Horst Szymaniak
Encyclopedia
Horst Szymaniak was a former German
football
player.
, Wuppertaler SV, Karlsruher SC
, Calcio Catania
, F.C. Internazionale Milano
, A.S. Varese 1910
, and Tasmania 1900 Berlin
for whom he played in the 1965–66 season, the side's only season in the Bundesliga.
Szymaniak was a defensive midfielder who usually played as a left half back and less frequently as an inside forward
. He had very good ball skills, had good vision and was able to make unerringly accurate long passes to a team mate. He was renowned for his slide tackling ability, so much so this became his trademark ability.
He was renowned as one of the best players in German football during the late 1950s and early 1960s, with Kicker (sports magazine)
rating him world class five times between 1957 and 1961 in their biennal Rangliste des deutschen Fußballs (ranking list of German football).
between 1956 and 1966, and was chosen to play in both the 1958
and the 1962
World Cups, but was omitted by Helmut Schön
from his 1966 squad.
near Osnabrück
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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...
player.
Career
Clubs he played for include: SpVgg ErkenschwickSpVgg Erkenschwick
SpVgg Erkenschwick is a German football club based in Oer-Erkenschwick in North Rhine-Westphalia.- History :Founded as Sportverein Erkenschwick in 1916, they joined Emscher-Lippe-Spielverband to form Sportfreunde Erkenschwick in 1918, which in then merged with Turn- und Leichtathletikverein TV...
, Wuppertaler SV, Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
, Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
, F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, A.S. Varese 1910
A.S. Varese 1910
A.S. Varese 1910 is an Italian football club from Varese, founded 22 March 1910. It currently plays in Serie B, ranked one division below Serie A in the Italian football league.-History:...
, and Tasmania 1900 Berlin
Tasmania 1900 Berlin
SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin was a German association football club based in the Berlin district of Neukölln.- Tasmania 1900 :The team was founded on 2 June 1900 as Rixdorfer TuFC Tasmania 1900, changing its name when Rixdorf was re-named Neukölln in 1912...
for whom he played in the 1965–66 season, the side's only season in the Bundesliga.
Szymaniak was a defensive midfielder who usually played as a left half back and less frequently as an inside forward
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
. He had very good ball skills, had good vision and was able to make unerringly accurate long passes to a team mate. He was renowned for his slide tackling ability, so much so this became his trademark ability.
He was renowned as one of the best players in German football during the late 1950s and early 1960s, with Kicker (sports magazine)
Kicker (sports magazine)
kicker Sportmagazin is Germany's leading sports magazine and is focused primarily on football. The magazine was founded in 1920 by German football pioneer Walther Bensemann and is published twice a week, usually Monday and Thursday, in Nuremberg...
rating him world class five times between 1957 and 1961 in their biennal Rangliste des deutschen Fußballs (ranking list of German football).
International career
He played 43 times and scored two goals for the West-Germany national football teamGermany 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....
between 1956 and 1966, and was chosen to play in both the 1958
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...
and the 1962
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
World Cups, but was omitted by Helmut Schön
Helmut Schön
Helmut Schön was a German football player and manager. He is best remembered for his exceptional career as manager of West Germany....
from his 1966 squad.
Death
Szymaniak died after a long illness on 9 October 2009 in a nursing home in MelleMelle, Germany
Melle is a city in the district of Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany. The city corresponds to what used to be the district of Melle until regional territorial reform in 1972. Since then Melle is the third largest city in Lower Saxony in terms of surface area....
near Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
.