Gerhard Hanappi
Encyclopedia
Gerhard Hanappi is one of Austria
n football
's most famous sons.
from 1950 till 1965. His time at Rapid proved to be very successful, winning the Austrian Championship title 7 times. He also captained the side for seven years and was chosen in Rapid's Team of the Century in 1999.
at only 19 years of age in November 1948 against Sweden
and was a participant at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland
, where they reached 3rd place, and at the 1958 World Cup. He captained the national team from 1955 on.
His last international was a September 1962 match against Czechoslovakia
.
He earned 93 caps, scoring 12 goals. He has held the national team appearances record until Anton Polster
earned his 94th cap in June 1998.
. He planned the Weststadion in Vienna, which was renamed to Gerhard Hanappi Stadium
after his death. He died of cancer in 1980, aged 51.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
's most famous sons.
Club career
A versatile midfielder, Hanappi started his career at SC Wacker Wien, where he made his Bundesliga debut in 1947. Deemed as Austria's biggest football talent, he then controversially moved to play for big city rivals Rapid ViennaSK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...
from 1950 till 1965. His time at Rapid proved to be very successful, winning the Austrian Championship title 7 times. He also captained the side for seven years and was chosen in Rapid's Team of the Century in 1999.
International career
He made his debut for AustriaAustria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
at only 19 years of age in November 1948 against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and was a participant at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where they reached 3rd place, and at the 1958 World Cup. He captained the national team from 1955 on.
His last international was a September 1962 match against Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
.
He earned 93 caps, scoring 12 goals. He has held the national team appearances record until Anton Polster
Anton Polster
Anton "Toni" Polster is a retired Austrian footballer. He is the all-time leading goalscorer for Austria and the singer of the Austrian band Achtung Liebe.-Club career:...
earned his 94th cap in June 1998.
Playing Style
Hanappi was nominally a goalscoring wing half, however his versatility allowed him to successfully play in almost all positions. Hanappi's technical abilities and creativity allowed him to play as an effective play-maker. He was also very intelligent with an excellent sense of anticipation which made him very useful in defensive duties, and also enabled him to make well timed runs in the box. This along with his accurate shot enabled him to be a prolific goalscorer, even once being league top scorer.Retirement and death
After his football career Hanappi worked as an architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. He planned the Weststadion in Vienna, which was renamed to Gerhard Hanappi Stadium
Gerhard Hanappi Stadium
The Gerhard Hanappi Stadion is a football stadion in Hütteldorf, in the west of Vienna, Austria. It is the home ground of Rapid Vienna. It was officially opened in 1977 as "Weststadion" . In 1980 it was renamed, to honor its architect, Austrian football player Gerhard Hanappi...
after his death. He died of cancer in 1980, aged 51.
Honours
- Austrian Football Bundesliga (7):
- 1951, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1964
- Austrian CupAustrian CupThe Austrian Cup, in German: ÖFB-Cup is an annual football competition held by the Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB.It has been held since 1919, with the exception of the time of the Anschluss between 1939 and 1945 and the period between 1950 and 1958 when the competition was deemed of...
(1):- 1961
- Zentropa CupMitropa CupThe Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale was one of the first really international major European football cups for club sides...
(1):- 1951
External links
- Player profile and stats - Rapid Wien Archive
- Career stats - National Football Teams