Herbert Erhardt
Encyclopedia
Herbert 'Ertl' Erhard also known as Herbert Erhardt, was a German
footballer. As a central defender, he played for SpVgg Fürth
and Bayern Munich. He was known for his hard tackling, doggedness and captain like performances. The DFB German Football Association
(German FA) list him in the top 20 best German defenders of all time, and Bayern Munich included him in their best 16 in a team made up in the 80s of famous past players.
Erhard started out as a full back before being used as a half back
by the mid-1950s. He then settled in the center half position by the end of the 1950s. He earned 50 caps for the West-German national football team, and was a member of the German team which won the 1954 FIFA World Cup
. He also participated in two other World Cups, in 1958
and 1962
.
Although Erhard did not play in the 1954 World Cup, coach Sepp Herberger
toyed with the idea of changing his defense by adding Erhardt as the left back in the final game against Hungary
instead of Werner Kohlmeyer
, but eventually decided to keep the same lineup as in the semifinal against Austria
. Sepp Herberger proved his tactical acumen by moving Erhardt to central defense in early-1958. In this new stopper role, Erhard proved to be a stand-out for Germany
during the 1958 FIFA World Cup
and he remained Germany's standard stopper until his retirement from international play in September 1962. Between 1959 and 1962 Erhard had captained Germany 16 times.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
footballer. As a central defender, he played for SpVgg Fürth
SpVgg Greuther Fürth
SpVgg Greuther Fürth is a German association football club based in Fürth, Bavaria. The club was formed when the senior football side of newcomer Turn- und Sportverein Vestenbergsgreuth joined traditional club Spielvereinigung Fürth on 1 July 1996...
and Bayern Munich. He was known for his hard tackling, doggedness and captain like performances. The DFB German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
(German FA) list him in the top 20 best German defenders of all time, and Bayern Munich included him in their best 16 in a team made up in the 80s of famous past players.
Erhard started out as a full back before being used as a half back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
by the mid-1950s. He then settled in the center half position by the end of the 1950s. He earned 50 caps for the West-German national football team, and was a member of the German team which won the 1954 FIFA World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
. He also participated in two other World Cups, in 1958
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
and 1962
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
.
Although Erhard did not play in the 1954 World Cup, coach Sepp Herberger
Sepp Herberger
Josef "Sepp" Herberger was a German football player and manager...
toyed with the idea of changing his defense by adding Erhardt as the left back in the final game against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
instead of Werner Kohlmeyer
Werner Kohlmeyer
Werner Kohlmeyer was a German footballer.He was part of the West German team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. In total he earned 22 caps for West Germany. He also played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 1941 to 1957.His position was that of a left full back...
, but eventually decided to keep the same lineup as in the semifinal against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
. Sepp Herberger proved his tactical acumen by moving Erhardt to central defense in early-1958. In this new stopper role, Erhard proved to be a stand-out for Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
during the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
and he remained Germany's standard stopper until his retirement from international play in September 1962. Between 1959 and 1962 Erhard had captained Germany 16 times.