The Australian football community is mourning the loss of Socceroos great Manfred Schaefer, who has died aged 80.
Schaefer, who migrated to Australia from the then East Germany at the age of 10, was a member of the Socceroos squad at the 1974 World Cup, taking time off from his job as a milkman to take part in the tournament in the then West Germany.
The former defender made 73 appearances for Australia between 1967 and 1974, with 49 of them coming in “A” internationals – including starting in all three World Cup matches in ‘74.
In 1999, he was inducted into Football Australia’s Hall of Fame for his services to the sport.
He was also fast friends with Brazilian great Pelé, after marking the legendary striker when his iconic club Santos toured Australia in 1972.
In one of the most famous instances in Australian football folklore, Schaefer went to help Pelé up from the ground after the attacker was fouled by a Socceroo. Pelé reportedly said: “I know your name, you’re Mr. Bastard.”
The nickname stuck, with Pelé greeting him at the 1974 World Cup with the same moniker – and the pair remained good friends until Pelé’s passing in 2022.
FA chairman Chris Nikou described Schaefer, who played his club football for Blacktown and St George-Budapest, as a “giant of Australian football”.
“While not born in Australia, Manfred gave everything to Australia, representing the country both on and off the field with the greatest of distinction,” Nikou said in a statement.
“Even after retiring as a player, Manfred influenced the careers of so many of the nation’s finest players through his technical brilliance and strong managerial skills for almost three decades.
“Manfred loved all levels of Australian football and would regularly be found supporting the sport, whether at grassroots, NPL, Australia Cup or national team level, where his presence will now be sorely missed but always felt.
“On behalf of Football Australia and the Australian football community, I send my deepest condolences to the Schaefer family, his friends, and former teammates at this sad time. Manfred Schaefer, forever cap 198.”
Following his retirement as a player in 1975, Schaefer had coaching stints with St George, Sydney Olympic, Brunswick-Juventus, APIA Leichhardt, Sydney Croatia, Marconi, Adelaide Sharks and Parramatta Power across more than two decades.
Former Socceroos coach, Rale Rasic, said: ‘He was an extraordinary man, a wonderful footballer. He was tough on the outside but kind and gentle on the inside.”
