It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:05 pm



Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 
 Franjo WÖLFL 1940-1948 
Author Message

Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 11:14 am
Posts: 69
Name: Franjo Wölfl

Nickname: "Mara" | "Mariška"

Image

Country: :CRO: Croatia
Club: HŠK Građanski Zagreb (1938-1945), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (1945-1953)
Position: *SS, CF, AMF
Side: RF/BS
Age: 22-30 years (18/05/1918)

Height: 174 cm
Weight: 70 kg

Attack: 91
Defence: 33
Balance: 81
Stamina: 73
Top Speed: 77
Acceleration: 79
Response: 83
Agility: 81
Dribble Accuracy: 84
Dribble Speed: 77
Short Pass Accuracy: 82
Short Pass Speed: 75
Long Pass Accuracy: 86
Long Pass Speed: 78
Shot Accuracy: 87
Shot Power: 94
Shot Technique: 91
Free Kick Accuracy: 86
Curling: 73
Header: 87
Jump: 82
Technique: 88
Aggression: 85
Mentality: 71
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 84

Injury Tolerance: B
Condition: 5
Weak Foot Accuracy: 7
Weak Foot Frequency: 7
Consistency: 5
Growth type: Standard/Lasting

CARDS:
S03 - 1-on-1 Finish
S05 - 1-touch Play
P11 - Long Ranger

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Scoring - 1-1 Scoring - 1-Touch Pass - Middle Shooting

Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Attack Minded



INFO:

Franjo "Mara" Wölfl (Zagreb, May 18, 1918 - Zagreb, July 8, 1987) was a Croatian footballer, National team player and manager.

A Club legend nicknamed 'Mara' was a player of excellent technique who knew it all about football. Had a great heading, effective strong shot executed equally with both legs and was a free kick specialist. Franjo Wölfl scored so many goals for the Club and was very popular with supporters, especially with kids. He played as a inside forward and centre forward. He was a top technician, he played great with his head, he had a strong kick with both feet equally. He was a great playmaker of the game. An intelligent striker with a refined sense of team play, a true master of free kicks. Mara was not a runner, but a scorer. And a great one. Born in Zagreb where he grew up and learned his football skills on the fields around town, like many youngsters of that era. Started playing football as midfielder, but later coaches put him in attack. Mara was not a 'runner' and as such selectors were not 'in love' with him.

Club playing career

His first club was HŠK Concordia where he started in sub juniors in 1929 and later appeared in first team from 1933-34. His first game for HŠK Concordia was in 1933 vs. Hajduk Split (1:2). Before that game, Mara played in reserves and was just asked to continue with the first team. After getting an apprenticeship with Škoda factory in 1934, he moved to Plzeň in Czech Republic where he played for SK Viktoria Plzeň (1934-37). His first game for SK Viktoria was vs. SK Židenice (6:3) and Mara was an instant hit, scoring a hat trick!

Wölfl signed for Građanski in the year of 1937 by Jozo Jakopić and would go on to score many, many goals in blue jersey. Wölfl spent much of his career with Građanski Zagreb. His first appearance for Građanski was in a 0:0 draw vs. Austria Wien on 28.11.1937, in Zagreb, in front of 8,000 spectators. Mara played for his beloved Club from 1937 until 1953 in about 304 games, scoring a total of 275 goals (0.80% per game) of which 109 were league goals (17 in Old Yugoslavia 1937-40, 12 in Croatia from 1940-45 with missing data for years: 1940/41,41,42,44 and 80 Former Yugoslavia 1945-53). With Građanski he was the top scorer in the Croatian First League's 1943 season. After World War II, the communist authorities disbanded Građanski and Wölfl moved to the regimes newly formed club Dinamo Zagreb. With Dinamo, Wölfl was the Yugoslavian First League's top scorer in 1947 and 1948. Franjo Wölfl has won three Championships with Dinamo: two during Gradanski years (Old YU 1940, Cro 1943) and one with Dinamo (1948). Mara has also won a Former Yugoslavia Cup (1951) and trophy of Yugoslavian football federation. Franjo Wölfl scored his last goals for Dinamo in a game in Celje vs. Kladivar on 29.11.1952. (hat trick in 6:0 win) and played his last game for Dinamo on 07.02. 1953. vs. Penarol (1:2) at the first Copa Montevideo, this was a friendly International club tournament.

Franjo Wölfl played international football first with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia national team from 1938 and then the Croatian national team from 1940 to 1944. Finally, Wölfl suited up for communist Yugoslavia's national team from 1945 to 1951.

International career

For Independent State of Croatia during World War II, Franjo recorded 14 international caps and scored 12 goals. First appearance for Croatia was in Zagreb vs. Switzerland (4-0) and last appearance was vs. Slovakia (7-3) in Zagreb. On that game, Wölfl scored hat trick for Croatia.

For Yugoslavian National team Franjo played in 12 matches and scored 6 goals. His first match for Yugoslavia was on September 25, 1938 in Warsaw vs. Poland (4-4) and scored two goals in that match. Last appearance for Yugoslavia was on May 6, 1950 in Milano vs. Italy (0-0). There was a game also for B Selection of Old Yugoslavia vs. Romania and naturally, Mara scored the only goal (1:0, in 1940.) Franjo Wölfl has won a silver medal at the 1948 London Olympics. Wölfl also played for Selection of Zagreb city 1938-1952 (23 games).

After his playing days Mara stayed in Dinamo where he held a position of Technical Director for years and during his time Dinamo won 2 Championships (1954, 1958), 3 YU Cups (1960, 1963, 1965) and reached a final of Fairs/Uefa Cup of 1963. Also was a member of Selection Commission of Former Yugoslavia team at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. Franjo was one of member of three Croatia National team managers vs. Indonesia in 1956 (5-2).

Franjo 'Mara' Wölfl retired in the year of 1973 after spending 36 years at the Club (1937-1973). Unfortunately, records of his goals for SK Viktoria Plzeň and Gradanski are incomplete. In those days clubs played many games and we could say that if there were stats available for all of them he would be Club's best scorer, ever. Such was his rate of scoring that that is unbelievable. He received a Special Golden Plaque from Football Federation of Yugoslavia.

Trivia

- 1963. Mara Wölfl statement to Hajduk players: What is it boys, why are you protesting, in second division you also play football!
- As a real purger (nickname for Zagreb resident and Dinamo fans who lives in Zagreb for genetration) he was known to joke a lot. Mara was most known to public due his jokes to Berdard Vukas (Hajduk legend).

Let’s 'see' some of his goals…

- League Top Scorer 3 times, in years: 1943 with 12 goals, 1946/47 with 28 goals in 22 games, 1947/48 with 22 goals in 17 games.
- Scored four goals in a league game four times: vs. Željezničar (S) 1946, vs. Split 1946, vs. Spartak (Su) 1947 and vs. Vardar (Sk) 1948). One of his four goals vs. Vardar was from 45 meters, executed from a free kick!
- Scored three goals in one league match 7 times. Vs. Proleter (Be) 1946, vs. Železničar (N) 1946, vs. Pobeda (Sk) 1947, vs. Metalac (Bg) 1947, vs. Sarajevo 1947, vs. Crvena zvezda (Bg) 1948 and vs Lokomotiva (Zg) 1949.
- Scored 2 goals on his debut for Old Yugoslavia team, in 4:4 draw with Poland (Warsaw, 25.09.1938) and his second goal in the 70th minute of the game Mara scored from the centre of the field!
- Scored a 35 metre screamer for Selection of Zagreb city vs. Selection of Belgrade city (1:3, 12.12.1948.)
- Scored another 35 metre screamer in 1950 while playing for Selection of Zagreb city in a 4:1 win vs. Selection of Oslo city.
- In a game, Dinamo vs. Rot-Weiss (Essen) (3:0, 01.05.1951), Mara unleashed a thunderbolt and the ball stayed rammed in where the crossbars that support the net meet!
- In two of Dinamo's games vs. Austrian opposition, Mara scored four goals. Two vs. Austrian NT in a 2:5 win in Wien, 09.03.1949 and two vs. Rapid Wien in a 6:2 win in Zagreb, 03.10.1951.


Thu Mar 07, 2013 11:35 am
Profile

Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 1:31 pm
Posts: 404
So, updated..

ATT 89 -->90, STA 80 -->79, TS 81 -->78, ACC 81 -->79, LPA 86 -->87, TEC 86 -->87


Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:51 pm
Profile
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 1:07 am
Posts: 578
He really deserves those high passing speeds stats?
What about Curling seems high since has 96 in shot power.


Thu Nov 24, 2016 3:49 pm
Profile
User avatar

Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2013 4:26 am
Posts: 3362
Location: Aragua De Barcelona, Venezuela
artemds wrote:
What about Curling seems high since has 96 in shot power.


That shouldn't be a problem, think about RC.


Thu Nov 24, 2016 3:59 pm
Profile
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 1:07 am
Posts: 578
Yes, you are right but I dont know, RC was other kind of player. I must say he is unique in his type.


Thu Nov 24, 2016 4:28 pm
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 5 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.