Rudolf Wetzer
Rudolf " Rudi " Wetzer ( born March 17, 1901 in Temesvár, Austria - Hungary, † April 13, 1993 in Haifa, Israel) was a Romanian football player and coach. He is considered the first professional footballers in Romania.
Club career
Wetzer began his footballing career in his hometown as a thirteen- year-old at the Railway Sports Club CS Chinezul Timişoara before it for a season to Budapest sister club Törekvés SC moved in 1921, where he rushed to the side of Ferenc Hirzer and Arpad Weisz and took fourth place in the Hungarian Championship. He then returned to the homeland and played at city rivals Unirea Timişoara.
In 1924 he again went abroad and joined for a season the Beogradski SK on, before he returned to his original club. With Chinezul he could get 1926 and 1927 respectively the Romanian championship. In 1928, he accepted an offer of Újpest FC and moved for the second time to Budapest, where he played under the name Rudolf Veder.
After his return from Hungary, where he also worked at Pécs - Baranya, he won with Juventus Bucharest the league title in 1930 and moved to another year at Juventus for the 1931/32 season as player-coach to Ripensia Timişoara. Ripensia was the first professional football club in Romania and since the Berufsspielertum was not introduced until 1932, the club did not participate in the official game mode. 1932, professional football was introduced in France and the clubs of the new Division 1 looked abroad for experienced professional players around. Without the release of the Romanian Association to own, Wetzer signed a contract as player-coach at FC Hyères, where he played together with his compatriot Elek Schwartz. The South of France finished the season just as Gruppenvorletzte and descended to the second division.
Wetzer returned to Romania and was from 1934 to 1936 in Divizia B at ILSA Timişoara served as player-coach. He then moved for a season to Rovine Griviţa Craiova, which was followed by two seasons at Electrica Timişoara. In 1939, he tied up the last time the football boots in a competitive match, again for Rovine Griviţa Craiova. After the Second World War, Wetzer his career as coach continued, including at Dinamo Bucharest.
National
Rudolf Wetzer was first appointed in 1923 in the Romanian national football team and played in the 1-2 against Yugoslavia to the Freundschaftscup (also called King Alexander Cup ). 1924 took the Romanians participated in the Summer Olympics, where Wetzer was used in the only game of his team, a 0:6 against the Netherlands in the second round, as a center forward. His first two goals in the national jersey he scored in 1925 against Bulgaria.
In 1930, the Romanians had confirmed their attendance at the inaugural FIFA World Cup. After a few weeks of departure was lost to the Freundschaftscup against Yugoslavia, the annual game, Wetzer who had no play in the national team more disputed since about two years, was called up for the final preparation match against Greece during the Balkan Cup. The game ended with a 8-1 success, Wetzer scored five goals and had thus his ticket to Uruguay in the bag. At the World Championships he ran into two group games on as captain after a 0-4 defeat against Uruguay, the tournament for the Romanians was completed.
His last game for the national team was a 0-2 against Bulgaria at Balkancup 1932. Overall, he played 17 times for Romania, scoring twelve goals.
Achievements
Relationship
Rudolf is the oldest of three brothers who were active in the Romanian football scene.
Stefan Wetzer ( born May 7, 1906 in Temesvár, Austria - Hungary, † 1985) played at Chinezul Timişoara, Timişoara Unirea, Juventus Bucharest and Rapid Bucharest before he worked as a trainer until 1966.
Johann Wetzer ( born August 3, 1916 in Temesvár, Austria - Hungary) was a player in Banatul Timişoara, Timişoara and Rapid Bucharest Chinezul, three-time Romanian national team and later coach in Turnu Severin.