Fritz Walter

He is the only footballer in the world after whom a meteorological phenomenon has been named. Since the 1950s, light, persistent drizzle has been colloquially referred to as ‘Fritz-Walter weather’. It was in such conditions that the man after whom it is named was at his very best. Even more so than he already was. Fritz Walter was the football idol of his time. A true role model, modest in his demeanour off the pitch, yet a driving force on it. A brilliant playmaker, a master of technique, a true captain, the manager’s right-hand man.

Yet the Second World War robbed him of his best years as a footballer. Eight years passed between his 24th and his 25th international match. He was already in his thirties when his greatest successes came: twice German champion with 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and World Cup winner in 1954 with the German national team. He always remained loyal to his club, despite staggering offers from Italian and Spanish clubs. For the Palatinate side, the goal-scoring midfield maestro found the net almost as often as he played for them: 327 goals in 384 matches. Thanks to his charisma and presence, the 1. FC Kaiserslautern team was also known as the ‘Walter XI’.

As well as his outstanding abilities, he was also characterised by a sensitive nature. At the kick-off, it simply couldn’t be too hot, and no black cat was allowed to have crossed the path of the team bus beforehand. This superstition sometimes caused Fritz Walter to hesitate and dither. In such cases, the ‘boss’ was on hand. Sepp Herberger had a keen instinct for dealing with his most important player. However, the fact that it began to rain in Bern on 4 July 1954, shortly before the World Cup final between Germany and Hungary, certainly gave the national coach some cause for doubt as well.