Karl-Heinz Körbel’s football career is unique. Between 1972 and 1991, the defender set a 602 game Bundesliga appearance record. Whenever articles are written about Körbel it is often said that the record is one “for all eternity”. Players of recent generations will find it difficult to break the unique record. Oliver Kahn, for example, will need four more seasons after 2004/2005 if he is to overtake Körbel. However, Germany’s national goalkeeper doesn’t intend to carry on so long between the posts.

Other Bundesliga players are even further away from breaking Körbel’s record. His achievement is even more remarkable because the defender played each and every one of the 602 games for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany’s top division. Born in Dossenheim – near Heidelberg – on 1 December 1954, Körbel’s remarkably long affiliation with the club earned him the nickame, “the loyal Charly”. And Charly is still loyal.

He is now a member of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Board of Directors and has taken charge of the club’s football academy. The concept for the youth development scheme, based largely on the record holder’s ideas, sets the standards for other such schemes in German football. Continental AG has not only entered a partnership with Karl-Heinz Körbel, but also supports his football academy project at Eintracht.

Charly is still as popular as he was in his playing days. Not only in his adopted place of residence, Frankfurt/Main. Körbel’s name is associated with  credibility and reliability. Not only in Frankfurt. In addition to his Bundesliga record, he also turned out for Eintracht in 69 cup and 47 European club matches. On the international stage, he gained 6 full caps for Germanyand appeared for the B-team on ten occasions.

Thirty youth and five amateur internationals can also be added. In his personal roll of honour, he won four German cup winners medals in 1974/75/81/88, one UEFA Cup winners medal – 1980 – and an amateur European Championship in 1974. In “loyal Charly’s” time, Frankfurt were still a top flight team. “We won’t be relegated as long as I play for Frankfurt,” said Körbel. He was proved right. The club found themselves in the second division only after he had hung up his boots.

“Charly would’ve been a great international player with lots of caps,” said former team-mate Bernd Hölzenbein, a member of Germany’s 1974 FIFA World Cup™ winning side. “But it didn’t happen because he to make way for the best footballer of his era at the heart of the defence, namely Franz  Beckenbauer,” explained Hölzenbein.

The “Kaiser” is of a similar opinion. “Charly would have  almost certainly won 50, 70 or more caps if he and I hadn’t have occupied roughly the same position in central defence,” said Beckenbauer.

Körbel made his debut in the Bundesliga as a 17-year-old on 12 October 1972. He was up against a player that went by the name of Gerd Müller. The young defender had a great game against the league’s best goalscorer in a match that Frankfurt won 2-1. He first appeared for the German national team in December 1974 in the 1-0 win against Malta. But then in October 1975, and still not 21, he won his sixth and final cap in the 1-1 draw against Greece.

Some of the people in the know at the time said Beckenbauer wanted his Munich team-mate Georg Schwarzenbeck to play alongside him. Charly had pushed forward too boldly in the Greece match so that Beckenbauer, the sweeper, was left to concentrate more than usual on his defensive duties. “Katsche” Schwarzenbeck, in contrast, remained at the back if the “Kaiser” so desired.

The reason for Charly not being able to prove his loyalty in the national team might also be because Eintracht were real rivals to Bayern Munich at the time. Frankfurt won the German cup competition in 1974 and 1975 and Körbel played a big part. In the second final against MSV Duisburg, the defender scored the “golden goal” in the 1-0 victory. “That was very satisfying,” said Charly, who scored a total of 43 Bundesliga goals.

Some were very important. For instance during a difficult period for Eintracht, Körbel headed the equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Hanover in a decisive relegation battle. In the relegation play-offs against 1. FC Saarbrücken, Körbel was instrumental in keeping Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. Eintracht’s captain for the previous eight years had played outstandingly.

During his playing career, Körbel also proved that central defenders could stop  opponents fairly. His pace and jumping ability, strength in the man on man situation, tackling skills, competitiveness and fighting spirit were coupled with a good tactical and strategic brain. Charly was somebody one could look up to both as a player and as a captain.

For the fans he was an idol. He also remained loyal to his club after his playing days were over. However, his career came to an end a little disappointingly. In 1991, Charly was shown the yellow card in the penultimate game of the season at FC St. Pauli.  “All the players, including the Pauli players, ran up to the referee and remonstrated: You can’t do that. It’s his fifth booking,” remembers Körbel. The yellow card stood. A big farewell celebration was held in his honour on the final day of the season. But suspension prevented him from adding to his 602 appearances.

Afterwards Körbel became youth and assistant coach at Eintracht. He and Head Coach Dragoslav Stepanovic would have led the team to the championship in 1992 but for the defeat in Rostock on the final day of the season.

He twice – in 1994 and 1995 – took over as Eintracht’s head coach and passed the coaches exam with flying colours. But then in April 1996, he parted company from the club with whom he had been associated with for 24 years. In October 1996, Körbel took over as coach for a year at VfB Lübeck, and then for six months at FSV Zwickau.

“Loyal” Charly returned to Eintracht in 2001, at first as chief scout responsible for spotting new players. He then stepped up to become a member of the board. Being in charge of Eintracht’s FootballAcademy gives him the most pleasure. Körbel sees it a being the foundation upon which Eintracht can soon be as successful as they were in his playing days.