Ronnie Hellström facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ronnie Hellström

Hellström at the Swedish Sports Awards inside the Stockholm Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Folke Ronnie Wallentin Hellström
Date of birth	(1949-02-21)21 February 1949
Place of birth	Malmö, Sweden
Date of death	6 February 2022(2022-02-06) (aged 72)
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1962–1966	Hammarby IF
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1966–1974	Hammarby IF	171	(0)
1974–1984	1. FC Kaiserslautern	266	(0)
1988	GIF Sundsvall	1	(0)
Total		436	(0)
International career
1966–1967	Sweden U19	14	(0)
1968–1970	Sweden U21	9	(0)
1968–1980	Sweden	77	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Folke Ronnie Wallentin Hellström (born February 21, 1949 – died February 6, 2022) was a Swedish professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper. Many people thought he was one of the best goalkeepers in the world during the 1970s.

Ronnie played for Hammarby IF and 1. FC Kaiserslautern. His career lasted from 1966 to 1984. In 1988, he played one game for GIF Sundsvall because of injuries on their team. He also played for the Swedish national team. He played 77 games for his country between 1968 and 1980. He played in the 1970, 1974, and 1978 FIFA World Cups. Ronnie won the Guldbollen award twice. This award is given to Sweden's best footballer of the year. He won it in 1971 and 1978.

Early Life and Football Beginnings

Ronnie Hellström was born in Malmö, Sweden. His father, Rolf, was also a football goalkeeper. When Ronnie was 13, his family moved to Stockholm. He wanted to keep playing football. He joined the youth academy at Hammarby IF. He had read about their team in a magazine.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Hammarby IF

Ronnie Hellström started playing for Hammarby IF's main team on May 11, 1966. He was 17 years old. In 1967, he became the team's main goalkeeper. They played in Allsvenskan, which is Sweden's top football league. Even though his team was moved down to a lower league, Ronnie was named the best goalkeeper in the league.

Hammarby IF spent two seasons in the second division. In 1969, they won their way back to Allsvenskan. Ronnie helped them by saving a penalty kick in one of the important play-off games. When they returned to Allsvenskan in 1970, they started slowly. But they played very well for the rest of the season. They finished fifth in the league.

In 1971, Ronnie only let in 26 goals in 22 games. At the end of that year, he won the Guldbollen award. He is the only Hammarby player to ever win this award. Ronnie played 171 league games for Hammarby. In 2004, fans voted him the second most important player in the club's history.

Time at 1. FC Kaiserslautern

After the 1974 World Cup, Ronnie Hellström moved to Germany. He joined 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga. This is Germany's top football league. He became a professional player there. In 1976, he helped his team reach the final of the DFB-Pokal. This is Germany's main cup competition. However, they lost the final game.

In 1978, Ronnie was ranked sixth for the Ballon d'Or award. This award is given to Europe's best footballer. He also won the Guldbollen award for the second time. He is the only goalkeeper to have won it twice.

Ronnie never won a major trophy with Kaiserslautern. But the team often finished high in the Bundesliga. They finished third in 1979 and fourth in 1980, 1981, and 1982. He reached another DFB-Pokal final in 1981, but they lost again. The club also played in European competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the 1981–82 UEFA Cup in 1982.

Ronnie Hellström played for Kaiserslautern for ten years. He played in 266 league games. He was very popular with the fans. They loved his great performances and his loyalty. He even turned down a big offer from another team. In 1984, he retired from professional football. Kaiserslautern held a special farewell game for him. About 35,000 fans came to watch. Famous players like Franz Beckenbauer also played in the game.

International Career

Hellström tries to stop a header in a game against Poland during the 1974 World Cup.

Ronnie Hellström started playing for the Swedish national team in 1968. He quickly became their main goalkeeper. He played in all three of Sweden's first-round games at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Sweden almost made it to the next round.

At the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Ronnie became famous around the world. He played amazingly well against strong teams like the Netherlands and West Germany. His great playing helped Sweden finish in an unexpected fifth place. He also played very well in the 1978 FIFA World Cup. However, Sweden was eliminated in the first round. In total, he played 77 games for his country. These games are called "caps."

Life After Playing and Passing

After he stopped playing, Ronnie Hellström worked as a goalkeeping coach. He coached for Hammarby IF and Malmö FF. In 1988, he played one more game for GIF Sundsvall in Allsvenskan. He was 39 years old. He played because many players on the team were injured.

A book about Ronnie Hellström was released in 2017. It was called Ronnie – Bäst i Världen (Ronnie – Best in the World). A German version came out in 2019. It was called Ronnie – der Fliegende Wikinger (Ronnie – the flying Viking).

In 2021, Ronnie was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He passed away on February 6, 2022. He was 72 years old. Hammarby Football announced his death. They said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family.

Personal Life

Ronnie Hellström's son, Erland, also became a professional football goalkeeper. He played for Hammarby between 2000 and 2002, and again from 2007 to 2009.

Career Statistics

International Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Ronnie Hellström para niños