Karl Mai

Karl Mai was a German footballer who played as a midfielder.
Mai was born in Fürth. He was part of the Germany [national football team|West Germany national team] that won the 1954 [FIFA World Cup]. In total he earned 21 caps and scored one goal for West Germany. During his club career he played for SpVgg Fürth and FC [Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich].
Sepp Herberger compared Mai's playing style to that of 1930s player Andreas Kupfer but also appreciated his solidity and straightness. In the 1954 [World Cup Final] Mai faced Sandor Kocsis who had scored no less than 11 goals up to that game, yet he failed to score in the final as Mai performed a rigid marking job on Kocsis. Mai was an outspoken player who also did not shy away from stating his opinion towards Herberger.
After his professional career he became a coach in the 1960s and then a school trainer. In the early 1990s, his right lung was removed. He died in 1993.