Max Morlock
Encyclopedia
Maximilian Morlock (born 11 May 1925 in Nuremberg
— died 10 September 1994 in Nuremberg) was one of the most popular German
football players in the 1950s and early 1960s. In his time with the West German national team
, he earned 26 caps and scored 21 goals. His position was that of an inside right forward.
In his youth he learned to play soccer at the Eintracht Nürnberg. In 1940 he became member of the then famous 1. FC Nuremberg, debuting in the first team on 30 November 1941. Until 1964 he appeared more than 900 times in the first team of the so called Club and scored about 700 goals. In 1948 and 1961 he led the team to German championships, in 1962 to the German Cup
. 38 years old he even appeared 21 times in the founding season of the German Bundesliga
. He also was top scorer of the Oberliga Süd in 1950–51 and 1951–52.
His first cap for the national team was in 1950, when he played instead of the injured Fritz Walter
. He was a member of the West German team that won their first World Cup in 1954. In the final match against Hungary
Morlock scored West Germany's first goal to start the comeback after going 2–0 down. He received his last cap in a friendly game against Egypt in December 1958.
As a player, Morlock's strengths were a sound technique coupled with fighting spirit. As a linkman he felt at home best between defense and attack, but he was also dangerous in front of the goal.
Max Morlock died from cancer
in 1994, aged 69.
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
— died 10 September 1994 in Nuremberg) was one of the most popular German
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...
football players in the 1950s and early 1960s. In his time with the West German national team
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....
, he earned 26 caps and scored 21 goals. His position was that of an inside right forward.
In his youth he learned to play soccer at the Eintracht Nürnberg. In 1940 he became member of the then famous 1. FC Nuremberg, debuting in the first team on 30 November 1941. Until 1964 he appeared more than 900 times in the first team of the so called Club and scored about 700 goals. In 1948 and 1961 he led the team to German championships, in 1962 to the German Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
. 38 years old he even appeared 21 times in the founding season of the German Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
. He also was top scorer of the Oberliga Süd in 1950–51 and 1951–52.
His first cap for the national team was in 1950, when he played instead of the injured Fritz Walter
Fritz Walter
Friedrich "Fritz" Walter was a German footballer. In his time with the German national team, he won 61 caps and scored 33 goals.-Early club career:...
. He was a member of the West German team that won their first World Cup in 1954. In the final match against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
Morlock scored West Germany's first goal to start the comeback after going 2–0 down. He received his last cap in a friendly game against Egypt in December 1958.
As a player, Morlock's strengths were a sound technique coupled with fighting spirit. As a linkman he felt at home best between defense and attack, but he was also dangerous in front of the goal.
Max Morlock died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1994, aged 69.
Honours
- In 1961 he was elected German Footballer of the YearGerman Footballer of the YearThe title Footballer of the Year has been awarded in Germany since 1960. In 1996 the title Women's Footballer of the Year was awarded for the first time. Both awards are determined by a poll of German football journalists from the Association of German Sports Journalists and the publication Kicker...
by the Association of German Sports Journalists. - In 1995, less than a year after his death, the squareTown squareA town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
in front of the FrankenstadionFrankenstadionThe Frankenstadion is a stadium in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany, which was opened in 1928. It is located next to the Zeppelinfeld. It also neighbors the new Nuremberg Arena....
, home of the 1. FC Nuremberg, was renamed Max-Morlock-Platz in his honour. The stadium's postal addressAddress (geography)An address is a collection of information, presented in a mostly fixed format, used for describing the location of a building, apartment, or other structure or a plot of land, generally using political boundaries and street names as references, along with other identifiers such as house or...
is Max-Morlock-Platz 1. - In 2006, a majority of fans voted in favour of renaming the Frankenstadion itself into "Max-Morlock-Stadion", but the city of NürnbergNurembergNuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
instead won a sponsorship deal with a local bank, which included renaming the stadium EasyCredit-Stadion after one of that bank's financial products.