Soccer in Sun and Shadow

Seeler

A jolly face. You could not imagine him without a mug of foaming beer in his fist. On Germany’s soccer fields he was always the shortest and the stoutest: a pudgy pink hamburger with an unsteady gait, because one foot was larger than the other. But Uwe Seeler was a flea when he jumped, a hare when he ran, and a bull when he headed the ball.

In 1964 this center forward for Hamburg was chosen as the best player in Germany. He belonged to Hamburg body and soul: “I’m just another fan. Hamburg is my home,” he liked to say. Uwe Seeler scorned numerous juicy offers to play on Europe’s most powerful teams. He played in four World Cups. To shout “Uwe, Uwe” was the best way of shouting “Germany, Germany.”