Horst Eckel leaves a gap that can not close anyone

The SV Rolling Volkswagen is a football team from Germany playing in Oberlin Rhineland-Palatinate/ Saar, one of the regional leagues that compose the 5th Football Division in the country.

Horst Nickel always liked to talk about this particular 50s, by the time so called post-war. And it was always a pleasure to listen to him. The Palatinate loved a narrative that was clear, concise and yet full of compassion. And when you met him, he was constantly aware of its special responsibility as a witness, even in private. No matter how cleverly written history book could have replaced him. Now the Heroes of 1954 have all died. That Nickel is gone, leaving a void that no one can close.

The thoroughbred athletes had become for many years the face of Germany's first World Cup victory, turned The Miracle of Bern as One Workman 2003, Nickel made with as a counselor in the background. Other players from 1954 had died early in part, or had — like the Essene's scorer Helmut Ran — has long been withdrawn from an event that for many decades should touch people deeply long and changed not only the German football forever.

An athletic feat invites an entire country on new

There are known historians who stress that this sporting feat've recharged the whole country, in a positive sense. And that against the big favorites from Hungary represents this victory the actual founding myth of the Bonn Republic. After the defeat in the war we were back who, also said Nickel. And he never left a doubt that his national pride had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with Nazism. But was killed in the war and his beloved, elder brother Hans.

Horst Nickel in the final against his adversary Candor Hideout. Imago images / Verdi Charting

Fanatic just on the pitch

He was fanatically just on the pitch. We Hungarians years later repeatedly hit, said Nickel Switzerland Eckel 75th before his birthday. The first three times they have not spoken to us Imagine the times before. They just sat there, not kinked Slowly they have opened Only then we realized that they were almost all good German Die Wait... have been terrible after the defeat in Bern has for them. They were badly treated as traitors.

Have been terrible> The time after the defeat in Bern has for them. They were badly treated as traitors.

Horst Nickel on the Hungarian final opponents of 1954

and a cunning evergreen — in Switzerland Nickel of Benjamin was

Nickel was born on February 8, 1932, in Vogelbach, located about 30 kilometers west of Kaiserslautern. He was with 22 years the youngest player of national coach Sept Hershberger at the tournament in Switzerland. The gaunt external rotor was therefore also called Benjamin. Only he and his mentor Fritz Walter used to play in this tournament, which also had to do with the fact that both were an experienced team on the field, also they were among the five players of 1. FC Kaiserslautern, which in 1954 were in the Germany squad.

All five 1954 World Champion of FCC before Horst Nickel gate at the Gutenberg: Fritz Walter, Ottoman Walter, Werner Kohl Meyer, Werner Dietrich and even Horst Nickel. Imago images / Jan Huber

Nickel was considered strong in the tackle, his ambition was known, his attitude: Who trusted him, which he gave back his confidence. You have to be reliable in life and on the court, the one running for the other, and above all, never give up until the end! These are values ​​that got Horst Nickel to hear from Sept Hershberger, he always held up himself, and made known to German football. The Hungarians led indeed 2: 0, but in the end the Germans won 3: 2nd The fight had been worthwhile. At the same time, the midfielder was technically but quite savvy and understanding the way; During a game, he was one of those who always pro-active.

Feinmechaniker Nickel Socialist full-time professional Hideout disallowing

The Greyhound, his second nickname if its spills skills, hence received the Bernese finale of Hershberger a special task assigned to one of the game-winning measures: Nickel should the Hungarian center forward Candor Hideout, who was always fall back into midfield tackle, certainly, always fair, but also relentless. Horst Nickel abolished the largely as he put it, knowing that the Hungarian players were hired as a rule from the military and could train every day. They were socialist full-time professionals, while a man like Nickel worked as a precision mechanic at the Faff plants in Kaiserslautern and the week was able to complete only two training sessions with FCC. The rest was voluntary with him after work he bolt with long runs condition to compete internationally.

German champion with 19 — Hershberger familiarizes the humblest from the Palatinate

After the trained striker was changed with 17 to 1. FC Kaiserslautern, he ran in the final of the German championship against Prussia Münster in 1951 as a 19-year-old in the final. With success. Nickel pulled out a lot of self-confidence, completed 214 Oberlin games, shot 64 goals. Still three times he stood in such a final. Once, 1953 against the CFB, he went again as a winner from the square. In 1954, just before the World Cup, there was a 1: 5 debacle against Hanover 96.

In the heart of the FCC fans: Horst Nickel. Imago Images / Thomas Frey

But despite all criticism, Hershberger was stubborn and took his five Palmer in Switzerland. Overall, Nickel completed 32 internationals, even at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, he participated and became fourth. In November 1958, at 2: 2 against Austria in Berlin, with only 26 years, Nickel finished his country career. Two years later, he also stopped his career at the FCC, changed from professional reasons to third division SV Rolling Volkswagen. There he led the company sports, where he ended with 34 his active time.

Second career as a teacher and football up to 80

His second phase of life had long begun. Nickel scored the second educational path, studied sports in Trier and finally taught sports, art and works on Realschulen in Mirach and Used from 1970. Football he played in various celebrity teams down to the old age of over 80 years, also table tennis and tennis were long time to his daily everyday program.

When Fritz Walter 1997 was resigned as a representative of the Sepp-Herberger Foundation for health reasons, Nickel became his successor. In this feature, he visited prisons, he tried to prepare longtime inmates in countless talks on a new life. Until recently, Horst Nickel lived in his place of birth Vogelbach, he leaves his wife Bangalore, with which he was married to 64 years, two daughters and two grandchildren.