Share

Low mourns loss of 1954 World Cup winner

Berlin - Hans Schaefer, the last-but one surviving member of the West German team which won the 1954 World Cup, died on Tuesday, his ex-club Cologne said.

The 90-year-old played on the left wing in the final as the Germans fell two goals behind after just eight minutes but fought back to beat Hungary, 3-2, in "the Miracle of Berne".

Schaefer's death means midfielder Horst Eckel, 85, is the last surviving member of that team.

Germany's current coach Joachim Low, who is preparing for Friday's friendly against England in Wembley, mourned the loss.

"The news that Hans Schaefer has died makes us all very sad here in the national team. As one of the heroes of Berne, he will never be forgotten," Low said.

In the 1954 final, Zoltan Czibor and Ferenc Puskas, one of football's greatest players, netted goals for Hungary after six and eight minutes.

Midfielder Max Morlock pulled a goal back for the Germans in the tenth minute. Right winger Helmut Rahn then wrote himself into German football folklore, equalising before half time and scoring the winner six minutes from time.

"I am very sad and will always remember Hans Schaefer as a great Cologne player and person. #RIP," former Cologne, Arsenal and Germany striker Lukas Podolski wrote on Twitter.

Schaefer played for Cologne from 1948 to 1965, winning the German title in 1962 and 1964.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1816 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1775 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1083 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 460 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 253 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE