Klaus URBANCZYK

As the East German national team won the inter-national qualification matches in 1963 against the West German amateur national team by a 3-0 win in Leipzig and a 2-1 loss in Hannover, the German Olympic team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics was an East German one. The team won the bronze medal, beating Egypt, 3-1.

Defender Klaus Urbanczyk played his whole soccer career for SC Chemie Halle, and helped them to win the East German Cup in 1962. Between 1960 and 1972 he appeared in 250 Oberliga matches and scored 12 goals. He also played in three European Cup matches.

Urbanczyk earned 34 international caps. With the East German Olympic team he was one of the key players and appeared in 12 matches until the semifinal when he crashed with his own goalkeeper Jürgen Heinsch and damaged his knee. Nevertheless he was elected Footballer of the Year, and Sportsman of the Year – the only time that a footballer was given this individual award.

In 1971 Urbanczyk saved several lives when he helped people to escape from a hotel fire in Eindhoven, where Halle was scheduled to play a UEFA-Cup match. Twelve people were killed by the flames, among them his teammate non-Olympian Wolfgang Hoffmann. Urbanczyk himself was severely injured and never again reached his previous performance level.

Only one year later Urbanczyk turned to coaching and became one of the best coaches in East Germany. He coached HFC Chemie Halle (1973-75), 1. FC Magdeburg (1976-82), HFC Chemie Halle (1982-84), and after German reunification Hallescher FC (1992-94) and Lok Altmark Stendal (1994-96). With Magdeburg, he won the East German Cup in 1978 and 1979. He later became chief scout with Hallescher FC.