Svend Aage Castella

Svend Aage Castella joined the first team of Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB) in 1906 at the age of 16. He played his entire career for this club until 1919 and helped them win the Danish championship tournaments in 1913, 1914, 1917 and 1918, playing as full-back. In 1924 he returned to the pitch for a comeback and played seven games for KB’s first team as a goalkeeper.

Castella had a notable début for the national team in 1911 against England. When the Danish goalkeeper Sophus Hansen was injured just minutes before halftime, Castella had to take his place in the Danish goal for the rest of the game. He was called up to the team for the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm but actually did not play in any of the matches due to an injury. Castella set a record becoming the first player to score a penalty goal for Denmark in 1915, his only goal for the national team. One year later, he was also the first player to miss a penalty kick for Denmark. He played a total of 13 international matches until 1916. He remained active in football for some time as a manager and referee.

After his football career, Castella took up boxing for a short time and managed to become heavyweight champion fighting for IF Sparta. Later, he became a referee in boxing and treasurer of the Danish Boxing Federation. He lived in Frederiksberg but died of nicotine poisoning in a hotel in Kjøbenhavn (Copenhagen). Castella was married to Erna Høyer since 1912 and worked as a clerk.