Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, German footballer

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (born 31 March 1939) is a German former footballer who played as a defender. He was born in Düren (then in Rhine Province, Prussia, today North Rhine-Westphalia). An athletic and hard-tackling player, with a strong physique, 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. In his prime he was often considered one of the best and most complete leftbacks in the world in his era, rivaled only by Giacinto Facchetti, Nilton Santos and Silvio Marzolini.