West Germany the Cup

The change of guard in West Germany was completed with the new cup winners – the previous great generation won nothing this year, its time ended. Fortuna (Dusseldorf) and Hertha (West Berlin) reached the final. Bayern and Borussia (Moenchengladbach) did not reach even the semi-finals. The final in Hannover opposed one of the strongest German clubs of recent years to ambitious project. Which misfired… Hertha had miserable season and there fore was very determined to save the year by winning the cup. And they looked like possible winners on paper.

From left to right: Erich Beer, Diefenbach, Milewski, Grau, Krämer, Sziedat, Rasmussen, Weiner, Sidka, Nigbur, Kliemann.

Unlike other Greman clubs, Hertha seemingly decided to join the best not with talented youngsters, but with well established players. So, the current vintage was defined by Beer, Sidka, Kliemann, and already famous from Schalke 04 national team goalkeeper Nigbur. Experience worked to satisfaction in the previous season, but the key players were getting older and a bit over the hill. Cup tournament was another matter, of course – a single match was suitable for such a team. Players, never winning anything did not need motivation – it was their great chance.

But opposition was equally ambitious and in better shape – Fortuna was still rising, still not at its peak as a team. The clash was strong and nobody prevailed – regular time ended scoreless. A single goal was finally scored in extra-time – in the 116th minute. Aging center-forward scored the golden goal , but it was not Erich Beer – it was his double Wolfgang Seel. Both competed – and not very successfully – for regular position in the national team after Gerd Muller announced his retirement from team West Germany. Both were similar as players too. Both needed a trophy. Seel scored and got it – with Fortuna.

Great victory for Fortuna – first cup and their second trophy ever. Had to wait decades for this one – in 1933 they were champions of Germany and nothing after that. But they played – and lost – the Cup final in 1978. One year later, they won.

Fortuna were one of the better German teams for quite some time, but they were different from the others – it was a team without big stars. Good players, but not even second-rate stars – players like Hainer Baltes, who were respected professionals and no more. Baltes was in the 1972 Olympic team of West Germany – his highest achievement. Even Zewe and Seel, who played for the Bundesteam did not measure up to the great German players of the time. Solid proffessionals – that was Fortuna, good enough to be among the top clubs, but not to win. Yet, team was improving and this very vintage had not only Zewe, Seer, and Baltes, but two very bright strikers – Thomas and Klaus Allofs, the next generation of great players. As a whole, the squad was made of players born after 1952 – precisely the ‘next’ generation, coming to dominate the game. No big surprise they won – it was their time. Fortuna was unusual winner in another aspect: it was entirely German squad (Hertha used two Danes at the final – Ole Rasmussen and Henrik Agerbeck). For years it was very unusual a team to be made only of Germans – especially winning teams. True, Fortuna had a foreign player – the Danish striker Flemming Lund – but with lethal domestic attackers like Seel and the Allofs brothers, Lund rarely played. Anyhow, it was entirely German squad winning the cup. Wonderful victory of a club really fighting the odds and getting better. Their best period was not over yet, the team was just reaching its peak.