Willi Schulz

A calm and highly reliable German libero, Willi Schulz was the kind of defender who gave a team structure before the match had even started. He was not an adventurous sweeper in the Beckenbauer mould, but a more conservative and defensive organiser, built on positioning, anticipation, aerial strength and clean, sensible distribution. For West Germany, Schalke and Hamburg, he brought authority without theatre, reading danger early and marshalling the back line with almost bureaucratic efficiency, which sounds boring until you realise attackers absolutely hated it. Strong in duels, composed under pressure and rarely dragged into chaos, Schulz represented the old German defensive school at its most dependable. Not glamorous, no. But if your house is on fire, you call this kind of player first.