Willi Schröder

In the 1952 Helsinki Olympic football tournament, West Germany beat Egypt 3-1 in the first round before a surprising 4-2 extra time win over Brazil in the quarter-final. They lost 1-3 to Yugoslavia in the semi-final and missed out on a medal after Sweden beat them 2-0 in the bronze medal match.

Forward Willi Schröder played for SV Werder Bremen from 1954-63, and won the German Cup in 1961. Earlier he played for Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin and ATSV Bremen 1860. From 1953 to June 1954 he was suspended by the German Football Federation, as he had taken illegal money from Hamburger SV and Racing Strasbourg to play for them. Both contracts had to be cancelled and Schröder later stated this affair probably cost him a chance to play in the 1954 World Cup. He did, however, win 12 international caps and scored three goals.

Schröder trained as a chemist in his youth but after his football career he became a coach for amateur clubs around Bremen. He also owned a tobacco shop at the main station in Bremen.