From a club that had won the German league on 6 occasions to currently plying their trade in Germany's second division, the decline of Hamburger SV has been shocking and heartbreaking. There was a time when they were arguably the best in Germany though, and this article will be looking at a star player during their golden era.
The player is Horst Hrubesch, who was popularly known as Das Kopfball-Ungeheuer (the Header Beast) for his devastating heading skills. Hrubesch was an integral centre forward for both club and country at the time, paying a huge role in both their successes. Let us look back at his thriving years in German football.
Club career
After playing for several small clubs like Germania Hamm, Hammer SpVg, and SC Westtünnen, Hrubesch was signed by Rot-Weiss Essen at age 24. He a remarkable 3 year stint at the club, which saw him score 80 goals in just 83 appearances.
Those heroics lead to Hamburg signing him in 1978, where his career reached new heights. It was at Hamburg that Hrubesch became one of the most forwards in the Bundesliga. His partnership in particular with fellow HSV right wingback Manfred Kaltz proved to be devastating, with Kaltz providing world-class crosses that utilized Hrubesch's excellent heading abilities.
It was a golden period for both Hrubesch and HSV, as they won the West German championship on three occasions in 1972,1982, and 1983. His time at HSV saw him score 96 goals in 159 appearances.
The year of 1983 was arguably the most special for him. In addition to their league success, Hrubesch and Hamburg made history by winning 1983 European Cup. Despite being the underdogs, Hamburg overcame favorites Juventus 1-0 to to achieve the European dream.
The victory was indeed well deserved for Hamburg and Hrubesch, as they suffered 2 major European final losses before this historic win. One was their 1982 UEFA Cup final against IFK Göteborg, and the other was the 1980 European Cup Final against Nottingham Forest. The 1980 final in particular was heartbreaking for Hrubesch, who was injured shortly before the game and could only feature as a half time substitute.
As the 1983 season concluded, Hrubesch bid farewell to his legendary spell at Hamburg. The next chapter of his career was at Belgian club Standard Liège, where he spent 2 years.
Before calling time on his career, Hrubesch made one final homecoming to the Bundesliga. His final club was Borussia Dortmund, where he spent a single season. It wasn't his most prolific stint at a German club, although he appeared in over half their games that season.
By the time Hrubesch hanged up his boots, he left his mark as one of Bundesliga's finest ever forwards with 136 goals in 224 appearances.
International legacy
The heroics of Hrubesch extended to the international stage as well. He achieved eternal status in Germany for his legendary 1980 UEFA Euro final performance, in which he scored a brace to help Germany beat Belgium 2-1.
Hrubesch's historic performance was also a personal moment of redemption for the German, who just came back from his club's devastating European Cup final loss against Nottingham Forest FC.
Another highlight of his international career was scoring the winning-penalty that knocked out France from the 1982 FIFA World Cup semi-final. Germany's next match in the finals was against Italy, which they ended up losing. The lose robbed Hrubesch's opportunity to become a world champion, and it was also his final appearance for the national team.
Despite being a latecomer to the international, Hrubesch was able to carve out a legendary status for the national side as well. He retired from the beautiful game as one of Germany's finest.
Also Read | Greatest German Footballers of all time
