Helmut Benthaus

Helmut Benthaus

File:Helmut Benthaus (1970).jpg
Personal information
Full name	Helmut Benthaus
Date of birth	(1935-06-05) 5 June 1935
Place of birth	Herne, Germany
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1954–1961	Westfalia Herne	167	(19)
1961–1963	TSV 1860 München	18	(1)
1963–1965	1. FC Köln	52	(3)
1965–1971	FC Basel	23	(2)
International career
1958–1960	West Germany	8	(0)
Managerial career
1965–1982	FC Basel
1982–1985	VfB Stuttgart
1985–1987	FC Basel
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Helmut Benthaus (born 5 June 1935 in Herne) is a German retired football player and former coach. He spent his best playing days at Westfalia Herne and his best coaching days at FC Basel.

Playing career

Helmut Benthaus started his professional career at Westfalia Herne in 1958. In 1959 he won the Oberliga West title but left just a year later to join 1860 Munich before moving to 1. FC Köln. He won the Oberliga West again in 1963 with Köln, then the German Bundesliga in 1964. In 1965 he joined Swiss club FC Basel as player-manager. He retired from playing in 1971 aged 36.

He played for the West German national team on eight occasions between 1958 and 1960.

Coaching career

Benthaus coached FC Basel for 17 years between 1965 and 1982. He won the Swiss Championship seven times and the Swiss Cup twice. He coached Basel's legendary team of the 1970s that won the Championship in 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1977 as well as the Cup in 1975. The squad included Karl Odermatt and Ottmar Hitzfeld. After Basel he joined German club VfB Stuttgart in 1982. There he won the Bundesliga in 1984. He left in 1985 and rejoined Basel. However, this spell was much less successful and he retired in 1987.

External links

• Helmut Benthaus profile at Fussballdaten