Dieter Eckstein is a retired German football player, who played for several German clubs plus clubs in Switzerland and West Ham United

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

 in England.

He played for the West Germany national team, earning seven caps. Eckstein was a participant at the EURO 1988

1988 UEFA European Football Championship

The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football...

.

After retirement

On 1 July 2011, while playing in a charity match for amateur side VfR Regensburg, Eckstein had a heart failure and fell into a coma. He was transferred to the University hospital at Regensburg

Regensburg

Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...

, where his situation was stablised. The incident is thought to not have caused any permanent damage to his body.