Karl-Heinz Schnellinger

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger

Schnellinger in 1968
Personal information
Date of birth	(1939-03-31)31 March 1939
Place of birth	Düren, Gau Cologne-Aachen, Germany
Date of death	20 May 2024(2024-05-20) (aged 85)
Place of death	Milan, Italy
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Left-back, sweeper
Youth career
1949–1958	SG Düren 99
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1958–1963	1. FC Köln	84	(8)
1963–1964	Mantova	33	(2)
1964–1965	Roma	29	(1)
1965–1974	AC Milan	222	(0)
1974–1975	Tennis Borussia Berlin	19	(0)
Total		387	(13)
International career
1957	West Germany Amateur	1	(0)
1958–1971	West Germany	47	(1)
Medal record Representing  West Germany FIFA World Cup 1966 1970
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (31 March 1939 – 20 May 2024) was a German footballer who played as a defender.^[1][2] An athletic and hard-tackling player, with a strong physique, he was nicknamed the "Volkswagen" for his continuity of performance, both in quantity and in quality, and for his versatility; indeed, although he was usually deployed as a full-back, he was capable of playing anywhere along the back, and could also play as a centre-back, as a sweeper, or even as a defensive midfielder.^[3] He was one of the first successful German footballers abroad. In his prime he was often considered one of the best and most complete left-backs in the world in his era, rivaled only by Giacinto Facchetti, Nílton Santos and Silvio Marzolini.^[4][5]