Golden Age - Right/Left Backs

Diagne - Senegal and African football are in mourning. One of the oldest players in the game, Raoul Diagne, passed at the age of 92. 
The Senegalese authorities paid a vibrant tribute to Raoul Diagne.
The first black player to be honored by the French selection, Raoul Diagne made headlines in France in the 1930s.
Coming from a wealthy family, Raoul joined France at eighteen months when the family moved to mainland France so that his father could become the first African  member of French parliament  in history to sit in the National Assembly in 1914.
A smoker and party animal, Raoul was a regular at Parisian nights. "He liked to party in Montmartre. He was a very charming and cheerful guy", attests his teammate in the national team Alfred Aston, about Diagne's night trips to the capital's cabarets. On the pitch, this spectacular and elegant player was famous for his imposing size but also for his relaxation and versatility in the game. The man who defines himself as "a defender, not a full-back" can play anywhere on the pitch, including goalkeeper.  "The Black Spider" was present in 1938 to play in the World Cup where the French selection failed at home in the quarter-finals against the Italians.
For the historian, he is incontestably "the man who paved the way for athletes of color in French football." He will have written a page in the great history of football and even more. He will have participated, in spite of himself, in changing society.

 

Janes - The stadium at Flinger Broich, where Fortuna Dusseldorf played its home games from 1930 to 1972, was renamed in his honor in 1990, evoking nostalgic memories for older fans. Janes became a regular member of the national team in late 1933 and was subsequently nominated for the 1934 World Cup in Italy. In Germany's inaugural World Cup appearance, the team, guided by the defensive stalwart from Dusseldorf, reached the semi-finals and secured third place after a 3:2 victory over Austria. The following year, Janes formed the legendary defensive duo of the "Breslau Eleven" with Reinhold Münzenberg from Aachen, which astonishingly defeated Denmark 8-0.
The native of Küppersteg also participated in the 1938 World Cup. However, the German team faced an early exit in France after losing to Switzerland in the round of 16. In 1939, Janes led the team as captain for the first time in his 38th international match and also netted his first international goal. Despite being conscripted for military service, Janes remained a regular player and captain. The 5-2 victory on November 22, 1942, in Slovakia not only marked the end of Janes' international career after 71 appearances, but it was also the last match for the German national team until 1950.
Fortuna Dusseldorf honored him with the gold and diamond badge of honor, and in 1972, he was made an honorary member.