 Ocwirk in 1953 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 March 1926 | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vienna, Austria | |||||||||||||
| Date of death | 23 January 1980 (aged 53) | |||||||||||||
| Place of death | Klein-Pöchlarn, Austria | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| FC Stadlau | ||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1942–1947 | Floridsdorfer AC | 83 | (3) | |||||||||||
| 1947–1956 | Austria Wien | 209 | (31) | |||||||||||
| 1956–1961 | Sampdoria | 154 | (37) | |||||||||||
| 1961–1963 | Austria Wien | 15 | (5) | |||||||||||
| Total | 461 | (76) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1945–1962 | Austria | 62 | (6) | |||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||
| 1962–1965 | Sampdoria | |||||||||||||
| 1965–1970 | Austria Wien | |||||||||||||
| 1970–1971 | 1. FC Köln | |||||||||||||
| 1971–1973 | Admira Wacker | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Ernst Ocwirk (7 March 1926 – 23 January 1980) was an Austrian football player and coach. A former midfielder, he is regarded as one of the greatest Austrian men's footballers of all time.
He spent the majority of his playing and coaching years between Austria and Italy, being both player and manager for FK Austria Vienna and Serie A club Sampdoria. He also went on to become a member of the Austria national team, which he led to a third-place finish at the 1954 World Cup as its captain.
Nicknamed Clockwork by the British for his midfield consistency, as well as the nickname being suggested by his surname, he is often cited as the last of the old-fashioned attacking centre-halves; he was known for his aesthetic and technical style of playing, his heading ability, excellent timing (both in offensive and defensive tasks) and his passing range; particularly his long passing ability. The fans loved him for his modest and fair personality. The international media of the era saw Ocwirk as "the best centerhalf in the world". He is considered one of the greatest central midfielders of all time.