Legend Ernst Ocwirk would have turned 100 today

One of the greatest footballers of his time would have celebrated his 100th birthday today. Ernst Ocwirk, World Footballer of the Year in 1952 and later captain of the World Selection, won numerous titles with Austria Wien – both as a player and as a coach. Ocwirk died far too young in 1980 at the age of 54. We remember you, Ossi!

Ernst Ocwirk was born on 7 March 1926 in Vienna and had football on his mind and in his heart from early childhood. He began his football career with the boys' teams of FC Stadlau and Floridsdorfer AC, where he attracted attention and generated considerable interest as a centre-half, effectively a playmaker. Several clubs wanted Ossi, but only Austria got him. No money changed hands as a transfer fee, but Austria built new changing rooms and seating for FAC.

World footballer as Austria Wien player

It turned out to be a great deal: Ocwirk developed into one of the best players in his field, excelling in aesthetics and technique, astonishing audiences with his long-distance passes, which were unusually accurate for the time, and becoming a crowd favourite. With Austria, he won three league titles and two cup titles in nine years, and in 1952 he was named the world's best footballer by the French magazine France Football – arguably the greatest individual award of all. In comparison, his election as Austria's Sportsman of the Year in 1951 seemed almost insignificant, even if the ever-modest Ossi would never have put it that way.

In 1953 and 1955, he was captain of the then renowned World Selection, and in between, he almost casually achieved third place with the legendary Austrian team at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. Friedrich Torberg reported at the time for the Wiener Kurier: "Anyone who doesn't understand football and would like to understand something about it should watch the player Ocwirk for a quarter of an hour, exclusively him, even when he's not on the ball."

God in Genoa

After nine years with the Violets, Ocwirk moved to Italy to play for UC Sampdoria. In Genoa, they called the Ossi "Il Dio", which translates as "The God". That's all you really need to know about this outstanding footballer. In 1961, after five years in Italy, Ocwirk returned to Austria and won two more championships and his third cup title before ending his successful playing career.

His first coaching job was back at UC Sampdoria from 1962, where he coached until 1965, only to return to his Violets once again. After winning eight titles as a player, Ossi, who was known as a tough and strict coach, won three more on the sidelines. First the cup, then the championship twice. In 1971, he led 1. FC Köln to the final of the DFB Cup.

After Ernst Ocwirk had coached Admira Wacker in the meantime, a torn Achilles tendon and the necessary operation caused paralysis and eventually multiple sclerosis, from which he died at the age of only 53 on 23 January 1980, exactly 41 years after Austria Wien legend Matthias Sindelar. His grave of honour is located in Vienna's Central Cemetery (group 40, number 136), where he has been laid to rest alongside his wife Martha since 2006.

In 2001, Ocwirk was posthumously voted into the Austria Wien's team of the century. To this day, Ossi remains unforgotten. We think of you!