Paul Steiner

Paul Steiner (born January 23, 1957 in Waldbrunn (Odenwald)) is a former German soccer player. Steiner started his career as a defender in his home town Waldbrunn (Odenwald) playing for TSV Strümpfelbrunn. He played in the German Bundesliga 349 games scoring 27 times from 1979 until 1991 playing for the MSV Duisburg and 1. FC Köln, winning the German Cup in 1983 with Köln. Serving as a (non used) potential replacement for sweeper Klaus Augenthaler during the Football World Cup 1990 in Italy, Steiner was one of the oldest debutants in the German national soccer team when he came on as a substitute in the final friendly ahead of that World Cup tournament at Gelsenkirchen's Parkstadion against Denmark in May 1990. Steiner had turned 33 years of age already and surprisingly given the nod for his World Cup participation in favour of Bayer Uerdingen's Holger Fach, who had been the expected pick of coach Franz Beckenbauer as potential replacement for Klaus Augenthaler. Paul Steiner ended his career in the German Bundesliga in 1991, later on working as a scout for 1. FC Köln's Rhine rival Bayer Leverkusen. He is commonly quoted in Germany as stating in a talkshow that homosexuals were "too soft" for playing football.

•  • e West Germany squad - 1990 FIFA World Cup Champions (3rd Title)
1 Illgner • 2 Reuter • 3 Brehme • 4 Kohler • 5 Augenthaler • 6 Buchwald • 7 Littbarski • 8 Häßler • 9 Völler • 10 Matthäus • 11 Mill • 12 Aumann • 13 Riedle • 14 Berthold • 15 Bein • 16 Steiner • 17 Möller • 18 Klinsmann • 19 Pflügler • 20 Thon • 21 Hermann • 22 Köpke • Coach: Beckenbauer