Karl-Heinz Schnellinger

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (31 March 1939 – 20 May 2024) was a German footballer who played as a defender.

He started his professional career at 1. FC Köln, winning the German league title in 1962, before moving to Italy the following year. After season-long spells with Serie A sides Mantova and Roma, winning a Coppa Italia with the latter team, he joined AC Milan in 1965, where he had over 200 league appearances across nine seasons, winning numerous domestic and continental titles. He ended his career in Germany in 1975, after a season with Tennis Borussia Berlin.

At international level, Schnellinger represented West Germany at four World Cups, finishing fourth in 1958, second in 1966, and third in 1970.

An athletic and hard-tackling player, who possessed pace, a powerful physique, and a strong mentality, he was nicknamed the "Volkswagen" for his continuity of performance, both in quantity and in quality, and for his versatility; indeed, although he was usually deployed as a full-back, he was capable of playing anywhere along the back, and could also play as a centre-back, as a sweeper, or even as a defensive midfielder. He was one of the first successful German footballers abroad. In his prime he was often considered one of the best and most complete left-backs in the world in his era, rivaled only by Giacinto Facchetti, Nílton Santos and Silvio Marzolini.