Horst Eckel

Horst Eckel ( born February 8, 1932 in bird Bach, now Bruchmühlbach -Miesau ) is a former German football player. He was a member of the German national team which won the World Cup in 1954.

Family

Since 1957, Eckel has been married to his wife Hannelore. From this marriage two daughters were born.

Football

Eckel played as a teenager for the SC bird creek. At 15, he played for the first time for the first team bird Bach. The longest time (1949-1960) he was active for the first FC Kaiserslautern and then from 1960 to 1966 for the SV Röchling Völklingen he was on the ball with Kaiserslautern in 1951 and 1953 German Masters. For the German national team, he played in the period 1952-1958 as a right outer rotor 38 caps. His final game took place in Braunschweig on 14 April 1969. He was thus the one player in the world championship team of 1954, who ended his active career at the latest.

Eckel acted in bird Bach and initially also in Kaiserslautern very successful in the center forward position. He was quick and was considered clarified and goal threat. Allegedly, at the suggestion of national coach Sepp Herberger Eckel was transferred to the external rotor position, which paid off in the 1954 World Cup. Eckel was indispensable for Fritz Walter, because both on the court, so to speak blindly understood. As initially youngest player Eckel came to the nickname " Benjamin ", because of his running strength and lean stature he was called also the " Greyhound ". In his hometown of bird Bach, however, he was called " the Zeeb " ( westpfälzisch for toe). Eckel was one of five Kaiserslauterern in the team that won the World Cup was on July 4, 1954 in Bern with a 3-2 final victory over Hungary. Eckel took like Fritz Walter participated in all six games.

Eckel is the Sepp Herberger Foundation since 1997 representative. He supports the initiative as an ambassador respect! No place for racism.

Eckel and Hans Schaefer are the two last surviving player of the German World Cup team, who stood in the 1954 final on the court.

Lotto Elf

For some time, Horst Eckel plays in the lottery Elf with former players such as Wolfgang Overath and Bernd Hölzenbein or trained them.

Profession

Eckel initially trained as a toolmaker at the Pfaff sewing machine factory in Kaiserslautern before he retrained for educators. He studied art and sport for the secondary school teacher and was, until his retirement as a teacher at the secondary school in Kusel and in Morbach active. There he taught sports and works. In his retirement, he worked with correctional facilities to identify juvenile delinquents with the help of football prospects.

Awards

• 2004: Great Federal Cross of Merit
• 2005: regional multiple DB gets its name.

Film and literature

Horst Eckel was the technical advisor to Sönke Wortmann on his film The Miracle of Bern, which describes the events surrounding the World Cup victory in 1954. In the film, Horst Eckel is played by Holger Dexne.

2004, on the 50th anniversary of the endgame in Bern, Horst Eckel published together with Volker Neumann Agon Sport Verlag, Kassel the book The 84th Minute (ISBN 978-3897842533 ).