Augustin Chantrel

Who was Augustin Chantrel?

Augustin Chantrel was a French former football halfback. He played for several local clubs and became a member of the French national team, whom he represented at the 1928 Olympic Games and at the 1930 World Cup.

During his youth, Chantrel played for the Paris Université Club, until Paris team Red Star Olympique brought him to their squad in 1925. He won the Coupe de France in 1928 while at Red Star, and stayed at that club until 1929; he then joined CASG Paris, and then had a period at Amiens SC, followed by his return to Red Star, where he would stay until the end of his professional career in 1939. For his last season, Chantrel became a player–coach, helping former World Cup rival from Argentina Guillermo Stábile to manage Red Star, and helping the club win the Division 2 championship.

Chantrel was capped 15 times for the French national team, from 1928 to 1933. His international debut took place while he was playing for Red Star, on March 11, 1928, against Switzerland. He participated in the 1928 Olympic tournament, playing in France's only match, a 4-3 loss to Italy in Amsterdam. In 1930, he was selected to the squad that travelled across the Atlantic on board the Conte Verde to play in the first ever World Cup tournament in Montevideo. Chantrel appeared in all three of France's matches. During the first half of the first match against Mexico, with the score 1–0 in favour of France, goalkeeper Alex Thépot suffered an injury after a collision with a Mexican player, and was unable to continue playing. Substitutions were not allowed at the time, and Chantrel, a halfback, replaced Thépot in goal from the 24th minute until the end of the match, which France won. Chantrel became the only player in World Cup history to see action as a field player and as a goalkeeper. He is also the only field player ever to replace a goalkeeper after having started the match at a different position. Chantrel's last international match was against Germany on March 19, 1933.