Günter Bernard
Günter Bernard ( * November 4, 1939 ) is a former German football goalkeeper. He is the son of two-time national player Robert Bernard. In Oberliga times he played at the 1 FC Schweinfurt 05, in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen in 1965 he won the German championship. He was also in the squad of the German national football team in England in 1966 Vice World Champion.
Club career
Günter Bernard began his career in 1954 as a field player at the 1 FC Schweinfurt 05 After two years he moved to the door and was already 18 years old made his debut in the 1.Mannschaft in the Oberliga Süd. Since he 05 not qualified with Schweinfurt for the newly founded Bundesliga, he moved after he had negotiated with the 1st FC Nuremberg, before the season 1963/64, to Werder Bremen.
His first Bundesliga season, however, was marked by injury problems. At a torn ligament followed by a meniscus surgery. Not until the 19th Round celebrated with a 2-0 victory over 1.FC Kaiserslautern his comeback. However, in the next few games he did not have a happy figure. Against 1 FC Cologne, he began a 40- meter shot and also in the 0:7 swatter against Eintracht Frankfurt multiple hits went on his cap. Despite this, the games in which his factual Goalkeeper game and its enormous reaction speed was the main focus predominated.
As Werder before the season 1964/65 with Horst -Dieter Höttges and Heinz Steinmann undertook two new defender, Bernard remained in this season in 12 games without conceding a goal and the myth of the "Bremer Concrete " was born. This was also a reason that the only one who had denied his side all the games Bernard, with Werder on the last match against 1.FC Nuremberg celebrated the championship. The following season, he was still a strong support and also impressed in the European Cup games. The 1968 season saw Werder Bremen then a good second place. In the following years he was in the club but not without controversy. Because due to his height Bernard had always problems with the penalty area, but this is made up for by a perfect positional play and an unshakable calm. He won against Klaus Lambertz, Karl Loweg and Fritz Stefens.
In the 1970/71 season Bernard experienced probably the strangest game of his career, as the 27.Match day against Borussia Mönchengladbach after Bernard had previously secured a 1-1 draw with great saves his team at Bökelberg in the 88th minute, Gladbach Herbert Laumen in a header fell into the goal net, after which the wooden post broke and the door collapsed. Once the gate could not be erected again, the game was stopped and counted 2-0 for Bremen.
After the commitment of Dieter Burdenski Bernard was supposed to move into second place, but Burdenksi suffered a broken fibula and thus asked the skill of the now 33 -year-old was back. He was at this time the goalkeeper with the most Bundesliga inserts.
After this season, he then took voluntary on the bench and was founded in 1974 with a testimonial match against an international selection in which players like Franz Beckenbauer, Uwe Seeler, Uli Hoeness and Enver Marić played, adopted. Bernard moved once more to the amateur division Atlas Delmenhorst and ended there his active career final. Now he took a job as a general agent for a sporting goods company.
National
Günter Bernard came in 1961 for the first time with the DFB in contact and made despite strong competition from Manfred Manglitz and Wolfgang Fahrian to 4 inserts in the junior national team U 23
His debut in the senior team, he was in the 2nd half against France on 24 October 1962, 75,000 fans in Stuttgart Neckar Stadium, which ended with 2:2. There was another game this year. Due to the good performances in the Bundesliga in 1966 he came to two other stakes, and he was appointed to the German squad at the World Championships in 1966, remained there but without use.
After the World Cup, he then stood in the shadow of Sepp Maier. His last international match played Günter Bernard on May 9, 1968 in Wales, when he came on in the 26th minute. He ended his career in the national team upset because he felt wronged against Maier and Horst Wolter.
Overall, Bernard made five matches, but sat at almost 25 on the bench, so he was known as "eternal reservist ."