 Schnellinger in 1968 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1939-03-31)31 March 1939 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Düren,Gau Cologne-Aachen,Germany | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 20 May 2024(2024-05-20) (aged 85) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Milan, Italy | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | 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) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1957 | West Germany Amateur | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1958–1971 | West Germany | 47 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (31 March 1939 – 20 May 2024) was a Germanfootballer who played as adefender.[1][2] An athletic and hard-tackling player, with a strong physique, he was nicknamed the "Volkswagen" for his continuity of performance, both in quantity and in quality, and for his versatility; indeed, although he was usually deployed as a full-back, he was capable of playing anywhere along the back, and could also play as acentre-back, as asweeper, or even as adefensive midfielder.[3] He was one of the first successful German footballers abroad. In his prime he was often considered one of the best and most completeleft-backs in the world in his era, rivaled only byGiacinto Facchetti,Nílton Santos andSilvio Marzolini.[4][5]
Schnellinger was born inDüren (then inRhine Province,Prussia, todayNorth Rhine-Westphalia). After his appearance at the1958 World Cup in Sweden at the age of 19, he signed for1. FC Köln. Four years later, he won theGerman Championship with Köln, and was awarded theGerman Footballer of the Year. Following his performances at the1962 FIFA World Cup, he received the third most votes for theBallon d'Or.[6]
Schnellinger left Köln forA.C. Mantova in 1963 and his debut inSerie A came in a match againstA.C. Milan which ended in a surprising 4–1 victory for Mantova. However, he played there only for one season before he was signed byA.S. Roma in 1964 when they won theCoppa Italia, and finally by A.C. Milan in 1965, being transferred along with Roma teammatesAntonio Valentín Angelillo andAngelo Sormani. He played nine seasons with theRossoneri, obtaining several successes both at the national and European level, including winning the1969 European Cup final againstAFC Ajax.
Schnellinger left Milan in 1974, and retired after a season back in his native Germany withTennis Borussia Berlin.[7]
Schnellinger participated in his first World Cup in Sweden in 1958 and went on to become one of the few players to play in four World Cups (1958,1962,1966,1970).[8] He was renowned for his physical power, pace, and his winning mentality. His performances in 1962 saw him named in the Team of the Tournament.[6] He played in all the games at the finals in England in 1966, including the defeat toEngland in the1966 FIFA World Cup final.[6] His only international goal came in stoppage time to draw 1–1 in the thrilling semi-final of the1970 World Cup againstItaly, which later became known as the "Game of the Century". His goal led to the famous German TV commentary line byErnst Huberty "Ausgerechnet Schnellinger!" – roughly: "Of all the players, it's Schnellinger" – which refers to him never having previously scored for the national team, and also to his being one of the two players in the German squad then playing in the Italian Serie A (the other beingHelmut Haller). Italy eventually won 4–3 after extra time. In the previous round, late in the match against England, it was Schnellinger's cross thatUwe Seeler scored from with a backwards header that tied the score 2–2, a game West Germany won 3–2 after extra time. Schnellinger won his last cap in 1971.[9]
Schnellinger later lived inMilan's suburb ofSegrate where he worked as a businessman after retirement from football. He died after a long illness at theSan Raffaele Hospital in Milan, on 20 May 2024. He was 85.[10][11] He was the last surviving player from the Germany team in the 1958 World Cup.
1. FC Köln
Roma
A.C. Milan
West Germany
Individual
{{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help)
West Germany squads | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||
Awards | |
|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
