Walter Schachner facts for kids
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Schachner in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Walter Schachner | ||
| Date of birth | 1 February 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | Leoben, Austria | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1967–1975 | St. Michael | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1975–1978 | Alpine Donawitz | 72 | (65) |
| 1978–1981 | Austria Wien | 101 | (72) |
| 1981–1983 | Cesena | 58 | (17) |
| 1983–1986 | Torino | 85 | (18) |
| 1986 | Pisa | ||
| 1986–1988 | Avellino | 48 | (13) |
| 1988–1990 | Sturm Graz | 16 | (3) |
| 1990 | FC Salzburg | 20 | (18) |
| 1991 | Grazer AK | 8 | (2) |
| 1991 | VSE St. Pölten | 9 | (1) |
| 1991 | SR Donaufeld | 5 | (0) |
| 1992 | Alpine Donawitz | 6 | (2) |
| 1992–1993 | DSV Leoben | 20 | (19) |
| 1993–1994 | Sturm Graz | 11 | (0) |
| 1994–1996 | DSV Leoben | 50 | (12) |
| 1996–1997 | FC Tirol Innsbruck | 6 | (0) |
| 1997 | ASK Kottingbrunn | ||
| 1998 | Eintracht Wels | 12 | (4) |
| National team | |||
| 1976–1994 | Austria | 64 | (23) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1999–2000 | FC Zeltweg | ||
| 2000–2002 | FC Kärnten | ||
| 2002 | Austria Wien | ||
| 2002–2006 | Grazer AK | ||
| 2006–2007 | 1860 Munich | ||
| 2007 | SK Kärnten | ||
| 2008–2010 | VfB Admira Wacker Mödling | ||
| 2011–2012 | LASK | ||
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Walter "Schoko" Schachner (born February 1, 1957) is a famous Austrian football manager and former player. He played as a forward, which means he was a goal-scorer. He played 64 games for the Austrian national team and scored 23 goals.
When Walter was a boy, he always brought chocolate to his games. That's how he got his cool nickname, Schoko, which means chocolate! He became one of the most successful Austrian players to play football in Italy. He played for four different Italian clubs over seven years.
Contents
Walter's Club Football Career
Walter Schachner was born in Leoben, Austria. He started his professional football journey at 18 with his local team, Alpine Donawitz, in the 1975–76 season. He quickly became good enough to join the national team after only a year and a half.
Soon after, a big club from Vienna, Austria Wien, signed him. But Walter wanted to play in Italy, so he moved there for seven years, from 1981 to 1988. He played for teams like A.C. Cesena, Torino F.C., and Avellino.
In 1981, when Cesena was promoted to Serie A (Italy's top league), their fans even changed their group name to "Weisschwarz Brigaden" (meaning "Black-and-white Brigades" in German) to honor Walter! He returned to Austria in 1988 and played for several clubs, often in the second division. He finally stopped playing at 41 years old with Eintracht Wels.
Walter's International Football Career
Schachner first played for the Austrian national team in December 1976. It was a World Cup qualification game against Malta. He also played in two FIFA World Cups: in 1978 and 1982. He played a total of 64 games for Austria and scored 23 goals. His last international game was a friendly match against Russia in August 1994.
Memorable World Cup Moments
On June 21, 1978, at the World Cup in Argentina, Walter was part of the Austrian team that beat the defending champions, West Germany, 3–2. This win was a huge upset and kicked West Germany out of the competition! This historic game is known as "The Miracle of Cordoba".
However, he was also on the Austrian team that lost 1–0 to West Germany in 1982. This game is famously called the "Disgrace of Gijón" because both teams seemed to stop trying to score after an early goal. But Walter was one of the players who still tried to play a normal game.
Walter's Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Schachner started coaching. His first coaching job was with FC Zeltweg in the 1999–2000 season. He helped them get promoted from the fourth division to the third.
Success with FC Kärnten and Austria Wien
In 2000, he became the coach for FC Kärnten. Under his leadership, the team was promoted to the Austrian Bundesliga (the top league). They also won the National Cup in his first year and the National Supercup in his second year!
At the start of the 2002–03 season, Schachner coached FK Austria Wien. Even though the team was doing great, leading the league by seven points and having just beaten Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk 5–2 in the UEFA Cup, he was replaced by another coach in October 2002.
Winning Titles with Grazer AK
Just a few days after leaving Austria Wien, he was hired by Grazer AK. This team was near the bottom of the Austrian Bundesliga. But Walter turned things around! The team finished the season in second place.
In the 2003–04 season, Schachner led Grazer AK to win their first and only national championship title! They also won the Austrian Cup that same season. In 2004–05, the team finished second in the league. They even played against Liverpool (coached by Rafael Benitez), who later won the UEFA Champions League that year. Grazer AK managed to win one game against Liverpool 1-0 at their home stadium, Anfield, which was a big achievement! Walter left Grazer AK in January 2006.
Coaching in Germany and Return to Austria
Schachner then moved to Germany to coach TSV 1860 Munich, a team in the 2. Bundesliga. The club was having financial problems and barely avoided being relegated to a lower league. Walter and the club decided to end his contract in March 2007.
He then signed with SK Austria Kärnten in April 2007 but was fired in December of that year.
In August 2008, Schachner took over as coach for FC Admira Wacker Mödling. The team was at the very bottom of the league. With Walter as coach, they finished the season in third place. They also reached the National Cup final for the first time in 13 years, but they lost to Austria Wien. He coached Admira Wacker Mödling until April 2010.
Walter Schachner's Awards and Achievements
Walter Schachner had a very successful career both as a player and as a manager!
As a Player
With Austria Wien
- Austrian Bundesliga (Top League Champion): 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81
- Austrian Cup: 1979–80
Individual Awards
- Austrian Bundesliga top scorer (most goals): 1978–79, 1979–80
- Serie A Team of The Year: 1982
- Coppa Italia top scorer: 1983–84 (with eight goals)
As a Manager
With Grazer AK
- Austrian Bundesliga (Top League Champion): 2003–04
- Austrian Cup: 2003–04
- Austrian Supercup: 2001
See also
In Spanish: Walter Schachner para niños
