Otto Haftl

Haftl started his football career in Austria for SC Wacker Wien and also played one season for Wiener AC. In 1929 he moved to Czechoslovakia and played first for Teplitzer FK and then for AC Sparta Prague. He then moved to Switzerland, becoming Basel's first ever professional football player. Between the years 1931 and 1935 Haftl played a total of 144 games for Basel, scoring a total of 130 goals. 88 of these games were in the Swiss Serie A, 20 in the Swiss Cup and 36 were friendly games. He scored 75 goal in the domestic league, 21 in the Swiss Cup and the other 28 were scored during the test games. During his first season at the club he acted as player-manager after Gustav Putzendopler laid down the job as trainer. An episode that is noted in association with the Swiss Cup, was the second-round replay away against FC Lugano on 22 November 1931. The mood amongst the 3,000 spectators was heated even before the kick-off. This because after the 3–3 draw in the first game; the local press had circulated the most incredible rumours. Then, Basel's Alfred Schlecht scored the winning goal early, not even two minutes after the game had started. However, shortly before the end of the match referee Hans Wüthrich did not blow his whistle and award a penalty after an alleged handball by a Basel player. The referee ended the game shortly afterwards with a Basel victory and the ill tempers were worsened. After the game there were tumults and riots among the spectators who were not…

Basel

Swiss Cup winner: 1933