Ivan Dreyfus

Ivan Dreyfus (24 June 1884 – 8 February 1975) was a Swiss footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Swiss national team between 1908 and 1913, and for CA Paris in the early 1920s.

Early life and education Ivan Dreyfus was born in Aarburg on 24 June 1884, as the eighteenth child of a Jewish family who had taken refuge in Switzerland after the annexations of Alsace–Lorraine. As the son of a well-off family, he was sent to England to complete his studies, doing so in Shrewsbury and Oxford, where he developed an deep interest in football. Despite having a Jewish name, he was accepted into Genevan society, which was not particularly Jewish-friendly. The following day, the journalists of the French newspaper L'Auto (the forerunner of L'Équipe) stated that he "had to perform real feats to prevent numerous goals". The following month, on 5 April, he started in a friendly against Germany, which was playing their first-ever match that day, helping his side to a 5–3 victory; it is said that while making a save, he hurled "mustard and sauce at Becker's tuxedo, which he had rented for twelve marks". He went on to earn a further four caps for Switzerland, keeping only one clean-sheet, in a 3–0 win over Italy. The following day, the journalists of L'Auto stated that "Dreyfus had little to do".

Later life Following the occupation of France by Nazi Germany during World War II, Dreyfus, then the owner of a clinic in Paris, joined the French Resistance. During a mission on 12 March 1943, he was arrested and transferred to the Alderney camps, where he used his skills as a doctor to care for the sick and wounded, for which he was decorated at the Buckingham Palace by the Polish government.

Once the conflict was over, Dreyfus took over the management of the famous Barth Foundation, which he passed on to one of his sons in 1973.

Death Dreyfus died in Neuilly-sur-Seine on 8 February 1975, at the age of 90.

Honours CA Paris Coupe de France: Champions (1): 1919–20