Karl-Heinz Schnellinger

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (born 31 March 1939) is a German former footballer who played as a defender.[1] An athletic and hard-tackling player, with a strong physique, he was nicknamed the "Volkswagen" for his continuity of performance, both in quantity and in quality, and for his versatility; indeed, although he was usually deployed as a full-back, he was capable of playing anywhere along the back, and could also play as a centre-back, as a sweeper, or even as a defensive midfielder.[2] In his prime he was often considered one of the best and most complete left-backs in the world in his era, rivaled only by Giacinto Facchetti, Nilton Santos and Silvio Marzolini.[3][4]

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger
Schnellinger in 1968
Personal information
Date of birth (1939-03-31) 31 March 1939
Place of birth Düren, Germany
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Left-back, sweeper
Youth career
1949–1958 SG Düren 99
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1958–1963 1. FC Köln 84 (8)
1963–1964 Mantova 33 (2)
1964–1965 Roma 29 (1)
1965–1974 A.C. Milan 222 (0)
1974–1975 Tennis Borussia Berlin 19 (0)
Total 387 (13)
International career
1957 West Germany Amateur 1 (0)
1958–1971 West Germany 47 (1)
Medal record
Representing  West Germany
FIFA World Cup
Silver medal – second place1966
Bronze medal – third place1970
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Schnellinger was born in Düren (then in Rhine Province, Prussia, today North Rhine-Westphalia). He won the German Championship with 1. FC Köln in 1962, and was awarded the (Footballer of the Year (Germany)), performed well in the 1962 FIFA World Cup and was subsequently named in the tournament's 'Dream-Team'. After Schnellinger had left Köln for A.C. Mantova in 1963, his debut in Serie A came in a match against A.C. Milan which ended in a surprising 4–1 victory for Mantova. However, he played there only for one season before he was signed by A.S. Roma in 1964 when they won the Coppa Italia, and finally by A.C. Milan in 1965, being transferred along with Roma teammates Antonio Valentín Angelillo and Angelo Sormani. He played nine seasons with the Rossoneri, obtaining several successes both at the national and European level. He was one of the first successful German footballers abroad.

Schnellinger left Milan in 1974, and retired after a season back in his native Germany with Tennis Borussia Berlin.[5]

International career

Schnellinger participated in his first 1958 World Cup in Sweden at the age of 19, and went on to become one of the few players to play in four World Cups (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970).[6] He was renowned for his physical power, pace, and his winning mentality. His only international goal came in the last minute to draw 1–1 in the thrilling semi-final of the 1970 World Cup against Italy, which later became known as the "Game of the Century". His goal led to the famous German radio commentary line "Ausgerechnet Schnellinger!" – roughly: "Of all the players, it's Schnellinger" – which refers to him never having previously scored for the national team, and also to his being one of the two players in the German squad then playing in the Italian Serie A (the other being Helmut Haller). Italy eventually won 4–3 after extra time. In the previous round, late in the match against England, it was Schnellinger's cross that Uwe Seeler scored from with a backwards header that tied the score 2–2, a game West Germany won 3–2 after extra time. Schnellinger won his last cap in 1971.[7] He is the last surviving player from the Germany team in the 1958 World Cup.

Personal life

Schnellinger later lived in Milan's suburb of Segrate where he worked as a businessman after retirement from football.

Honours

1. FC Köln

Roma

A.C. Milan

West Germany

Individual

References
  1. "Karl-Heinz Schnellinger" (in German). fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  2. "Karl Heinz SCHNELLINGER ("Panzer")" (in Italian). Magliarossonera.it. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  3. "A.C. Milan Fall of Fame: Karl-Heinz Schnellinger". A.C. Milan. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  4. "Champions League Debate: Real Madrid All Time XI v Milan All Time XI – Who Would Win? | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  5. Matthias Arnhold (18 April 2013). "Karl-Heinz Schnellinger – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  6. Karl-Heinz Schnellinger – FIFA competition record (archived)
  7. Matthias Arnhold (4 December 2004). "Karl-Heinz Schnellinger – International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  8. FIFA XI´s Matches – Full Info Archived 17 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine
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