 1931, in a friendly match against Scotland, after several years of absence, with the Austrian team, Matthias Sindelar came to the field. Thanks to a series of matches against Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium and Hungary, in which Sindelar distinguished himself several times, the Austrian team received the nickname «Wunderteam».

At the 1934 World Cup in Italy, the Austrians went in the rank of favorites. In the semi-final «Wonder team» met with the host of the tournament. The end of an even game under heavy rain decided the only ball. The Austrian goalkeeper could not hold the ball, which hit the Guaite and bounced off the goal. The Austrians' protests over the offside were rejected by the Swedish arbitrator Ivan Eclind, and Italy advanced to the final. Sindelar at that tournament was distinguished once, in the game with the French. His goal allowed to transfer the game in extra time, where then the Austrians won. And in the game for third place he could not take part because he was injured in the semi-final.

After 4 years, in the life of «Paper man» new difficulties began. In 1938, Germany held the annexation of Austria and Matthias was very sensitive to this event. In the spring of the same year, the new authorities appointed a «uniting match» between Austria and Germany. Matthias, who came out with a captain’s blindfold mocked the ball in the goal of the German team. And to celebrate the goal, he ran straight to the podium where the Nazi leaders sat. In addition, he insisted that Austria would come to the game in the form of traditional national colors.

Before the 1938 World Cup, the coach of the German team Gerberger persuaded «Paper Man» to go to the tournament. But Mattias refused to play for someone other than his team.

Eight months after the match against Germany, on 23 January 1939, Matthias Sindelar was found dead in his home. Next to him was found his friend from Italy, a Jewish national who died in hospital the next day. At that moment, Mattias had already finished playing football, bought a small cafe and wanted to live in a quiet Viennese neighborhood.

The official version of death - poisoning with carbon monoxide. There was also a version about suicide, as a result of the worries about Anschlius. But in Austria never believed such a version. According to many Austrians, «Paperman» was killed by the Nazis. There were enough reasons for killing. A Jewish girlfriend, openly dissatisfied with the politics of Germany, and close ties to the Jewish diaspora in Vienna, which loved "Austria". But still, the official version remained the same. After the end of World War II, the case about the death of Mattias Sindelar was closed.

In 2014, the English newspaper «Guardian» came out with a report that Sindelar had been put on trial by the Gestapo as an Austrian opponent.

Despite the strict regime, 20,000 people came to the funeral of the Great Attacker. And years later he was recognized as the best athlete in 20th century Austria.

Looking at the life history of this great man, you realize that he simply could not fail to achieve success in football. Because with such a character, Sindelar was capable of reaching heights in anything, but his heart always belonged to football.