Karl-Heinz Schnellinger facts for kids
Schnellinger in 1968
|
||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 31 March 1939 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Düren, Gau Cologne-Aachen, Germany | |||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 20 May 2024 (aged 85) | |||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Milan, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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 | AC Milan | 222 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1974–1975 | Tennis Borussia Berlin | 19 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 387 | (13) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1957 | West Germany Amateur | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1958–1971 | West Germany | 47 | (1) | |||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (born 31 March 1939 – died 20 May 2024) was a famous German football player. He was known as a strong and fast defender. Defenders are players who stop the other team from scoring goals.
People called him "the Volkswagen" because he always played well and could play in many different positions. He was usually a full-back, which means he played on the sides of the defense. But he could also play in the middle of the defense or even help in midfield. Many people thought he was one of the best left-backs in the world during his time.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Karl-Heinz Schnellinger was born in Düren, Germany. He started his professional career with 1. FC Köln. In 1962, his team won the German Championship. That same year, he was named the "Footballer of the Year" in Germany. He also played very well in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. Because of his great performance, he was chosen for the tournament's 'Dream Team'.
After playing for Köln, Schnellinger moved to Italy in 1963. He first joined A.C. Mantova. His first game in Italy's top league, Serie A, was a big surprise. Mantova beat the strong team A.C. Milan 4–1!
He only played one season for Mantova. Then, in 1964, he joined A.S. Roma. With Roma, he won the Coppa Italia, which is Italy's main cup competition.
In 1965, he moved to A.C. Milan, one of Italy's biggest clubs. He played nine seasons with Milan, which is a long time! During these years, he helped Milan win many important trophies in Italy and in Europe. He was one of the first German footballers to become very successful playing for a team in another country.
Schnellinger left Milan in 1974. He then played one more season back in Germany for Tennis Borussia Berlin before he stopped playing football professionally.
Playing for Germany
Schnellinger played for the German national team in four different World Cups. He was only 19 years old when he played in his first World Cup in Sweden in 1958. He also played in the 1962, 1966, and 1970 World Cups. Not many players have played in so many World Cups!
He was known for his strength, speed, and his strong desire to win. He scored only one goal for his country, but it was a very famous one! It happened in the semi-final of the 1970 FIFA World Cup against Italy. He scored in the very last minute of the game, making the score 1–1. This game later became known as the "Game of the Century" because it was so exciting.
When he scored, a German TV commentator famously said, "Ausgerechnet Schnellinger!" This means "Of all the players, it's Schnellinger!" It was a surprise because he had never scored for the national team before. Also, he was one of only two German players in that team who played in Italy. Italy eventually won that thrilling game 4–3 after extra time.
In an earlier game in the same tournament, against England, Schnellinger also played a key role. His pass led to a goal by Uwe Seeler that tied the score 2–2. West Germany then won that game 3–2 after extra time. Schnellinger played his last game for Germany in 1971.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing football, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger lived in a town near Milan, Italy. He became a businessman. He passed away on 20 May 2024, at the age of 85, after being ill for a long time. He was the last player still alive from the German team that played in the 1958 World Cup.
Achievements and Awards
Schnellinger won many important titles and awards during his career.
Club Honours
1. FC Köln
- German Championship: 1962
Roma
- Coppa Italia: 1963–64
A.C. Milan
- Serie A (Italian League): 1967–68
- Coppa Italia (Italian Cup): 1966–67, 1971–72, 1972–73
- European Cup (now UEFA Champions League): 1968–69
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1967–68, 1972–73
- Intercontinental Cup: 1969
International Honours
West Germany
- FIFA World Cup:
- Runner-up: 1966
- Third place: 1970
- Fourth place: 1958
Individual Awards
- Ballon d'Or (third place): 1962
- Footballer of the Year (Germany): 1962
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1962
- FIFA XI: 1963, 1967
- FUWO European Team of the Year: 1965
- World XI: 1969
- A.C. Milan Hall of Fame
See also
In Spanish: Karl-Heinz Schnellinger para niños
