More Than A Film: Team Austria - Herbert Varga
|Herbert Varga (left) with his teammate Patrick Bayer during a break in filming in Rome.
More than a Film: This series explores the real players and management teams at the heart of The Homeless World Cup, the tournament is the inspiration for the feature film, The Beautiful Game. Herbert Varga was part of Team Austria in the film.
“We want to send a message to all other homeless people, that we are here, and we love them. We have represented them in this story and it’s important for us.”
It’s 2019, we’re in Cardiff and Herbert is putting on his Austrian kit for the first time. He was representing Austria at the Homeless World Cup. It’s something he will never forget.
“It was amazing for us to play for Austria, the goosebumps when we heard the national anthem play. I cried.
“The moment in Cardiff for me was my goal against Italy. That was my moment in the tournament, it was amazing.”
Herbert’s goal against Italy, meant Austria progressed to the top tier of the competition, leading Austria to their highest position finish since the tournament began in 2003 - finishing sixth out of 44 teams.
Since then, Herbert has watched the game over and over again on YouTube – reliving the moment.
Reflecting on his time in Cardiff, Herbert said: “I think the Homeless World Cup is very important for the people. This is the most important for the people not to play football, not to win the tournament, but to be here. To be in Cardiff, to be in Mexico, to be in Oslo. The same group, you meet another group of people, you speak with other people. The Homeless World Cup, I think that’s the best in the world – what it does for these people.”
“My life changed completely. It collapsed.”
Before Cardiff, Herbert was homeless.
“Before I had a very good life but then in one moment my wife was dying. She died and then my life didn’t count for anything. My life changed completely. It collapsed.”
“When my wife died, my life was over, and then I was homeless.”
While he was homeless, he came across Caritas, an organisation supporting people who are homeless. They are also the Homeless World Cup partner in Austria and bring a team to the Homeless World Cup. When they found out that Herbert was interested in football and played, they invited him to join the team.
“Then life started to go up again, before it was down but with the Homeless World Cup it started to go up.
“Cardiff was the turning point in my life so I can get back up again. That experience was amazing. I now have a new life – I have a new partner and my kids.”
Since becoming homeless, Herbert’s perspective has changed.
“My kids know that I was homeless. They don’t care about that, they say – ‘ok, you are my father, you are homeless, but it’s ok. It’s alright.’”
“In my other life, money was very important – money, money, money – all the days money. It’s not important for me, the important thing for me is my family. My home. My family and my home and my wife and my friends.
“I have wonderful kids – a daughter and a son. My partner also has kids and that the important thing for me – the family. For me, my kids in my other life weren’t so important – it was only money, but in this life I see my kids all the time.
“My kids know that I was homeless. They don’t care about that, they say – ‘ok, you are my father, you are homeless, but it’s ok. It’s alright.’”
“I have made mistakes in my life, that is ok because now we have a very good friendship.”
Since he’s been in Rome, Herbert has been getting souvenirs for his family and speaks to them every day. Having been in Rome for a few weeks when we spoke, he’s ready to go home. He misses his family.
However, coming to Rome was a homecoming of sorts for Herbert – he’s supported Roma since he was five and describes the city as his second home.
“This is my town, the history of this town is amazing and when I come here, for me, it’s when I come home. When I found out the movie was going to be here, it was perfect for me. I can walk everywhere, if this was in New York or Paris – it’s also good but here is perfect.”
Our partner in Austria is Homeless World Cup Austria, find out more about their work and how they’re supporting people like Herbert.
Austria have been a Homeless World Cup member country since the inaugural Homeless World Cup in
Graz in 2003.
Words: Rebecca Corbett