| Toni Turek | |
| Full Name: | Anton Turek |
| Birth Date: | 18 January 1919 |
| Birth Place: | Duisburg, Germany |
| Death Place: | Neuss, West Germany |
| Height: | 1.81 m |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Youthyears1: | 1929–1936 |
| Youthclubs1: | Duisburger SV |
| Years1: | 1936–1941 |
| Clubs1: | TuS Duisburg 48/99 |
| Years2: | 1941–1943 |
| Clubs2: | TSG Ulm 1846 |
| Years3: | 1943–1946 |
| Clubs3: | TuS Duisburg 48/99 |
| Years4: | 1946–1947 |
| Clubs4: | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| Caps4: | 22 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 1947–1950 |
| Clubs5: | TSG Ulm 1846 |
| Caps5: | 65 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 1950–1956 |
| Clubs6: | Fortuna Düsseldorf |
| Caps6: | 133 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 1956–1957 |
| Clubs7: | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| Caps7: | 4 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 1950–1954 |
| Nationalteam1: | West Germany |
| Nationalcaps1: | 20 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
Anton Turek (18 January 1919 – 11 May 1984) was a German footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Born in Duisburg, Turek started his career at Duisburger Sportverein, but he soon moved to TuS Duisburg 48/99. He first came to the attention of later West Germany national team coach Sepp Herberger was on 27 September 1936, when West Germany played a preparation game against Luxembourg in Krefeld. Before that game, the youth teams of Krefeld and TuS Duisburg 48/99 had met with the 17-year-old Turek standing in the Duisburg goal. During World War II Turek was lucky things did not turn out worse for him as a shell splinter struck through his helmet.[1]
In 1950 Turek transferred to Fortuna Düsseldorf. Between 1950 and 1954 he played 20 games for the West Germany national team.[2] He played in "The Miracle of Bern" 1954 FIFA World Cup final against Hungary and won the Championship.[3]
After a fine save from a very close shot by Nándor Hidegkuti, he was described by the sports reporter Herbert Zimmermann with the words "Toni, you're a football God".[4] [5] He later had to apologize for that comment because the church complained about the comparison of a football player with God.
Turek died in Neuss in 1984. He had been paralyzed from the waist down since August 1973.[6]
He has received numerous honours and is still highly regarded in Germany, especially in the Rhineland.[7]
Werner Raupp: Toni Turek - "Fußballgott". Eine Biographie, Hildesheim: Arete Verlag 2019 (2018) (ISBN 978-3-96423-008-9).