Vittorio Pozzo - Fascist Salute

Fascist Salute

The other matter was the historical period. Brian Glanville has stated that Pozzo was not a fascist; he did, however, work alongside Giorgio Vaccaro - a general from the fascist militia during that first World Cup campaign.

The third edition of the FIFA World Cup took place in France, where numerous refugees who had escaped the fascist regime in Italy booed the Italian national team. In the first match of the Italian national team, against the Norwegian national team, among the twenty-two thousand spectators there were three thousand escaped anti-fascist Italians who opposed “Mussolini's national team”. Pozzo replied to the demonstration with a memorable episode. To the presentation of the teams in field, gli azzurri had made the fascist salute as it was custom. They were overwhelmed by the whistles. He feared that that reception demoralized the players. When the whistles diminished, because gli azzurri lowered the arm, Pozzo that was lined up with them to the center of the field ordered a new Roman salute. He said then: “So we won the intimidation.”

The coach Pozzo ordered the players to continue with the fascist salute during the national anthem. Afterwards he declared: "Our players don't even dream to make some politics, but the fascist salute is the official flag of the moment, it's a sort of ceremony and they must show allegiance to it. I have my ideas, but I know what my duty is. When we take to the field we are solemn and deafening hisses attend us. And we don't lower the hand until the hisses are stopped. The action of intimidation has not succeeded". The quarter-final, in Paris against France, saw Italy play in the infamous all-black strip (There has been much conjecture as to the reason for this decision, although some ideas have been mooted: to intimidate the French; to antagonize the refugees and the anti-fascist patriots in the crowd: No single idea has succeeded.)

One thing is certain, Italy played tough, attacking football during that period; the grace of Orsi, Meazza and Schiavio was backed up by Monti and Locatelli.