Helmut Haller

Helmut Haller

Haller with Juventus in the late 1960s
Personal information
Date of birth	(1939-07-21)21 July 1939
Place of birth	Augsburg, Germany
Date of death	11 October 2012(2012-10-11) (aged 73)
Place of death	Augsburg, Germany
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	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)
National team
1958–1970	West Germany	33	(13)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Helmut Haller (21 July 1939 – 11 October 2012) was a German footballer who represented West Germany at three World Cups. He won Italian league titles with Bologna and Juventus.

In his club career, Haller played from 1948 until 1962 for BC Augsburg, before being lured to Italy by a one off fee of 750,000 Marks and an annual salary of 200,000 Marks. Back then in Germany player salaries were officially limited to 500 Marks per month – an amount that rose to 2500 Marks after the introduction of the Bundesliga as unified first division in 1963. In Italy Haller encountered with Albert Brülls, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger and Horst Szymaniak three more German World Cup participants of 1962.

Initially Haller played for Bologna, winning in 1964 under coach Fulvio Bernardini the first Italian league title for the club in 23 years and the hitherto last in the club's history. From 1968 until 1973 he played for Juventus where he won the league in 1972 and 1973. In 1973 Juventus – with Dino Zoff in goal, Franco Causio, Fabio Capello and the Brazilian José Altafini – reached the European Champions Cup final in Belgrade against AFC Ajax. The Johan Cruijff led title holder went into the lead by a fourth minute Johnny Rep header. Haller was brought on by coach Čestmír Vycpálek in the 49th minute for Roberto Bettega, but the result stood. Two years earlier Juventus narrowly missed out in the finals of the 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, having to concede the title to the Billy Bremner led Leeds United after results of 2–2 and 1–1 on the away goal rule.