THE MEMORY
The former defender of Milan, but also of Rome and Mantua, went down in history for the equalizer that brought the famous Italy-West Germany 4-3 to extra time
20 mag 2024
@Getty Images
The world of football, Italian and beyond, is mourning the passing of Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, who passed away at the age of 85 at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan. He had been ill for some time. His name refers to the 90′ of Italy-West Germanysemi-final of Mexican World Cup of 1970, when Schnellinger, a German defender unaccustomed to going beyond midfield, passed Albertosi to bring the game to 1-1 and to extra time, consigning it to an eternal mythology, was heading towards the changing rooms which, coincidentally, were behind the blue door. A way to get away as soon as possible from such a sad event as losing such an important match. Instead he found glory, even if it was fleeting seen the 4-3 legendary with which Italy took home the final.
If you think of him you immediately think of that, of the anger he caused millions of fellow countrymen who were watching television at an almost pre-dark hour. But
Schnellinger it was much more, as demonstrated by the messages of condolence in the last few hours. He left to
85 years oldshortly after a former illustrious companion like
Franz Beckenbauer and another less illustrious but very close to Karl-Heinz as
Giovanni Lodetti.
Schnellinger was a defender who didn’t give an inch to the opposing attacker he had to control.
He knew how to best interpret various roles, from the left back to the stopper, from the libero to the holding midfielder. Born in Düren in North Rhine-Westphalia on
March 31, 1939grew up in the youth teams of his city before taking off in professional football in
Coloniawhere he remained for 4 seasons, winning the national title in 1962. Roma bought him and loaned him to
Mantua with whom he played the ’63-’64 season, in which he made his debut in Serie A, also scoring two goals, before returning to
yellow-red basescoring an Italian Cup the following year.
In 1965 he moved to Milan in which he will remain for 9 seasons, almost all with Rocco on the bench. In the Rossoneri experience everything wins:
scudetto, European Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Italian Cup (3 times) and Cup Winners’ Cup (twice). In 1974 he left Milan and ended his career in the Bundesliga with
Tennis Borussia Berlin in 1975.
Ben
47 appearances in West Germany with reaching the world final in
1966, lost to hosts England, and the semi-final 4 years later. Only one goal scored for the national team, the one given to the legend on the night of
July 17, 1970.
Mediaset’s sports editorial team ideally embraces Karl-Heinz’s family, in particular his daughter
Birgitour colleague in the eighties and nineties.
2024-05-20 22:05:24
#Mourning #world #football #KarlHeinz #Schnellinger #red #black #flag #left
