Honor for a legend: Ronnie-Hellström-Weg in Morlautern inaugurated!

Honor for a legend: Ronnie-Hellström-Weg in Morlautern inaugurated!

Ronnie Hellström, who was born in Malmö, was classified as a child as too small for football. At first he devoted himself to handball and ice hockey before moving to Stockholm at the age of 13. There he became ice hockey gatekeeper at Tyresö IF and also played football at Hammarby If. He made his debut in the Hammarby men's team on May 11, 1966 and from this point on his career developed rapidly. He rose to the highest Swedish league, the Fotchbollsallsvenskan, both in 1966 and in 1969.

career highlights

An important highlight of his career was 1970 when Hellström Sweden represented as a goalkeeper at the World Cup in Mexico. However, this was only one station of many: at the 1974 World Cup, it became internationally known when Sweden took fifth place. Even in his subsequent time at the 1st FC Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga, he left a lasting impression. In 1974 he moved to the Bundesliga team for DM 220,000 and became a goalkeeper of the association during the 1974/75 season.

Total Hellström played 266 Bundesliga games without ever seeing a yellow or red card. He received special praise in 1978 when he was chosen as the most popular player in the 1st FC Kaiserslautern. During his career, he was also awarded Sweden's football player of the year twice. He had his own fan club and was the first foreign player to get a farewell game.

a moving life

Away from football, Hellström was versatile. He worked as a goalkeeper coach at Hammarby IF and Malmö FF, ran a fashion business in Kaiserslautern and was a general representative for a sporting goods manufacturer in Sweden. From 2001 to 2017 he also worked in a responsible position at Hornbach.

After a successful, albeit challenging career, in which he played 77 caps for Sweden and took part in three world championships, the challenges were kept over again and again by personal blows of fate. In November 2021, doctors diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Tragically, Hellström died in his family at the age of 72.

The name of the Ronnie Hellström-Weg is an honorable sign for a man who has left great traces not only on the field, but also outside. He is not only appreciated for his sporting achievements, but also for his integrity and human dealings. wikipedia