Dionys Schönecker
Dionys Schönecker (29 April 1888 - 14 September 1938) was an Austrian football player, coach and official at SK Rapid Vienna.
 Bronze statue in the Rapid Museum | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 April 1888 | ||
| Place of birth | Vienna, Austria-Hungary | ||
| Date of death | 14 September 1938 (aged 50) | ||
| Place of death | Vienna, Austria | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1906-1910 | SK Rapid Wien | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1910-1925 | SK Rapid Wien | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Career change
His football career (1906–1910) was short and moderately successful. At that time there was no regular championship. He took over Rapid in 1910 and held this position until his death. Till 1925 he was also coach. The club was in a poor financial situation. The club had lost its ground and had become homeless as a result. The majority of the fighting team left the club. So Schönecker decided to continue playing with the youth team as a new first team. This youth team was champion in the first regular football season in 1911/12. In 1912 the club also received a new home ground. The Pfarrwiese was planned by Schönecker's brother and former national player Eduard Schönecker.
His management style was often described as authoritarian and when there were disciplinary problems with a player, the offending player was often quickly thrown out. A famous example is Josef Bican. During Schönecker's 28-years as head of the club from 1910 to 1938, Rapid became 12 times champion, 3 times cup winner and 1 time Mitropacup winner.
He died of appendicitis in 1938 at the age of 50. To honour him in 1985 the Schöneckergasse in Vienna-Penzing (14th district) was named after him.[1]