Helmut Rahn
Encyclopedia
Helmut Rahn, known as Der Boss (The Boss), (16 August 1929 in Essen – 14 August 2003) was a German football player. He became a legend for having scored the winning goal in the final game
of the 1954 FIFA World Cup
(West Germany
3 – Hungary
2).
1919 with a total score of 52 goals for that team. In the 1950–51 season he played for Sportfreunde Katernberg.
He was most successful when he played for Rot-Weiss Essen
from 1951–1959. The team won the DFB-Pokal final in 1953 and won the German Championship
in 1955. For one year, from 1959 till 1960 he had played at 1. FC Köln
, 1960 he went to Sportclub Enschede
in the Netherlands
.
In the Bundesliga
1963 he started playing for MSV Duisburg
. He finished his career in 1965 because of a knee problem and, along with Hans Schäfer
was one of the last members of the 1954 World Cup winning side to retire. His position was that of an outside right.
His legend in German football was sparked by the heroic achievement of the German team in the final of the 1954 World Cup.
Germany, whose team members themselves were surprised to be in the final, was playing Hungary, who hadn't lost a single match for four years running up to the World Cup final. Germany lagged behind 0–2 after only 8 minutes, but then pulled it back to 2–2 with Rahn assisting the first German goal and scoring the second. With 6 minutes remaining, Rahn received the ball just outside the penalty box before going past a Hungarian player and managing to shoot at the lower left corner with his weaker left foot just before being tackled. The ball whistled into the back of the net and Germany went on to win the game 3–2 over the apparently unbeatable Hungarian team. This match is known in Germany as The Miracle of Bern
(Das Wunder von Bern) because of its "David versus Goliath"-like setting, and it is generally seen as an instrumental part of the rebuilding of the German people's morale after the World War II
.
Rahn was also part of the German team that reached semifinals at the 1958 World Cup
. With his goal against Yugoslavia
, he became at the time the third maximum scorer in World Cups, with 10 total goals (behind Just Fontaine
and Sándor Kocsis
), and also the first player ever to score at least 4 goals in two different World Cups.
Rahn played 40 international matches and scored a total of 21 goals.
He was known as "The Boss" because of his on-field leadership and occasionally also as "The Cannon from Essen".
Helmut Rahn was once asked by a friend, how his car dealership worked. His very direct answer: "I buy a car for 1,000 DM and sell it for 4,000 DM. And I live off of the three percent profit."
He died two days shy of his 74th birthday, in Essen. The Movie "Das Wunder von Bern"
was dedicated to him by director Sönke Wortmann
.
1954 FIFA World Cup Final
- External links :* - fifa.com, FIFA, 2002.*...
of the 1954 FIFA World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
(West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
3 – Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
2).
Career
Helmut Rahn started his career with Altenessen 1912 where he played from 1938 until 1946. Then he went to SC OeldeOelde
Oelde is a town in the district of Warendorf, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near Beckum.-Division of the town:Oelde consists of 5 districts:* Oelde* Stromberg* Lette* Sünninghausen* Kirchspiel...
1919 with a total score of 52 goals for that team. In the 1950–51 season he played for Sportfreunde Katernberg.
He was most successful when he played for Rot-Weiss Essen
Rot-Weiss Essen
Rot-Weiss Essen is a German association football club based in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia.- Early years :The club was formed as SV Vogelheim on 1 February 1907 out of the merger of two smaller clubs: SC Preussen and Deutsche Eiche. In 1910, Vogelheim came to an arrangement with Turnerbund...
from 1951–1959. The team won the DFB-Pokal final in 1953 and won the German Championship
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
in 1955. For one year, from 1959 till 1960 he had played at 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
, 1960 he went to Sportclub Enschede
FC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
In the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
1963 he started playing for MSV Duisburg
MSV Duisburg
MSV Duisburg is a German association football club based in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Nicknamed "the Zebras" for their traditional striped jerseys, the club was one of the original members of the Bundesliga when it was formed in 1963.-Early years:...
. He finished his career in 1965 because of a knee problem and, along with Hans Schäfer
Hans Schäfer
Hans Schäfer is a former German footballer. He played for 1. FC Köln between 1948 and 1965. He also played for the West-Germany national football team, earning 39 caps and scoring 15 goals. He played in three World Cups, in 1954, 1958, and 1962, earning a winner's medal in 1954 and scoring a total...
was one of the last members of the 1954 World Cup winning side to retire. His position was that of an outside right.
His legend in German football was sparked by the heroic achievement of the German team in the final of the 1954 World Cup.
Germany, whose team members themselves were surprised to be in the final, was playing Hungary, who hadn't lost a single match for four years running up to the World Cup final. Germany lagged behind 0–2 after only 8 minutes, but then pulled it back to 2–2 with Rahn assisting the first German goal and scoring the second. With 6 minutes remaining, Rahn received the ball just outside the penalty box before going past a Hungarian player and managing to shoot at the lower left corner with his weaker left foot just before being tackled. The ball whistled into the back of the net and Germany went on to win the game 3–2 over the apparently unbeatable Hungarian team. This match is known in Germany as The Miracle of Bern
The Miracle of Bern
The Miracle of Bern is a 2003 film by Sönke Wortmann, which tells the story of a German family and the unexpected West German miracle victory in the 1954 World Cup Final in Bern, Switzerland.The film can be regarded as a portrait of post-war Germany...
(Das Wunder von Bern) because of its "David versus Goliath"-like setting, and it is generally seen as an instrumental part of the rebuilding of the German people's morale after the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Rahn was also part of the German team that reached semifinals at the 1958 World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
. With his goal against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
, he became at the time the third maximum scorer in World Cups, with 10 total goals (behind Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine
Just "Justo" Fontaine is a former French football player.-Football career:He holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup finals tournament, with 13 in 1958...
and Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis Péter was a Hungarian footballer who played for Ferencváros TC, Budapest Honvéd, Young Fellows Zürich, FC Barcelona and Hungary. During the 1950s, along with Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti, he was a member of the Mighty Magyars...
), and also the first player ever to score at least 4 goals in two different World Cups.
Rahn played 40 international matches and scored a total of 21 goals.
He was known as "The Boss" because of his on-field leadership and occasionally also as "The Cannon from Essen".
Later life
After retiring from football, Helmut Rahn started his own car dealership in Essen-Altenessen, along Altenessener Street. He was known for his good sense of humour and his joy and ability at talking with others. Many stories about him still circulate throughout Essen. One such story involves a discussion he once had with a friend regarding his car dealership:Helmut Rahn was once asked by a friend, how his car dealership worked. His very direct answer: "I buy a car for 1,000 DM and sell it for 4,000 DM. And I live off of the three percent profit."
He died two days shy of his 74th birthday, in Essen. The Movie "Das Wunder von Bern"
The Miracle of Bern
The Miracle of Bern is a 2003 film by Sönke Wortmann, which tells the story of a German family and the unexpected West German miracle victory in the 1954 World Cup Final in Bern, Switzerland.The film can be regarded as a portrait of post-war Germany...
was dedicated to him by director Sönke Wortmann
Sönke Wortmann
Sönke Wortmann is a German film director and producer.- Biography :Wortmann’s father was a miner. After Wortmann’s A-Levels he wanted to become a professional football player and started playing with Westfalia Herne at the third best category and with SP Vgg Erkenschwick...
.
Helmut Rahn – Memorial
On 11 July 2004, 50 years after the Bern match, a lifesize statue of him was put up near Georg-Melches-Stadium in Essen, on the square named after him.Statistics
- 40 National team matches; 21 goals for Germany
- 1 B-National team match; 2 goals
- 1. BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
- 19 matches; 7 goals, Meidericher SV
- Oberliga WestFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
- 29 matches; 11 goals, 1. FC Köln
- Final round for the German Championship
- 7 matches; 3 goals, 1. FC Köln
- Westpokal
- 2 matches; 2 goals, 1. FC Köln
Honors
- 1953 German CupDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
Winner - 1954 FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
Winner - 1955 German championGerman football championsThe German football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Germany. The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country through the course of the 20th century.Brought to the country by English...
- 1964 1. Bundesliga Runner-Up