List of footballers killed during World War II


Many former professional and top-level association footballers lost their lives during World War II, either while serving in their own or other countries' armed forces, as civilian casualties of enemy action or in enemy captivity. In addition, a number of Jewish players became victims of the Nazi Holocaust.
In the case of players whose countries were annexed by others or who migrated from their country of birth, they are classified under the nation of football association in which they spent most if not all of their playing careers.
Those who died as a result of the war or service in it, include:

Austria

Belgium

  • Henri Bierna – non-playing reserve member at the 1928 Summer Olympics, competed internationally in the national team, and domestically for US Liege. A civilian in the war, he was killed in an American air raid on Waremme, Belgium, on 28 August 1944 aged 38.
  • Frans Christiaens – goalkeeper with the national team, who played for Lierse S.K. 1925–43. A civilian in the war, he was killed in an American air raid on Mortsel, Belgium, on 5 May 1943 aged 29.
  • Hector Goetinck – played in the national team, and twice managed it. Midfielder with the Club Brugge and their manager, as well as with A.S. Oostende. A civilian in the war, he was killed in an air raid at Knokke-Heist, Belgium, on 26 June 1943 aged 57.
  • Rene Joannes-Powell – played in youth for FC Liege until 1910, subsequently branching out into field and track sport, for which he became more distinguished as a hurdler. A civilian in the war, he was accidentally killed as a spectator to the deliberate destruction of a bridge at Liège in attempt to halt the German invasion of Belgium on 11 May 1940 aged 44.
  • Jean Petit – played four times with the national team in 1938. Defender with Standard de Liege. A civilian doctor in the war, he was killed in an Allied air raid on Liege, Belgium, on 25 May 1944 aged 30.

China

Czechoslovakia

  • František Kloz – in the national team and twice top First League goalscorer. Played mainly for SK Kladno between 1928 and 1940, where he became manager, and for SK Slavia Praha and Sparta Prague. Anti-Nazi during his country's German occupation while continuing to professionally play, he was wounded when as a civilian volunteer he took part in a raid on an ammunition store in May and died in hospital at Louny on 13 June 1945 aged 40.

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Great Britain

Greece

Hungary

Indonesia (Netherlands East Indies to 1945)

Italy

Japan

Latvia

  • Kārlis Bone – competed internationally at the 1924 Summer Olympics and in the national team. Deported by Soviet authorities following annexation of Latvia to Siberia where he died in prison camp at Sevurallag, Russia, on 13 November 1941 aged 42.
  • Adolfs Greble – competed internationally in the national team. A civilian journalist and pre-war member of the fascist Perkonkrusts movement, he was deported by Soviet authorities to the Gulag in 1941 after being deemed 'socially dangerous', and died in prison camp at Vyatlaga, Russia, on 30 March 1943 aged 40.
  • Alfrēds Plade – In one match for national team and also in the 1924 Summer Olympics though did not play. During German occupation he joined the Latvian Auxiliary Police and was killed on the Eastern Front on 29 March 1944 aged 38.
  • Eriks Raisters – in the national team. Played for JKS Riga, RFK, Dinamo Riga and Belorussia team Dynamo Minsk. He was drafted into the Red Army and died of pneumonia in camp at Gorohovica, Russia, on 25 May 1942 aged 28.
  • Janis Rozitis – in the national team. Played for RFK and VEF. A civilian in the war, he was killed in an accidental explosion when removing German Army munitions from storage on VEF's ground in Riga on 3 May 1942 aged 29.
  • Aleksandrs Stankus – in the national team. Played for Liepaja Olympia and Riga ASK. Missing in action serving with the Latvian Legion of the German Waffen SS on the Eastern Front in Dzukste, Latvia, on 23 December 1944 aged 31.

Lithuania

  • Kestutis Bulota – a champion in multiple sports, he played for LFLS Kaunas in 1922–23 when he won the first two national football championships. He was deported following Soviet annexation of Lithuania to Siberia on 14 June 1941 when aged 44, subsequently being shot by sentry trying to escape from a Gulag camp.
  • Romualdas Marcinkus – appeared in the Lithuanian national team in 1927, later becoming the team's playing manager. Played for LFLS Kaunas while pursuing peacetime career in the Lithuanian Air Force. During 1940 he left Lithuania before the Soviet annexation of his country and served in the French Air Force before joining the British RAFVR, ultimately becoming Flight Lieutenant, being shot down and made prisoner of war in Germany in 1942. While taking part in the Great Escape from the Stalag Luft III camp he was captured by the Gestapo at Danzig and shot nearby on 29 March 1944 aged 36.

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Philippines

  • Virgilio Lobregat – Filipino international footballer, who played for the Philippines at the 1925 Far Eastern Games. Was a guerilla and spy aligned with the Allies, and was beheaded after his capture by the Imperial Japanese soldiers at Manila on 30 August 1944 aged 43.

Poland

Romania

Soviet Union

  • Sergei Filippov – striker who appeared in 1912 Summer Olympics for the Russian Empire. Had career in series of St Petersburg/Leningrad clubs. A civilian in the war, he died during the Siege of Leningrad in July 1942 aged 51.
  • Volodymyr Fomin – midfielder who played for the Soviet Union in unofficial matches during the 1920s and for Dynamo Kharkiv, which he coached 1937–41, and also briefly managed Dynamo Kyiv in 1938. A civilian in the war, he was executed by occupying German troops in Kharkiv, Ukraine, for hiding a Jew, in spring of 1942
  • Pyotr Grigoryev – striker who appeared in the national team and was champion player of the RSFSR and USSR. Played latterly for Elektrik Leningrad. A civilian in the war, he died during the Siege of Leningrad on 13 November 1942 aged 43.
  • Olexi Klimenko – defender who played for Dynamo Kyiv and, during German occupation of Kyiv, in Start FC against German military teams, participating in the so-called Death Match in August 1942, following which he and other teammates were arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in Syrets concentration camp. He was executed in a reprisal shooting at the camp on 24 February 1943 aged 30.
  • Mykola Korotkykh - played with Dynamo Kyiv to 1939 then Rotfront and Start FC in the Death Match in August 1942. He was arrested after the match by the Gestapo after hiding, having been denounced as a pre-war NKVD officer, and died under torture in Kyiv in September 1942 aged 33.
  • Ivan Kuzmenko – striker who played for Dynamo Kyiv and the Start FC in the Death Match. Executed in same shooting as Klimenko on 24 February 1943 aged 30.
  • Dmitri Lagunov – defender who played in one match for the national team against Norway. Played for series of St Petersburg/Leningrad clubs between 1911 and 1930. A civilian in the war he died during the siege of Leningrad on 10 February 1942 aged 53.
  • Nikolai Trusevich – goalkeeper for Dynamo Kyiv and Start FC in the Death Match. Executed in same shooting as Kuzmenko and Klimenko on 24 February 1943 aged 33.
  • Alexei Uversky – midfielder; competed internationally at the 1912 Summer Olympics for the Russian Empire. A civilian in the war, he died during the Siege of Leningrad in 1942, reportedly after being wounded on the frontline.
  • Vladimir Vonog – midfielder appeared in the national team, was champion player of the RSFSR in 1924 and 1926–28 and Honoured Master of Sport of the USSR in 1931. Played for FC Spartak Leningrad and Krasny Putilovets. A civilian in the war, he died during the Siege of Leningrad on 16 March 1942 aged 43.
  • Mikhail Yakovlev – midfielder and sometimes defender, who appeared in the 1912 Summer Olympics for the Russian Empire. A civilian in the war, he died during the Siege of Leningrad in 1942.

Yugoslavia