Bert Trautmann, Nazi goalkeeper who became a legend of Manchester City

The story of Bert Trautmann It gives for a film. In fact already have, The Keeper, directed by Marcus H. Rosenmüller and starring David Kross.

Of course, the life of this German paratrooper who fought in World War II, He deserves to be brought to the big screen. Bert Trautmann he enlisted in the army, as he explained in some subsequent interviews, without really knowing what I was doing like so many other young people who fought in that terrible war: “My family was very poor and I promised food and a future if I readied, obviously had no idea what would happen next”.

The Bert Trautman story

It looks like, Trautmann He was one of the 90 survivors (a regiment 1.000 mens). His merits provided him 5 medals, including iron Cross. He was finally captured by the British shortly before the end of the war and taken to a prison camp in Lancashire. In 1948 He refused to be repatriated to Germany and decided to stay in England.

That was when he started playing football as a goalkeeper, particularly in the St. Helens Town. Soon his great skill defending the arc of this humble team caught the attention of most important equipment. In 1949 signs a professional contract with el Manchester City something that did not please the hobby sector citizen. Own Bert Trautmann explains,: “Some fans threatened to boycott the club paralyze and if I fichaban. They did not want a Nazi in the team. The truth is that my beginnings were not easy”.

Eventually the German goalkeeper was quieting these criticisms based on great performances. Nonetheless, even after several years defending City T-Shirt, still some fans taunted him and called him nazi, something that Trautmann He carried in the best way possible.

Bert Trautmann in the FA Cup final of 1956

The pinnacle of his career came in 1956. That year Manchester City He reached final FA Cup. His opponent would be the Birmingham City. Everything went perfectly for his team winning by 3-1 lack of 17 minutes remaining, but at that time, an accidental collision between Trautmann Y Peter Murphy, Birmingham striker, He left the fully knocked keeper on the floor. At times she feared the worst but could hardly continue (at that time there were no changes).

The score of the game no longer moved and Manchester City was champion of that FA Cup with a stop over some merit of their goalkeeper. The most surprising came after the meeting. Bert Trautmann not at all well and he went to the hospital where doctors could not believe, He had a broken neck. The protagonist himself explains this fact as well: “They explained that they did not understand as he could keep playing. In fact, according to doctors, his neck was broken and could even have died. The truth is I do not remember any of those 17 minutes that I have even made a stop”.

The keeper defended the arc citizen during 15 years (with a total of 545 official matches) and it is one of the legends of the club and the Premier League. further, always she worked by the understanding between Germany and England after Second World War. In fact, in 2004 was appointed Knight OBE for this reason. He was honored and cheered by more than 60.000 fans before a match at the Etihad Stadium, tears in his eyes showed his deep emotion. He died in the year 2013 at his residence in Valencia at the 89 year old. Definitely, a life of film.