Karl Decker facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | September 5, 1921 | ||
| Place of birth | Vienna, Austria | ||
| Date of death | September 27, 2005 (aged 84) | ||
| Position(s) | midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1934 | Ottakringer SC | ||
| 1934–1937 | Schwarz-Weiß Wien | ||
| 1937 | Weiße Elf Penzing | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1937–1952 | First Vienna FC | 229 | (255) |
| 1952–1954 | S.K. Sturm Graz | ||
| 1954–1956 | FC Sochaux-Montbéliard | 37 | (15) |
| 1956–1958 | FC Grenchen | 1 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1942 | Germany | 8 | (8) |
| 1945–1952 | Austria | 25 | (19) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1952–1954 | Sturm Graz | ||
| 1956–1958 | FC Grenchen | ||
| 1958–1964 | Austria | ||
| 1968–1970 | S.K. Rapid Wien | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Karl Decker (born September 5, 1921 – died September 27, 2005) was a famous Austrian football player and coach. He spent most of his playing career as a midfielder for First Vienna FC.
Contents
Karl Decker's Football Journey
Karl Decker started playing football at small clubs in Vienna. In 1937, he joined First Vienna FC, where he played until 1952. During the time when Austria was part of Germany, Karl Decker and his team were very successful. They won the Gauliga Donau-Alpenland three times (in 1942, 1943, and 1944). They also won the German Cup, called the Tschammer-Pokal, in 1943.
Playing for National Teams
Karl Decker played 8 matches for the German national football team. After World War II ended, he played 25 matches for the Austrian national team between 1945 and 1952. He was known for scoring many goals. In both 1944 and 1950, he was the top scorer in the league. Later in his career, he also played for S.K. Sturm Graz in Austria, for Sochaux in France, and for Grenchen in Switzerland.
Karl Decker as a Coach
After his playing days, Karl Decker became a football coach. He coached S.K. Sturm Graz from 1952 to 1954, and FC Grenchen from 1956 to 1958.
Coaching Rapid Wien
From 1968 to 1970, he coached S.K. Rapid Wien. Under his guidance, Rapid Wien reached the Quarterfinals of the European Champion Cup. They famously won against Real Madrid in the third round. However, they lost to Manchester United in the quarterfinals.
Leading the Austrian National Team
Karl Decker was also the coach of the Austrian national football team from 1958 to 1964. This was a very successful period for the team. They won many important matches against strong opponents. For example, they beat Scotland (4:1), the USSR (3:1 and 1:0), Spain (3:0 in front of a record crowd of 90,726 fans in Austria), Italy (2:1), England (3:1), and Hungary (2:1 twice).
The team even qualified for the 1962 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Chile. However, the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) did not have enough money to send the team to the competition. Even so, many people remember Karl Decker's time as coach as one of the best eras for Austria's national football team.
See also
In Spanish: Karl Decker (general) para niños
