Dhe former world-class handball player “Hansi” Schmidt is dead. The club icon of VfL Gummersbach died on Sunday night after a serious illness. The Bundesliga handball team announced this on Sunday after consulting Schmidt’s family. Born in Marienfeld, Romania, Schmidt was 80 years old.
Promotion with VfL Gummersbach
Schmidt, who leaves behind his wife and two sons, is still considered one of the most prolific handball players in Bundesliga history. From the mid-1960s, Schmidt, who had settled in the West as a youth, helped shape the rise of VfL from a village club to a top European handball club.
Hansi Schmidt played 98 games for the national team
Schmidt, whose real name was Hans-Günther, played for Germany in 98 international matches, in which he scored 484 goals. Schmidt was captain of the national team for a long time. He had previously played 18 times for Romania before defecting to Germany in 1963 at the age of 21.
With VfL Gummersbach he was German champion seven times and won four European Cups. The native Romanian scored 1066 goals. “With Hansi Schmidt, VfL Gummersbach loses one of the most influential and successful companions in the club’s history,” the Gummersbacher said in a statement.
