Ernst Happel: Legendary football manager
Ernst Happel, the legendary manager started his career by taking 25-yard shots at his own goal.
Early years and his love for Rapid Wien
Born in Innsbruck Austria, Happel began his professional playing career in 1942 with Rapid Wien making his debut as a 17-year-old. In what would be Happel’s first of 2 spells with the club the defender went on to play 177 times for them scoring 8 goals.
During his time at Rapid Wien, he became notorious for deliberately attempting to score own goals when Rapid Wien were dominating games. He would say to his close friend and Rapid’s goalie at the time, Walter Zemen that he was “lucky his pile-drivers didn’t hit him in the head or he’d be dead.”
After 12 years he moved to French side RC Paris where he stayed for just one year scoring 9 goals in 42 matches and in 1956 he moved back to Rapid Wien where he stayed until he retired in 1959 playing another 63 times for them and adding 17 goals to his tally. In total, he won 6 Austrian League titles for Rapid Wien and he won 1 Austrian Cup in 1946.
At international level he played 51 times for his country and he scored 5 goals. He was also a key part of the team who came 3rd at the 1954 World Cup.
Management Career and trophies
After retiring as a player, Happel went into management. He went on to become one of the greatest managers of all time and in 1983 with Hamburg, he became the first manager to ever win the European Cup with 2 different clubs after previously winning the trophy as Feyenoord manager in 1970.
On top of this Happel is one of just 6 managers to have won domestic league titles in at least 4 countries.
Happel won league titles with Feyenoord, Club Brugge, Hamburg and Austrian side Swarovski Tirol. The 1978 and 1983 European Coach of the Year also led the Netherlands to be runners up in the 1978 World Cup where they lost 3-1 to Argentina after extra time.
Sadly Happel died aged 66 in 1992 but his legacy is immortal and his achievements were recognised by the Austrian footballing authorities in 1992 when they named the national 50,000 seater stadium after him in Vienna.
Click here for more top quality Football content
