Gerhard Zebrowski

{{Short description|German footballer (1940–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Gerhard Zebrowski | fullname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|4|25|df=y}} | birth_place = Bremen, Germany | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|04|30|1940|4|25|df=y}} | death_place = Bremen, Germany | height = 1.70 m | position = Winger<ref name="weserkurier"/> | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = TuS Walle | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Werder Bremen | years1 = 1959–1969 | clubs1 = Werder Bremen | caps1 = 200 | goals1 = 63 | years2 = 1969–1972 | clubs2 = TuS Bremerhaven 93 | caps2 = 91 | goals2 = 29 | years3 = 1972–1973 | clubs3 = SV Hemelingen }}

'''Gerhard Zebrowski''' (born 25 April 1940 – 30 April 2020<ref name="weserkurier"/>) was a German footballer who played as a winger. He spent six seasons in the Bundesliga with SV Werder Bremen winning the league in the 1964–65 season and the DFB-Pokal in 1961.

==Career==

===Werder Bremen=== Born in Bremen, Zebrowski grew up in the urban district of Walle<ref name="weserkurier">{{cite news |last1=Bähr |first1=Christoph |title=Werder Bremen: Meisterspieler Gerhard Zebrowski gestorben |url=https://www.weser-kurier.de/werder/werder-bundesliga_artikel,-werder-trauert-um-meisterspieler-gerhard-zebrowski-_arid,1911581.html |accessdate=5 May 2020 |work=Weser Kurier |date=5 May 2020 |language=German}}</ref> where he played youth football with local team TuS Walle.<ref name="bub">{{cite web |title=Werder-Meisterspieler Gerhard Zebrowski ist tot |url=https://www.butenunbinnen.de/sport/werder-zebrowski-gestorben-lorenz-100.html |website=Buten und Binnen |publisher=Radio Bremen |accessdate=5 May 2020 |language=German |date=4 May 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He joined SV Werder Bremen at the age of 13<ref name="weserkurier"/> and made his debut in the Oberliga Nord, the German top tier at the time.<ref name="bub"/> Werder Bremen finished runners-up multiple times in the Oberliga<ref name="bub"/> with Zebrowski contributing 27 goals in 71 Oberliga matches.<ref name="weserkurier"/>

He won the 1961 DFB-Pokal with Werder Bremen.<ref name="weserkurier"/>

Two years after the Bundesliga was founded Zebrowski helped Werder Bremen win it,<ref name="bub"/> finishing the 1964–65 season as the club's second top scorer with 11 goals.<ref name="weserkurier"/>

He played a total of 145 Bundesliga matches scoring 40 goals for Werder Bremen.<ref name="weserkurier"/><ref name="bub"/>

===Later years with Bremerhaven 93 and SV Hemelingen=== In 1969,<ref name="weserkurier"/> Zebrowski moved to TuS Bremerhaven 93, a smaller club in the state of Bremen playing in the Regionalliga Nord, which was the German second tier at the time.<ref name="bub"/> He ended his career with Bremen-based amateur side SV Hemelingen.<ref name="bub"/><ref name="weserkurier"/>

==Post-playing career== Following his retirement he published the "Werder-Echo", Werder Bremen's matchday programme, together with Klaus Matischak, also a former player of the club.<ref name="weserkurier"/> An honorary member of the club, Zebrowski regularly visited matches at the Weserstadion until his death.<ref name="weserkurier"/>

==Death== He died on 30 April 2020, days after his 80th birthday.

==Style of play== Zebrowski played as a winger<ref name="weserkurier"/> and was known for his pace and dribbling.<ref name="bub"/><ref name="weserkurier"/>

==Honours== '''Werder Bremen''' * Bundesliga: 1964–65;<ref name="bub"/><ref name="weserkurier"/> runners-up 1968 * DFB-Pokal: 1961<ref name="weserkurier"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Worldfootball.net|gerhard-zebrowski|new_id=pe42658}} * {{Fussballdaten|zebrowskigerhard}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zebrowski, Gerhard}} Category:1940 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Men's association football forwards Category:German men's footballers Category:SV Werder Bremen players Category:Bundesliga players Category:Footballers from Bremen (city) Category:20th-century German sportsmen