Karl Rappan

Rappan, born in Vienna, played as a half and forward. As a teenager, he played for the club Donau Wien. In 1924, he joined Wacker Vienna, where he played four years. He was selected to the Austria national team in while at Wacker. He then played one season at each of the clubs Austria Wien and Rapid Wien, winning the 1929–30 Austrian league with the latter. Rappan then moved to Switzerland, where he started playing for Servette in 1931, becoming a player-coach until his retirement as a player in 1935, and winning the Swiss league twice with the club, in 1933 and 1934. In 1927, he was capped twice for the Austria national team, scoring one goal, against Hungary in a 6–0 win.

Rappan spent almost all of his managerial career – which extended from 1932 to 1963 – coaching Swiss teams and the Switzerland national team. After his role as player-coach at Servette, Rappan became a full-time coach and joined Grasshopper Club Zürich, managing the Zürich club from 1935 to 1948, and winning five domestic league titles and seven cups. In 1948, he returned to Servette for a second period at the club, now as coach only. He remained there until 1957, adding one more league title and one cup to his palmares. After Servette, Rappan had a one-season spell at FC Zürich. From 1960 to 1963, he coached the Switzerland national team exclusively, and after this last period in charge of the national squad, he joined club Lausanne-Sport, being their coach from 1964 to 1968, and winning one league title in 1965. After almost four decades of service in Swiss football, he returned to Austria to be the technical director of Rapid Wien – his former club as a player – for the 1969–70 season.

The "bolt"

During the early 1930s, when the use of the "WM" system was spreading, Rappan developed a tactical system under which players switched positions and duties depending on the game's pattern. The system varied largely from the classic 2-3-5 formation and the WM, focusing in defense. The team would fold back into its own half and wait for the opponent's attack, conceding possession of the midfield. The system received the name of verrou or "bolt". It has also been called…

As a player

Rapid Wien

Austrian league: 1929–30 Servette

Swiss league: 1932–33, 1933–34

As coach

Grasshoppers

Swiss league: 1936–37, 1938–39, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45 Swiss cup: 1936–37, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1945–46 Servette

Swiss league: 1949-50 Swiss cup: 1948-49