Harald Schumacher

Football player infobox
playername= Toni Schumacher


fullname = Harald Anton Schumacher
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1954|3|6
cityofbirth = Düren
countryofbirth = West Germany
height = height|meters=1.86
currentclub = retired
position = Goalkeeper
years = 1972-1987
1987-1988
1988-1991
1991-1992
1995-1996
clubs = 1. FC Köln
FC Schalke 04
Fenerbahçe SK
FC Bayern München
Borussia Dortmund
caps(goals) = 422 (0)
033 (0)
065 (0)
008 (0)
001 (0)
nationalyears = 1979-1986
nationalteam = Germany
nationalcaps(goals) = 076 (0)
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Harald Anton Schumacher (born March 6, 1954 in Düren, West Germany), commonly known as Toni Schumacher, was a football goalkeeper of the 1980s, member of the West German national team, with which he won the 1980 European Championship and lost two World Cup finals, in 1982 and 1986. He was also involved in a highly controversial incident in the 1982 World Cup semifinal against France when he collided with French defender Patrick Battiston.

On the field, Schumacher was an effective goalkeeper, and was one of the first keepers to master a one-armed throw that could propel the ball well into the opponents' half.

He is married to Jasmin Schumacher and has a daughter (Perla-Marie). He has a son, Oliver, and daughter, Vanessa, from his previous marriage to Marlies Schumacher.

International career

Schumacher played 76 international matches for West Germany between 1979 and 1986, including 15 World Cup qualifying matches and 14 World Cup finals matches.

Controversy at 1982 World Cup

Schumacher was involved in a collision with a French defender, substitute Patrick Battiston, in the semi-final of the 1982 World Cup. Both Battiston and Schumacher were chasing down a long-ball pass, sprinting at each other and the ball from opposite directions. Battiston arrived just before Schumacher, firing off a shot to the left of Schumacher. Just before the resulting collision, Schumacher jumped and put his hands in the air and to his left, as if trying to stop the ball, even though the ball already had passed him. He also seemed to oddly twist and contort his legs off to the side of him while mid-flight, resulting in his buttocks actually making the first impact with Battiston. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3byTNRoxujo YouTube video of Schumacher's foul on Battiston] ] Afterwards, Battiston was prone, unmoving on the pitch, with his two front teeth knocked out and damaged vertebrae. He received oxygen on the pitch. [ [http://www.germany2006.tv/page/legends/0,,11994~838668,00.html World Cup History] ] Michel Platini later said that he thought that Battiston was dead, because "he had no pulse and looked pale". [ [http://www.planetworldcup.com/SPECIALS/ger_fra82.html Russian Roulette in Seville] ] The Dutch referee Charles Corver awarded a goal kick, since Battiston's shot had sailed wide of the goal and rolled out of play. The score was 3-3 after extra time, and Germany won the match on penalties. A photograph of the incident can be seen at the BBC News article "World's worst refereeing decisions". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4148525.stm World's worst refereeing decisions] ]

When West Germany and France met again in World Cup 1986, Battiston said that the incident was "forgiven and forgotten". However, he said that he was wary of getting "close to Schumacher" and said that he would hold a distance of at least 40 meters from the German goalkeeper. Schumacher would not comment on the incident. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50714F63A5B0C768EDDAF0894DE484D81 World Cup; Semifinal Stirs '82 Memories] ]

Autobiography

In 1987, Schumacher's autobiography, "Anpfiff", was published in various countries, including France ("Coup de sifflet", Monique Thiollet translat., Michel Lafon ed.).

There was much interest in Schumacher's comments on the Battiston incident and he maintained that his actions did not constitute a foul and that he was only trying to get the ball.

The book achieved its own measure of controversy for entirely different reasons; it included graphic accounts of alleged but unproven improprieties by German football players, including substance abuse. This resulted in Schumacher's exclusion from the German national team and his long-term Bundesliga club, 1. FC Köln.

Trivia

* Schumacher writes in his book "Anpfiff" that the nickname Toni is derived from his second name Anton and the goalkeeper Toni Turek (world champion in 1954). During the early years of Schumacher's engagement at the 1. FC Köln there was also another "Harald" (Konopka) playing and two "Haralds" could have led to misunderstandings and so the team called him "Toni".
*He holds the record of appearances for 1.FC Köln.
*Schumacher was voted worlds best goalkeeper of the tournament in 1986.
*Schumacher was one of the main reasons American goalkeeper Ian Feuer started to take football seriously. After being told by Schumacher to move to Europe to develop his goalkeeping skills, Feuer had spells at English Premier League sides West Ham United and Derby County.

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References

External links

* [http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/schumacher-intl.html Detail of international matches, by RSSSF]
* [http://www.leverkusen.com/whoiswho/whoiswho.php4?view=Schumach Leverkusen who's who]
* [http://www.stern.de/lifestyle/leute/584326.html?q=Schumacher Interview with the German magazine "STERN"]