Fifty years have passed, but the images will remain forever. The 1966 World Cup quarterfinals were held during the London summer, and Argentina´s opponent rival was the host team. England beat the South American squad 1 – 0, but history will be marked by Antonio Rattin´s sending off to the showers. This episode triggered the idea of using cards in football to avoid language conflicts, and to understand that the yellow card is a warning for the player, and that the red one means the end of the match for him. The “Rat” was honored by Vermouth Deportivo at Tortoni Coffee Store half a century after that episode, in which he spent more than 7 minutes arguing with the FIFA authorities, then sat at Isabel II Queen´s carpet, squeezed the British flag that flamed in a corner, and wrote an unforgettable precedent in the football pages.
Vermouth Deportivo: On July 23rd, 1966 you changed the history of football for ever. You invented the red card.
Antonio Rattín: Sure, in the next World Cup, in 1970. What happened to me was totally unjustified. I requested an interpreter, nothing else. I never disrespected the referee, nor insulted him, nor comitted a rough foul. I just said to the German judge (Note: Rudolf Kreitlein) “brazalete, capitán, intérprete” (Translate: “bracelet, captain, interpreter). That man was deciding everything for England, and the only thing he said to me was “out”. The FIFA vicepresident entered the pitch and came to talk to me. All my colleagues circled around me so nobody would touch me. I was innocent! We lost 1 – 0 with a lucky header goal. It came after a short corner. The striker connected a weak header shot, but our goalkeeper (Note: Antonio Roma) went to the opposite side. We lost 1-0, with 10 men in the pitch, and nobody else.
VD: What did you feel when the referee said “out” and you were sent-off?
AR: How should I know what “out” means? I speak Spanish. What does “out” mean?
VD: Sure, knowing how to speak English is not a condition for playing football…
AR: Besides from that, the English coach said that we were animals. That match was very strange, it was totally unfair. I believe that our team was ready to win the Cup. We had Perfumo with 23 years old, I was the captain with 28, and Ermindo Onega was the best. When we played against Germany, Franz Beckenbauer ran all over the pitch behind Ermindo in order to get the ball. Ermindo was a genius. In my opinion that squad was a great 4-3-3
VD: The story says that you sat in the Queen´s Carpet. Was it true or only a myth?
AR: Yes, it was true. But the Queen wasn´t there. Isabel II only went to the opening match and the final. I sat on the 6 by 4 red Queen´s Carpet. The royal box was really close and Wembley Stadium didn´t have a tunnel. The dressing rooms were located on ground level. So I started walking, and I was separated from the English fans by only one meter, one and a half at most. Anyone inside the pitch was able to touch them and salute them without any kind of trouble. After I sat in the carpet they started throwing me aerated chocolate bars. Aerated chocolate was new for us. So, in order to irritate them, I picked up the chocolates, opened them up, ate a piece and then throwed the rest to the fans. When I arrived to the corner zone I took the flag and squeezed it. The 4 corner flags had the English flag printed, so at that moment I insulted them in Spanish. I don´t even remember what I said, but it was strong language. They started throwing me cans full of beer, so I ran to the dressing rooms, took a shower and saw the rest of the match from there. I never came back to the pitch.
VD: Was it so obvious that England “had” to win that World Cup?
AR: Yes, everything was set for it. If you go back to the first World Cups (before satellite TV arrived), the hosting team was always champion or at least finalist.
VD: If you had the chance of being face to face with the referee that sent you off at Wembley, what would you say to him?
AR: About five years ago I received a note from the German ref´s city town. They were willing to invite me and pay for all expenses so I could reunite with him. I said no, I wasn´t interested. I told them to go “fry potatoes” (Note: typical argentinian expression). In my opinion, the German ref was fixed. After he sent me off, he didn´t book anyone else. At the moment, booking a player meant writing the player´s number in a little book. In the next World Cup, everything changed because of live satellite TV. A match could not be stalled for 20 or 30 minutes.
