Leo Wilden

Leo Wilden (3 July 1936 – 5 May 2022)[2] was a German footballer who played as a defender. He featured in two 1962 World Cup Qualification matches for the West Germany national team.[3]

Leo Wilden
Wilden with Bayer Leverkusen
Personal information
Date of birth (1936-07-03)3 July 1936
Place of birth Düren, Germany
Date of death 5 May 2022(2022-05-05) (aged 85)
Place of death Cologne, Germany
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
VfL Köln 99
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1958–1966 1. FC Köln 182 (2)
1966–1969 Bayer Leverkusen
1968–1969 Sint-Truiden 1 (0)
International career
1960–1964 West Germany 15 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Wilden was a centre-half of 1. FC Köln between 1958 and 1966, during which he won the West German football championship in 1962 and 1964. In that period, Wilden was also a standard centre-half of West Germany, succeeding Herbert Erhardt, who had retired after the 1962 World Cup. Wilden won 15 caps.[4] Wilden played also one game in the Belgian competition with Sint-Truidense VV in 1968–69 season (the last game of the season on 11 May 1969).[5]

As a player, Wilden was noted for his outstanding positional play, great vision and hard tackling. He could also provide offensive impetus if needed. Some pundits compared him to the 1930s player Ludwig Goldbrunner.

In 1966 Wilden moved to Bayer Leverkusen, where he retired in 1971. He later worked as coach of Pulheimer SC and SC West Köln and was voted vice chairman of SC West Köln in 1971. He later ran several tobacco shops in Cologne.[6]

Honours

1. FC Köln

References
  1. "Wilden, Leo" (in German). kicker.de. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  2. "Der FC trauert um Leo Wilden". 1. FC Köln (in German). 5 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  3. "Leo Wilden". FIFA. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  4. Arnhold, Matthias (12 March 2020). "Leo Wilden - International Appearances". RSSSF.com. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  5. "Negen invallers en twee nieuwelingen". Historisch Archief Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). 12 May 1969. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  6. Bitter, Jürgen (1997). Deutschlands Fußball Nationalspieler (in German). Sportverlag. p. 543.
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