Josef Humpál

Josef " Pepi " Humpal ( born January 30, 1918 in Olomouc, † December 20, 1984 in Neuchâtel ) was a Czechoslovak football player and coach, who stood for a significant part of his career at the French and Swiss clubs under contract.

For what reasons Humpal 1946 moved to France, is not known. It is clear, however, that he at first thought it was good deal in the local professional football, and played a key role in ensuring that his first employer, FC Sochaux, in the summer of 1947, the championship of Division 2 and won rose to the highest league. He played 41 of 42 league games and scored by the 141 gates of the " Peugeot's Self" amazing 45 itself also in the following Erstligajahren fulfilled " Pepi " as the man was known for his high forehead by followers soon lovingly, expectations; it struck him credit, he had a strike partner in the nine years older club legend Roger Courtois, with whom he well knew how and who was both a goal threat as well as a good template generator itself. In the 1947/48 season as Sochaux finished promoted a decent ninth place, Humpal scored 20 goals and made ​​it so to # 5 on the scoring charts. In addition, the team struggled in the Cup before the quarter-finals, in which then, however, the FC Nancy proved stronger. The following year, the FC reached in Division 1 even a fifth place, and Joseph Humpal was due to his 26 goals together with the LOSC - scorer Jean baratte French scorer. In the following two seasons (1949-1951), the sochaliens and with them their strike duo were in terms of performance somewhat, reached in 1950 but once again the Cup quarter-finals and the League on both occasions midfielder secure placements.

For the season 1951/52, the Zweitdivisionär SO Montpellier attracted the Czechs as player-coach in the south of France. Also in this new dual role, he was successful: his team was second and was promoted to the top flight and " Pepi " had 21 times let it ring in the opposing box. However, he left after the season the Languedoc and returned to the northeast of the country back to likewise with 16 hits there to help Racing Strasbourg immediately upon return to the Division 1. Then the Alsatian made ​​him for the next two years to player coach and he was next to the touchline as successful as before on the lawn: 1953/54, No. 6, in 1954/55 even 4th place and also a successful Cup course (including with victories over FC Sochaux and Nancy FC ), which only ended in the semifinals later in the cup winners Lille OSC. Humpal has, after all, still positioned in these two years in twelve Erstligabegegnungen ourselves, with 37 years, one last time to overcome the opposing goalkeeper at this level.

From 1955 he has again trained with the AS Béziers a southern French team, also there ten times set up in 1957 in the Division 2 itself, yet also scored one goal and made ​​the ascent in 1957. Overall, Josef Humpal has indeed won in France as a player only in 1949 the title of the scorer, but he is in 131 encounters the Division 1 67 goals and in 116 Division 2 - games 83 Hits succeeded - the lion's share of 1946-1953 - what a most excellent results in hit ratios. He is also four times risen from the second to the first division.

Stations

• SK Bata Zlín (1938-1946)
• Football Club de Sochaux -Montbéliard (1946-1951, of which 1946/47 in D2)
• Stade Olympique Montpelliérain ( 1951/52, in D2)

The coach

About Josef Humpáls subsequent years as coach the data situation is just as with respect to other biographical information much thinner and incomplete. After the above Erstligaaufstieg with the AS Béziers in 1957 he became head coach; the prompt re descent meant that he returned to Racing Strasbourg, with which he in 1959 in the Division 1 11th and 18th place in 1960, which meant relegation reached. He then moved to Switzerland, where he at least the next ten years in Neuchâtel - was located - just over 70 km from Sochaux; his later stations Yverdon and Fribourg lie in this region in western Switzerland.

Over the intervening years is not known whether and where he worked. Shortly before Christmas 1984, " Pepi " Humpal died in Neuchâtel.

Literature / Sources

• Hubert Beaudet: Le Championnat et ses champions. 70 ans de Football en France. Alan Sutton, Saint- Cyr- sur -Loire 2002 ISBN 2-84253-762-9