HANS GEORG SCHWARZENBECK Born: 3 April 1948. Nick name: Katsche. Position: Center back. Caps: 44 (1971-1978) / 0 goals International Cup games: European Champions’ Cup 39 (1969-1977) / 1 goal European Cup Winners’ Cup 17 (1966-1972) / 0 goals UEFA Cup 13 (1970-1978) / 1 goal European Super Cup 4 (1975-1976) / 0 goals Intercontinental Cup 2 (1976) / 0 goals Total 75 (1966-1978) / 2 goals League Games: 416 (1966-1980) / 21 goals Domestic Cup games: 56 (1966-1979) / 7 goals Trophies & Tournaments: World Cup Champion: 1974 World Cup participant: 1974, 1978 European Championship: 1972 European Championship participant: 1972, 1976 European Champions’ Cup winner: 1974, 1975, 1976 European Cup Winners’ Cup winner: 1967* Intercontinental Cup winner: 1976 German Champion: 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1980 German Cup winner: 1967*, 1969, 1971 * = did not play in final Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck had exactly the same height as Franz Beckenbauer, but those were the only physical characteristics the two did share. While Beckenbauer stood for elegance and lightfootedness, Schwarzenbeck almost looked like Beckenbauer’s antipode – a tough tackling, physically imposing man-marker that managed to compensate his lack of subtlety with his determined and awe-inspiring physical appearance. These two so different football twins however complemented each other in a perfect manner, as both went on to win the biggest prizes in European and World football as Schwarzenbeck as traditional defensive center back provided the cover for Beckenbauer to develop his famous attacking libero style. The pair developed a perfect understanding of each other, as they played together for Bayern Munich for over 11 straight seasons. Despite winning the World Cup, the European Championship and the European Cup, “Katsche” Schwarzenbeck always remained a humble and straightforward man, reliability paired with ambition were his trademarks. Born in Munich, Schwarzenback chose to play football at the age of 12, he joined the Bayern youth team in 1962, after his school years he began an apprenticeship as typographer, he almost decided to quit playing football as the apprenticeship was so demanding that he found it hard to fulfill both duties. His first game for the West German youth national team did not show any signs that this player would be destined for greater things, as he caused a penalty and scored an own goal. In 1966, at the age of 18, Schwarzenbeck joined the Bayern seniors, in a team of technical players, Schwarzenbeck stood out as a square-edged, unadorned, no nonsense kind of player. In short, exactly the sort of player his coach Tchik Cajkovski was looking for to add to his team of "thoroughbreds". 14 years later, when Schwarzenbeck had to call it quits due to a severe harmstring injury, he could look back at an almost unrivalled trophy haul for a man-marker: once World Champion, once European Champion, four times European Cup winner, once Intercontinental Club Champion, five times domestic Champion and three times domestic Cup winner. In his first two years, Schwarzenbeck was used as a left full back, but in 1968, new manager Branko Zebec realized that Schwarzenbeck was much stronger as a center back and from then on, Schwarzenbeck never looked back. About his relationship with the great Franz Beckenbauer, Schwarzenbeck once said the following: “Franz reminds me of my old teacher in the printing office. He handled printing ink all day long but still his hands always were clean. I, however, only had to look at the printing machine and I already would get dirty!” Schwarzenbeck’s finest hour came on 15th May 1974, when he scored the last-minute equalizer in the first European Cup final vs. Atletico in extra-time with an untypical long-range shot. The game ended 1-1 and the repeat match two days later Bayern won convincingly 4-0. Without Schwarzenbeck’s unlikely goal, the great Bayern era of the mid-70s would not have happened. It was however typical for Schwarzenbeck after that game that he said “I wish Müller had scored that goal!”, as he did not like the attention towards him one bit. League Statistics per Season Season - Club - Games – Goals 1966/67 Bayern Munich...................21 / 00 1967/68 Bayern Munich...................33 / 00 1968/69 Bayern Munich ..................34 / 00 1969/70 Bayern Munich ..................32 / 01 1970/71 Bayern Munich ..................29 / 02 1971/72 Bayern Munich ..................32 / 01 1972/73 Bayern Munich ..................34 / 01 1973/74 Bayern Munich ..................33 / 07 1974/75 Bayern Munich ..................34 / 03 1975/76 Bayern Munich ..................33 / 01 1976/77 Bayern Munich ..................31 / 01 1977/78 Bayern Munich ..................34 / 01 1978/79 Bayern Munich ..................34 / 03 1979/80 Bayern Munich ..................02 / 00 European Cup Games 1966/67 Bayern Munich.....EC II........02 / 00 1967/68 Bayern Munich.....EC II........07 / 00 1969/70 Bayern Munich.....EC I.........02 / 00 1970/71 Bayern Munich.....Fairs-Cup..07 / 01 1971/72 Bayern Munich.....EC II........08 / 00 1972/73 Bayern Munich.....EC I.........06 / 00 1973/74 Bayern Munich.....EC I.........10 / 01 1974/75 Bayern Munich.....EC I.........07 / 00 1975/76 Bayern Munich.....EC I.........08 / 00 1976/77 Bayern Munich.....EC I.........06 / 00 1977/78 Bayern Munich.....UEFA-Cup.06 / 00
Thanks Gregoriak, excellent and reliable as always. As for Schwarzenbeck, didn't he end up running a small bakery in Munchen? I remember reading something similar to that, leading a humble and simple life even after football. Legend!
Thanks! Katsche still runs a stationary shop in Munich. He enjoys his life and has no complaints. His son is playing American football, btw - he has no interest in European football. Thus Katsche is now seen relatively often watching Gridiron games. His stationary shop is doing pretty well, also due to FC Bayern ordering all their stationary goods at his shop.
I was watching that game while living in Spain and to this day I do not know what Miguel Reina the Atletico keeper was thinking about when Schwarzenbeck launched that shot from at least 30 meters away? The bar was in shock and disbelief as Bayern tied that match so late in the game with the Atletico defense and Reina shutting down the Germans for most of the match. How it found the back of the net is anyones guess and Reina never lived that one down for the rest of his long and productive career! viva er beti Er Pichi