Toni Turek
Encyclopedia
Toni Turek, real name Anton Turek, (18 January 1919 – 11 May 1984) was a German
football
goalkeeper.
.
He started his career at Duisburger Sportverein, but he soon switched to TuS Duisburg 48/99
. In 1950 he switched to Fortuna Düsseldorf
. Between 1950 and 1954 he played 20 games for the German national team
. He played in "The Miracle of Bern
" 1954 FIFA World Cup
final against Hungary
and won the Championship.
After a fine save from a very close shot by Nandor Hidegkuti
, he was described by the sports reporter Herbert Zimmermann with the words "Turek, you're a football God". He later had to apologize for that comment because the church complained about the comparison of a football player with God.
The first time his later coach Sepp Herberger
had noticed Toni Turek was on 27 September 1936, when Germany
played a preparation game against Luxembourg
in Krefeld
. Before that game, the youth teams of Krefeld and TuS Duisburg 48/99 had met with the 17-year-old Turek standing in the Duisburg goal. During World War II
Turek was lucky things didn't turn out worse for him as a shell splinter struck through his helmet.
Turek died in Neuss
in 1984. He had been paralyzed from the waist down since August 1973.
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
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper.
Biography
Turek was born in DuisburgDuisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
.
He started his career at Duisburger Sportverein, but he soon switched to TuS Duisburg 48/99
Eintracht Duisburg 1848
Eintracht Duisburg is a German sportsclub from the city of Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Founded in 1848 it is one of the country's oldest sport associations.-History:...
. In 1950 he switched to Fortuna Düsseldorf
Fortuna Düsseldorf
' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga...
. Between 1950 and 1954 he played 20 games for the 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 played in "The Miracle of Bern
The Miracle of Bern
The Miracle of Bern is a 2003 film by Sönke Wortmann, which tells the story of a German family and the unexpected West German miracle victory in the 1954 World Cup Final in Bern, Switzerland.The film can be regarded as a portrait of post-war Germany...
" 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...
final against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and won the Championship.
After a fine save from a very close shot by Nandor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti was a Hungarian football player and manager. He played as a forward or attacking midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career at MTK Hungária FC. During the 1950s he was also a member of the Hungarian National Team team known as the Golden Team...
, he was described by the sports reporter Herbert Zimmermann with the words "Turek, you're a football God". He later had to apologize for that comment because the church complained about the comparison of a football player with God.
The first time his later coach Sepp Herberger
Sepp Herberger
Josef "Sepp" Herberger was a German football player and manager...
had noticed Toni Turek was on 27 September 1936, when 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....
played a preparation game against Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
in Krefeld
Krefeld
Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine...
. Before that game, the youth teams of Krefeld and TuS Duisburg 48/99 had met with the 17-year-old Turek standing in the Duisburg goal. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Turek was lucky things didn't turn out worse for him as a shell splinter struck through his helmet.
Turek died in Neuss
Neuss
Neuss is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district and owes its prosperity to its location at the crossing of historic and modern trade routes. It is primarily known...
in 1984. He had been paralyzed from the waist down since August 1973.