Willi Schulz facts for kids
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Schulz in 1968
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 4 October 1938 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Wattenscheid, Germany | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre back, sweeper | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1950–1960 | Union Günnigfeld | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1965 | Schalke 04 | 134 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1973 | Hamburger SV | 211 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 345 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1959 | West Germany B | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1959–1960 | West Germany Amateur | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1959–1970 | West Germany | 66 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Willi Schulz (born October 4, 1938) is a famous German former footballer. He played as a defender for two big clubs: Schalke 04 and Hamburger SV. He also played 66 games for the West Germany national team.
Contents
Willi Schulz's Football Career
Willi Schulz was born in Wattenscheid, Germany. He started playing for the West Germany team in 1959. At that time, he was still an amateur player for a smaller club called Union Günnigfeld.
In 1960, he joined FC Schalke 04. He played for them in the Oberliga West league for three years. In 1963, a new top league called the Bundesliga was created in Germany.
In 1965, Willi Schulz moved to another big club, Hamburger SV. He played many games for them too.
Playing as a Defender
Willi Schulz first played as a right half back in the late 1950s. Football tactics changed, and he became a stopper or half back by the mid-1960s.
During the 1966 FIFA World Cup, Schulz became the sweeper for the West Germany team. A sweeper is a defender who plays behind the main defense. Their job is to "sweep up" any balls that get past the other defenders. Schulz was considered one of the best defenders at that tournament.
For the next four years, Schulz was the main sweeper for West Germany. Many people thought he was one of the best central defenders in the world. In 1968, he was even chosen to play in a special FIFA team against Brazil.
World Cup Challenges
Willi Schulz was expected to be the main sweeper for West Germany in the 1970 FIFA World Cup. However, he got injured with a knee problem and a calf bruise. Because of this, he only played in two of the six World Cup games in Mexico. Another player, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, took his place as sweeper.
After the 1970 World Cup, Schulz stopped playing for the national team. He continued to play for Hamburger SV until 1973.
Willi Schulz's Playing Style
Willi Schulz was known as a "conservative sweeper." This means he focused mainly on defending and didn't often join his team's attacks. His main job was to organize his team's defense.
He was famous for several skills:
- He stayed calm even when under pressure.
- He was good at finding the right position on the field.
- He was strong in one-on-one duels against other players.
- He could pass the ball well.
- He was good at heading the ball.
- He was an expert at sliding tackles.
Because of these skills and his consistent performance, the West Germany national team coach, Helmut Schön, really liked Schulz. The coach preferred Schulz as the sweeper, even over the younger and more attacking player, Franz Beckenbauer. This meant Beckenbauer often played in midfield instead.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing football, Willi Schulz started an insurance business in Hamburg. He also got involved in the slot machine business.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Schulz was known for writing critical sports articles for Hamburg newspapers. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind. For example, after a controversial 1982 FIFA World Cup match between West Germany and Austria, he strongly criticized the West Germany players. He called them "gangsters" because it looked like both teams played to get a specific score that helped them both move forward in the tournament, leaving Algeria out.
Achievements
- 1966 FIFA World Cup runner-up (his team came in second place)
- 1970 FIFA World Cup 3rd place (his team came in third place)
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finalist: 1967–68 (his club team reached the final)
- DFB-Pokal finalist: 1966–67 (his club team reached the final of a German cup competition)
See also
In Spanish: Willi Schulz para niños
