Chile 1962 – World silver with a golden shine

The 1962 Football World Cup, from which Josef Masopust's team brought home silver (and were within reach of gold), is one of Czech sport's greatest achievements. And who better to tell this legendary story than those who wrote themselves into the history books?

Experienced journalists and publicists Stanislav Hrabě and Josef Káninský present authentic testimony from the surviving players (Václav Mašek, Josef Jelínek, Jan Lála, Jozef Štibrányi, Adolf Scherer). They also offer many other interesting facts and insights about the team that, as they aptly wrote, “bloomed on the vineyard” – a reference to the city of Viña del Mar, where the group stage was played. The Czech team confidently marched towards an unexpected progression and remained undefeated in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. In the final match, they were just a whisker away from lifting the most precious trophy of all. However, considering the forecasts and the conditions they were working under, this silver truly has the shine of gold.

This publication, a follow-up to the successful title Belgrade 1976 – European Gold Worth All the Millions, also includes complete and insightful information about the qualification, preparation, and the tournament itself, player profiles, unique photographs, an interview with Petr Kouba, whose father Pavel was a member of the team… and a report on the return of the “Chileans” to the land of their unforgettable achievement 50 years later transports us to the recent past.