Helmut Haller

Helmut Haller (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛlmuːt ˈhalɐ]; 21 July 1939 – 11 October 2012) was a German footballer who played as a forward. At international level, he represented West Germany at three World Cups. At club level, he played in both Germany and Italy, and won Italian league titles with Bologna and Juventus. He suffered of dementia and Parkinson's disease.

Helmut Haller

Haller with Juventus in 1969
Personal information
Date of birth	(1939-07-21)21 July 1939
Place of birth	Augsburg, German Reich
Date of death	11 October 2012(2012-10-11) (aged 73)
Place of death	Augsburg, Germany
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1948–1957	BC Augsburg
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1957–1962	BC Augsburg	85	(24)
1962–1968	Bologna	180	(48)
1968–1973	Juventus	116	(21)
1973–1976	FC Augsburg	79	(21)
1976–1977	BSV Schwenningen	2	(0)
1977–1979	FC Augsburg	15	(2)
Total		477	(116)
International career
1958–1970	West Germany	33	(13)
Medal record Men's football Representing  West Germany FIFA World Cup Runner-up 1966 England 1970 Mexico
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Style of play

Haller (left) playing for the Bianconeri in 1971 against Verona

Both a playmaker and goalscorer, Haller was noted for his exceptional technique and finesse as a striker, yet also for his weight problems, which troubled him throughout his career.^[1] In Italy Haller is considered one of the greatest wingers and player of Bologna in the sixties.^[2] He currently remains famed for his "irresistible dribbling, his innate genius, his great eye for goal, his charisma."^[3]

Personal life

On Boxing Day 2006, Haller suffered a serious heart attack and was reported to be recovering well after treatment. Later he also suffered from dementia and Parkinson's disease. Haller died on 11 October 2012. He was survived by his third wife, the native Cuban Noraimy Rodriguez Guiterrez, whom he married in 2003 when she was aged just 21, two sons and a daughter.^[4] Haller was also an uncle of Christian Hochstätter, a long-serving Borussia Mönchengladbach player and twice West German international.

Honours

Club

Bologna

• Serie A: 1963–64

Juventus

From left to right: club doctor La Neve, Marchetti, Morini, Haller and Anastasi celebrate the Italian title won by Juventus in the 1972–73 season

• Serie A: 1971–72, 1972–73
• European Cup: Runner-up: 1972–73
• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: Runner-up: 1971
• Coppa Italia: Runner-up: 1972–73

Augsburg

• Regionalliga Süd: 1973–74

International

Germany

• FIFA World Cup: Runner-up 1966, Third-place 1970