FK Austria
Which team did the player Ernst Ocwirk belong to from 1945 to 1947?
Ernst Ocwirk Ernst Ocwirk ( 7 March 1926 – 23 January 1980 ) was an Austrian football player and coach . He is regarded as one of the greatest Austrian footballers of all time . He spent the majority of his playing and coaching years between Austria and Italy , being both player and manager for FK Austria Vienna and Serie A club Sampdoria . He also went on to become a member of the Austria national team , which he led to a third-place finish at the 1954 World Cup as its captain . Nicknamed Clockwork by the British for his midfield consistency , as well as the nickname being suggested by his surname , he is often cited as the last of the old-fashioned attacking centre-halves ; he was known for his aesthetic and technical style of playing , his heading ability , excellent timing ( both in offensive and defensive tasks ) and his passing range ; particularly his long passing ability . The fans loved him for his modest and fair personality . The international media of the era saw Ocwirk as the best centerhalf in the world . He is considered one of the greatest central midfielders of all time . Club career . Born in Vienna , Ocwirk began his career as a striker . He joined his first club , the local FC Stadlau , in 1938 . He then played for Floridsdorfer AC , where he was spotted by former Austrian international Josef Smistik , who moved Ocwirk to centre midfield . Smistik tried to bring him to his former team , Rapid Vienna , but it was rivals FK Austria who won the race for his services and , in 1947 , signed him . In a decade at Austria Vienna , Ocwirk became one of the most prominent players for the club , helping them to win five Austrian League championships and three domestic cups . Brought to Sampdoria by Alberto Ravano , he was the second Austrian footballer ever to play in Serie A after Engelbert König had done it in the 1940s . He also remained the last Austrian in Serie A until 1980 , when Herbert Prohaska played for Internazionale . Ocwirk would play five seasons at the Genova club , of which he became the captain . In 1961 , he returned to FK Austria to play the final season of his career , winning the double in 1961/62 . Ocwirk was chosen in Austrias Team of the Century in 2001 . International career . Ocwirk won 62 caps and scored six goals for his country . He made his debut for his country in 1945 before appearing at the 1948 Olympic Games in London . By 1953 the stopper centre-back had taken over , so Ocwirk was selected as a wing-half for a Rest-of-the-World team which drew 4–4 with England to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Football Association . His international successes earned him the honour of twice being named captain of the FIFA World team . At the 1954 World Cup , Ocwirk captained Austria and played in all five of his team matches , helping it achieve its best ever World Cup finish , third place . The centre-half scored two goals during the tournament : the one that gave Austria the lead after trailing 0–3 in the memorable quarter-final against hosts Switzerland , and the 3–1 in the third-place match against reigning champions Uruguay . Coaching . Immediately after retiring from playing , Ocwirk became a manager , and Sampdoria was the first team he coached , from 1962 to 1965 . He also managed German side 1 . FC Köln one year , taking them to the final of the DFB Cup . Death and legacy . In January 1980 , at the age of 53 , he died of multiple sclerosis , in Klein-Pöchlarn , Lower Austria . His death occurred on the same date that Matthias Sindelar died 41 years before . A friendly tournament was played in July 1981 in homage to Ernst Ocwirk at Wiener Stadion . The participants were FK Austria Wien , SK Rapid Wien , Ferencvárosi TC and Bayern Munich . Bayern Munich won the tournament . Honours . Club . - Austrian Football Bundesliga ( 5 ) : 1949 , 1950 , 1953 , 1962 , 1963 - Austrian Cup ( 3 ) : 1948 , 1949 , 1962 International . - FIFA World Cup third place : 1954 Individual . - FIFA World Cup All-Star Team : 1954 External links . - FIFA - Profile – FK Austria - Player profile – Austria Archive - UEFA