| Gustav Lechner | |
| Birth Date: | 17 February 1913 |
| Birth Place: | Osijek, Austria-Hungary |
| Death Place: | Zagreb, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Years1: | 1930–1935 |
| Clubs1: | Slavija Osijek |
| Years2: | 1935–1941 |
| Clubs2: | BSK Belgrade |
| Years3: | 1941–1945 |
| Clubs3: | Građanski Zagreb |
| Years4: | 1945–1949 |
| Clubs4: | Proleter Osijek |
| Nationalyears1: | 1931–1940 |
| Nationalteam1: | Yugoslavia |
| Nationalcaps1: | 44 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 1941–1944 |
| Nationalteam2: | Croatia |
| Nationalcaps2: | 12 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Manageryears1: | 1945–1949 |
| Managerclubs1: | Proleter Osijek (player-manager) |
| Managerclubs2: | Metalac Osijek |
| Managerclubs3: | Dinamo Pančevo |
| Manageryears4: | 1953–1957 |
| Managerclubs4: | Vojvodina |
| Manageryears5: | 1957–1958 |
| Managerclubs5: | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Manageryears6: | 1959–1960 |
| Managerclubs6: | Velež |
| Managerclubs7: | Slavonija Požega |
| Manageryears8: | 196x–1966 |
| Managerclubs8: | NK Zagreb |
Gustav Lechner (17 February 1913 – 5 February 1987) was a football player and coach. At international level he represented both the Yugoslavian and Croatian national sides.[1]
Born in Osijek, Austria-Hungary and nicknamed Lembika,[2] he spent his early career with Slavija Osijek and BSK Belgrade; while playing with the latter he won 3 Yugoslav titles and graduated from law school.[2] In 1941 he and teammate Ernest Dubac joined Građanski Zagreb. At the end of the war, he became player-manager of Proleter Osijek.[2]
Lechner made his debut for Yugoslavia in an August 1931 friendly match against Czechoslovakia and earned a total of 44 caps scoring no goals.[2] He then played 12 matches under the flag of the Independent State of Croatia, a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany. His final international was an April 1944 friendly against Slovakia.[3]
After retiring as a player in 1949, Lechner became a coach and managed Metalac Osijek, Dinamo Pančevo, Vojvodina Novi Sad, Dinamo Zagreb, Velež Mostar, Slavonija Požega and NK Zagreb.[2]
Lechner died on 5 February 1987 in Zagreb, and was buried on 11 February at the Saint Anne Cemetery in his hometown of Osijek.[4] [5]