German World Cup icon Karl-Heinz Schnellinger has died at the age of 85.
Schnellinger passed away on Monday at Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital after a long illness. The defender spent nine years of his playing career at AC Milan, where he moved after his retirement.
Nicknamed ‘Volkswagen’ because of his reliability, the German player is best known for his performances with the West Germany national team. Schnellinger was part of the 1958 World Cup squad and went on to play in four World Cups.
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The last two he discovered are the most famous. He was part of the West Germany team that lost to England in his 1966 World Cup, but his greatest moment would come four years later.
In the 1970 World Cup, Italy and West Germany played the “battle of the century” in the semifinals. Schnellinger scored his only international goal in the match, scoring the equalizer for West Germany in the final minute and sending the match into extra time.
German television commentator Ernst Huberty famously exclaimed, “Schnellinger! Ausgerechinet Schnellinger,” which roughly translates to “Schnellinger for all.”
The goal was scored by a man who had never scored for West Germany and never will, and by one of two players on the team who played football in Italy. was. The match exploded into extra time, but even Gerd Müller’s two goals were not enough to advance the Germans to the final.
Italy would lose in the final to Brazil, who was influenced by Pele.
“One of the most underrated players in our history. Rest in peace Karl-Heinz Schnellinger,” one fan said on social media. Meanwhile, a second shared: “Italy vs Germany 4-3 would never have happened without him. Danke, Karl!”
“I once read that he admitted he was only at that end of the pitch because he started walking towards the tunnel,” said a third person who spoke about his famous goal. Another added: “Another statue of my childhood has disappeared. Goodbye, Karl Heinz Schnellinger.”