Herbert Prohaska

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Herbert Prohaska
Prohaska in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth (1955-08-08) 8 August 1955
Place of birth Vienna, Austria
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position Midfielder
Youth career
Vorwärts XI
1970–1972 Ostbahn XI
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1980 Austria Wien 259 (62)
1980–1982 Inter Milan 56 (8)
1982–1983 Roma 26 (3)
1983–1989 Austria Wien 194 (35)
Total 535 (108)
International career
1974–1989 Austria 83 (10)
Managerial career
1990–1992 Austria Wien
1993–1999 Austria
1999–2000 Austria Wien
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Herbert Prohaska (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛʁbɛʁt pʁoˈhaska, - ˈpʁɔhaska];[1][2] born 8 August 1955) is an Austrian former professional footballer. He ranks among Austria's greatest football players of all time. Prohaska works as a football pundit for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF). His nickname "Schneckerl", Viennese dialect for curly hair, derives from his curly haircut in his younger years. A talented, elegant, and combative midfielder, Prohaska played as a deep-lying playmaker, and was known for his technique, intelligence, and precise passing.[3][4]

Club career

Born in Vienna, Austria, Prohaska started his professional career in 1972 at Austria Wien. With Prohaska as playmaker of the team, Austria won four Austrian Football Bundesliga titles and three Austrian Cups, and reached the final of the 1978 Cup Winners' Cup and the semi-finals of the European Cup. In 1980, he joined Inter Milan, and won the Italian Cup in his second season with the nerazzurri. In 1982, he moved to A.S. Roma, where he won the Italian championship in his first year.[3] He returned to Austria Wien in 1983. In his second stint with the club, Prohaska won three Austrian Football Bundesliga titles and one Austrian Cup.

International career

Prohaska made his debut for Austria in a November 1974 friendly match against Turkey and was a participant at the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups.[5] He earned 83 caps, scoring 10 goals.[6] His final international was a June 1989 World Cup qualification match against Iceland, but he retired before the 1990 World Cup, while Austria qualified for the tournament.

Managerial career

In 1989, Prohaska retired from playing. Shortly after his retirement, he served as Austria Wien's coach, winning two Austrian Bundesliga titles and two Austrian Cups.

In 1993, he became manager of the Austria national team, qualifying as group winners for the 1998 World Cup in France. In 1999, he resigned after a disastrous 9–0 defeat to Spain. From 1999 to 2000, he returned to managing Austria Wien.

Awards

In November 2003, Prohaska was selected as the Golden Player of Austria by the Austrian Football Association as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.[7] In August 2004, he was voted the Austrian Footballer of the Century as the Austrian Football Association celebrated its 100th anniversary.[8]

Prohaska working for the ORF in 2013

Media work

Working as a pundit for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF, Prohaska suggested at the 2006 World Cup that referee Graham Poll's famous yellow card blunder[9] was a result of heavy alcohol consumption before the match.

Personal life

Prohaska's been married to his wife Elisabeth since 1974, and the couple has two children and four grandchildren. Prohaska is Roman Catholic.[10][11][12]

Honours

Player

Austria Wien

Inter Milan

Roma

Individual

  • Austrian Player of the Year (Krone-Fußballerwahl): 1975, 1985
  • Austrian Player of the Year (APA-Fußballerwahl): 1984, 1985, 1988
  • UEFA Jubilee Awards (Austria's Golden Player): 2004

Manager

Austria Wien

References

  1. Dudenredaktion; Kleiner, Stefan; Knöbl, Ralf (2015) [First published 1962]. Das Aussprachewörterbuch [The Pronunciation Dictionary] (in German) (7th ed.). Berlin: Dudenverlag. pp. 439, 704. ISBN 978-3-411-04067-4.
  2. Krech, Eva-Maria; Stock, Eberhard; Hirschfeld, Ursula; Anders, Lutz Christian (2009). Deutsches Aussprachewörterbuch [German Pronunciation Dictionary] (in German). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 578, 844. ISBN 978-3-11-018202-6.
  3. "Roma 1982/83: Cuore Giallorosso" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  4. "Vierchowod uomo in più, Nappy jolly" (in Italian). La Stampa. 10 May 1983. p. 20. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  5. FIFA Player Statistics – Herbert Prohaska FIFA.com
  6. Appearances for Austrian National Team RSSSF
  7. Golden Players take centre stage UEFA.com, 29 November 2003
  8. Prohaska honoured in Austria UEFA.com, 18 August 2004
  9. Ref Poll sent home from World Cup BBC Sport, 28 June 2006
  10. "Rückschläge gehören dazu - Interview mit dem Fussballer Herbert Prohaska". Kirchen Zeitung. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  11. [url=https://www.laola1.at/de/red/fussball/sonstiges/60-dinge-ueber-herbert-prohaska-60-geburtstag/ www.laola1.at/de/red/fussball/sonstiges/60-dinge-ueber-herbert-prohaska-60-geburtstag/]
  12. "Bürgermeister Ludwig überreichte Fußball-Ikone Prohaska „goldenen Meisterteller" zum 70er". OTS. Retrieved 8 June 2026.