Alexander Popovic

Alexander " Xandl " Popovich ( born July 18, 1891 in Vienna, † September 1952 in Vienna ), called Poperl, was an Austrian football player and coach. The defender reached the first footballer of his country, the number of 30 international matches.

Career

Xandl Popovich was built small in stature, but strong and spared not make his muscles to often caricatured by his shorts to show. He used as a defender of a British style and could especially benefit from his speed and his positional play. He began his career as a youth player at Xandl Popovich Wiener AC where he aufrückte in the reserve team soon. As a promised him use in the first team did not materialize, he left the club and moved to Victoria where he spent a year working before he the Vienna Cricket and Football Club joined. At that time he was still employed as a winger, at the Cricketern but we soon realized his talent as a defender. In 1910 he became one of the founding members of the Wiener Amateur - SVs and was soon a regular player of the new club. With the violets played continuously until 1922 in the first class to be able to take a long time without a significant position. In 1920 he commuted between Vienna and Prague and was simultaneously working for the amateurs and the DFC Prague.

Although he only played at a smaller club, was Xandl Popovich to a long-standing pillars of the Austrian national team. From his debut on September 10, 1911 in a 2-1 victory over Germany at the time he graduated from the high number of 33 international caps until 1923, especially in the period from 1915 until 1921. Especially often played Xandl Popovich with the Rapidler Vincent Dittrich, but also with the later miracle team player Pepi Blum together.

At the end of his playing career for Xandl Popovich also the major successes came at club level. After the lost cup final 1920, Popovich was able to secure the amateurs with the trophy in 1921, 1922 was subject to his team, however, again in the final. Also in the championship at first remained in 1920 and 1921, only the second place. After Xandl Popovich for the 1922/23 season went to the county rivals Rapid, it worked there with the Championship, the culmination put it however 1923/24, with the Double in the amateurs. His career ended the defender at the WAC, and from there he went to Berlin to Hertha BSC, where he 1926 German was runner-up as a coach, and then to SC Minerva, 1893. From 1941 to 1943 he was responsible for Lazio, in 1945/46, the season FC Bologna and later the AC Pro Sesto.

Achievements

• 2 × Austrian Champion 1922 /23, 1923/24,
• 2 × Austrian runner-up: 1919 /20, 1920/21
• 2 × Austrian Cup winner: 1920 /21, 1923/24,
• 2 × Austrian Cupfinalist: 1919 /20, 1921/22,

• 33 caps and 1 goal for the Austrian national football team from 1911 to 1923