Wolfgang Overath

Wolfgang Overath

File:Wolfgang Overath 1971 Ajman stamp.jpg
Personal information
Date of birth	(1943-09-29) 29 September 1943
Place of birth	Siegburg, Germany
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1953–1962	SSV Siegburg 04
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1962–1977	1. FC Köln	409	(83)
International career
1963–1974	West Germany	81	(17)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Wolfgang Overath (born 29 September 1943 in Siegburg, Germany) is a former West German footballer. A true one-club man, Overath spent his entire professional career at 1. FC Köln. He represented his country three times in World Cup finals, culminating in 1974 with victory on home soil. Primarily a creative playmaker, Overath was known for his passing ability, technique and his left-foot.

Career

A playmaking midfielder, Overath started playing football at SSV Siegburg, but spent the majority of his career at 1. FC Köln, appearing 765 times between 1962 and 1977 and scoring 287 goals. He won the inaugural Bundesliga with 1. FC Köln in 1964, overall he appeared in the first 14 seasons of the newly formed top-flight, and the German Cup in 1968. At European club level he played 71 matches (11 goals) for 1. FC Köln.

In total he won 81 caps for the national side between 1963 and 1974, scoring 17 goals. As well as the World Cup victory in 1974, he was at the heart of the West German midfield when they reached the final in 1966 and achieved third place in 1970. Overath scored the only goal in the latter match, with many foreign journalists voting him Germany's best player in Mexico.

Overath is one of only four players (alongside his teammates Franz Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier, later compatriot Miroslav Klose, and Italian Franco Baresi) with World Cup medals for first, second and third place. A main rival in the national team for leading the midfield was the flamboyant Günter Netzer from Borussia Mönchengladbach, German Player of the year in 1972 and 73. However, German coach Helmut Schön preferred the more stayed Overath. An injury forced Overath out of the side before the quarterfinals of the European Championships 1972 where Netzer became alongside Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller one of the outstanding protagonists leading the side, considered still Germany's best of all time, to victory in the final over the USSR. Overath soon regained his place ahead of Netzer, due to now him being injured. Netzer himself said that Overath "was born to play for Germany".

In 2004 he was elected President of 1. FC Köln, but resigned on 13 November 2011.

Club career statistics

Overath (left) and Gerd Müller after winning the 1974 FIFA World Cup in Munich

Club performance			League
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals
Germany			League
1963–64	Köln	Bundesliga	30	8
1964–65			27	9
1965–66			30	3
1966–67			33	6
1967–68			29	9
1968–69			34	6
1969–70			29	12
1970–71			26	4
1971–72			25	6
1972–73			30	3
1973–74			31	5
1974–75			34	4
1975–76			27	2
1976–77			24	6
Country	Germany		409	83
Total			409	83

International career statistics

Germany national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1963	3	0
1964	4	1
1965	4	2
1966	13	3
1967	8	1
1968	8	2
1969	6	3
1970	12	2
1971	6	1
1972	0	0
1973	8	0
1974	9	2
Total	81	17

Honours

Club

Köln

• Bundesliga: 1963–64
• DFB-Pokal: 1968, 1977

International

Germany

• FIFA World Cup: 1974
• FIFA World Cup Second Place: 1966
• FIFA World Cup Third Place: 1970

Individual

• FIFA XI: 1968
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1974

Personal life

Overath and his wife have three children: two sons and one adopted daughter. Also, he was named an honorary citizen of Siegburg in 2003. Overath was awarded the Egidius-Braun-Preis for his charity work.

External links

• Wolfgang Overath profile at Fussballdaten

Sporting positions
Preceded by Uwe Seeler	West Germany captain 1970–1972	Succeeded by Franz Beckenbauer