Helmut Benthaus

Born in Herne, Benthaus played youth football and started his professional career at Westfalia Herne in 1958. In 1959 he won the Oberliga West title but left just a year later to join 1860 Munich before moving to 1. FC Köln. He won the Oberliga West again in 1963 with Köln, then the German Bundesliga in 1964 and was Bundesliga runner-up in 1965. Benthaus played 38 matches in the West German top-flight after its introduction in 1963. He played for the West Germany national team on eight occasions between 1958 and 1960. All matches were international friendlies.

The 1972 Swiss League Cup was the inaugural Swiss League Cup competition. It was played in the summer of 1972 as a pre-season tournament to the 1972–73 Swiss football season. Benthaus coached the team to beat Servette 8–0, Lausanne Sports 2–1 aet and Sion 6–1 to reach the final. This was won by Basel who defeated FC Winterthur 4–1 in the final which took place on 11 November 1972 at the Letzigrund in Zürich. Ottmar Hitzfeld scored a hattrick in the final. Again in their 1972–73 season Basel won the championship. The team won 17 games, drew five and were defeated four times. They scored 57 goals, conceding 30. Ottmar Hitzfeld was the team and the league top scorer with 18 goals. Basel won the championship four points clear of Grasshopper Club who finished in second position. In the Swiss Cup Basel reached the final, which was played on 23 April 1973 in the Wankdorf Stadium against Zürich. The game ended goalless after 90 minutes. In extra time Peter Marti (92) and Fritz Künzli (101) scored the goals to give Zürich the title for the second consecutive year in a final against Basel. The following season was not very successful. In the 1973–74 season Basel finished the championship in fifth position, in the Swiss Cup they reached the quarter-finals. In the 1974–75 season the team finished championship in fourth position. But in the 50th edition of the Swiss Cup tournament they reached the final. The final was played on 31 March 1975 in the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern against…

Westfalia Herne Oberliga West: 1958–59 1. FC Köln Oberliga West: 1961–62 Bundesliga: 1963–64 Basel as player-manager Swiss League: 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72 Swiss Cup: 1966–67, 1974–75 Swiss League Cup: 1972 Cup of the Alps winner: 1969, 1970 Uhren Cup winner: 1969, 1970 Basel as manager Swiss League: 1972–73, 1976–77, 1979–80 Swiss Cup: 1974–75 Cup of the Alps winner: 1981 VfB Stuttgart Bundesliga: 1983–84