Helmut Haller

German footballer (1939–2012)

Helmut Haller (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛlmuːt ˈhalɐ]; 21 July 1939 – 11 October 2012) was a German footballer who played as a forward. At international level, he represented West Germany at three World Cups. At club level, he played in both Germany and Italy, and won Italian league titles with Bologna and Juventus. He suffered of dementia and Parkinson's disease.

Helmut Haller
Haller with Juventus in 1969
Personal information
Date of birth (1939-07-21)21 July 1939
Place of birth Augsburg, German Reich
Date of death 11 October 2012(2012-10-11) (aged 73)
Place of death Augsburg, Germany
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1948–1957 BC Augsburg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1957–1962 BC Augsburg 85 (24)
1962–1968 Bologna 180 (48)
1968–1973 Juventus 116 (21)
1973–1976 FC Augsburg 79 (21)
1976–1977 BSV Schwenningen 2 (0)
1977–1979 FC Augsburg 15 (2)
Total 477 (116)
National team
1958–1970 West Germany 33 (13)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  West Germany
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 1966 England
Third place 1970 Mexico
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Style of play

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Haller (left) playing for the Bianconeri in 1971 against Verona

Both a playmaker and goalscorer, Haller was noted for his exceptional technique and finesse as a striker, yet also for his weight problems, which troubled him throughout his career.[1] In Italy Haller is considered one of the greatest wingers and player of Bologna in the sixties.[2] He currently remains famed for his "irresistible dribbling, his innate genius, his great eye for goal, his charisma."[3]

Personal life

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On Boxing Day 2006, Haller suffered a serious heart attack and was reported to be recovering well after treatment. Later he also suffered from dementia and Parkinson's disease. Haller died on 11 October 2012. He was survived by his third wife, the native Cuban Noraimy Rodriguez Guiterrez, whom he married in 2003 when she was aged just 21, two sons and a daughter.[4] Haller was also an uncle of Christian Hochstätter, a long-serving Borussia Mönchengladbach player and twice West German international.

Honours

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Bologna

Juventus

 
From left to right: club doctor La Neve, Marchetti, Morini, Haller and Anastasi celebrate the Italian title won by Juventus in the 1972–73 season

Augsburg

International

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Germany

References

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  1. Bitter, Jürgen (1997). Deutschlands Fußball Nationalspieler (in German). Sportverlag. p. 163.
  2. "E' morto Helmut Haller Stella di Bologna e Juve" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  3. "Addio al calciatore Helmut Haller – Guaraldi: "Era un campione vero"" (in Italian). La Repubblica (Bologna). 11 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  4. "Ehemaliger Nationalspieler: Fußball-Idol Helmut Haller ist tot" (in German). Spiegel Online. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.

Other websites

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