Rudi Strittich

Rudi Strittich (3 March 1922 – 11 July 2010) was an Austrian football coach and former player.

Rudi Strittich
Personal information
Full name Rudolf Strittich
Date of birth (1922-03-03)3 March 1922
Date of death 11 July 2010(2010-07-11) (aged 88)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1936–1946 Vorwärts Steyr
1946–1950 First Vienna
1950–1951 USC Triestina
1951 Samarios[1] 25 (5)
1952–1953 First Vienna
1953–1955 Besançon RC
International career‡
1946–1949 Austria 4 (0)
Managerial career
1955–1956 Sturm Graz
1957–1958 Basel
1959–1960 Apollon Kalamarias
1961–1962 Esbjerg fB
1962–1963 Vorwärts Steyr
1964 Viborg FF
1965–1967 Esbjerg fB
1968–1969 Aalborg BK
1970–1975 Denmark
1976 Real Murcia
1976–1979 Esbjerg fB
1980 Austria Salzburg
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 August 2008
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 August 2008

Club career

Strittich debuted for Vorwärts Steyr, and later played for First Vienna FC. While with First Vienna, he went on a tour of the Middle East and upon returning was arrested along with two other players for smuggling narcotics into Austria. Strittich was imprisoned for three months and banned from football for one year by the Austrian Football Association.[2]

Unable to play football in Austria, Strittich was recruited by Béla Guttmann to play for Italian club USC Triestina. The Austrian FA would not clear him to play, so he joined Colombian side Samarios, where he could play because the Colombian Football Federation was not at the time affiliated to FIFA.[2]

Upon returning to Austria, Strittich learned that his ban was still in effect, as the Austrian FA ruled that he did serve the ban while playing in Colombia. He moved to Switzerland and trained with the youth side of Young Fellows Zürich. Next, he briefly returned to Vienna, and was sold to French side Besançon RC after just six months. He suffered a back injury in France, and would retire from playing soon after.[2]

International career

He made his debut for Austria in December 1946 against Hungary and earned 4 caps, scoring one goal.

Coaching career

After retiring as a football player Strittich worked as a coach for Sturm Graz in his home country. However, his greatest success as a coach came in Denmark, where he made Esbjerg fB champions in 1961, 1962, 1965, and 1979. He was also coach of the Denmark national football team from 1970 to 1975.

Honours

As a player

As a manager

References
  1. Statistics at Golgolgol.net Archived 18 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  2. von Hackl, Erich (4 April 2008). "Der Mann am Zaun" (in German). Die Presse.
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