In the knockout competition, the skillful ball enchanter left Wattenscheid spellbound.
Over half a century in Germany's second football league has seen its fair share of peculiar personalities, among them notable figures like Walter Frosch, Ansgar Brinkmann, and Olaf Thon. However, one individual truly stands out, a man who once harbored dreams of becoming an Argentine champion in the international football stage and ended up in Wattenscheid instead.
In his recently released book, "First Class. 50 Years of 2nd League," author Hardy Grüne describes this as a fairy tale-like tale, detailing the journey of the "Argentinean magic trickster" who played for SG Wattenscheid 09 in the so-called "Cobblestone League" of the 2nd Bundesliga. And indeed, it's a remarkable story from the "underbelly" of German football.
The tale begins in 1974, when Carlos Babington had high expectations for a professional football career. A year prior, he had won the Argentine championship with Huracán under the guidance of the legendary coach, César Menotti. His performances at the World Cup in Germany were also impressive.
His plan was to continue his career in Europe after the World Cup, with Stoke City from the English First Division having already made him an offer. However, his dreams were dashed when his grandfather was unable to locate the required birth certificate.
Suddenly, Inter Milan showed interest in the skilled Argentine, even initiating negotiations. However, Babington couldn't prove his Italian ancestry, and without it, Inter was unable to sign him. Now, the 24-year-old blond-haired Argentine's only hope was the World Cup in Germany - and his own performance.
The charismatic Klaus Steilmann, the patron and ambitious president of SG Wattenscheid 09 from the then-independent city in the Ruhr area, was captivated by the Argentine. Perhaps, it was due to his belief in finding a worthy successor to his protégé, Hannes Bongartz, who had moved to Gelsenkirchen. The acquisition of the "Asparagus Tarzan" for about 770,000 marks caused a stir in the region. Rolf Rüssmann, Babington's future teammate, claimed at the time, "It fits well. He's blond too, just like Nigbur, Fichtel, van den Berg, Sobieray, Scheer, Lütkebohmert, the two Kremers, and me. From late August, the cool blonds from the gray west will strike in the Bundesliga!"
according to Grüne's account in his book about the 2nd League, "The Argentine was supposed to help Steilmann's dream of promotion to the Bundesliga come true. 'We are happy that Carlos Babington has finally joined us after a long back-and-forth, and we hope that this football prodigy will enrich our harmonious club life,' the Wattenscheider entrepreneur said at the presentation of the new superstar, for whom he had to pay 200,000 US dollars."
Babington was introduced to the fascinating world of the 2nd Bundesliga.
Carlos Babington was not just a local attraction for the area around Bochum, but a genuine sensation for the entire 2nd Bundesliga, which was starting its first season. Suddenly, the Argentine football champion, national team player, and World Cup participant was playing on provincial pitches all over the country, facing teams like 1. FC Mülheim, Wacker 04 Berlin, SpVgg Erkenschwick, Olympia Wilhelmshaven, or HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst. Despite being considered a "sporting enrichment" and scoring an impressive 46 goals in 120 2nd division games, his teammates couldn't quite keep up with his level of skill.
Despite Babington's presence, Steilmann's dream of promotion to the Bundesliga remained unfulfilled, and SG Wattenscheid 09 remained "the epitome of a grey mouse in the 2nd Bundesliga North." But things didn't improve for Carlos Babington after his time in Bochum. His planned move to River Plate in Buenos Aires fell through in 1978, and despite the support of his former coach at Huracán and then national team manager, César Menotti, he missed out on the World Cup and the opportunity to win the trophy in his home country.
In the annals of the 2nd Bundesliga, Carlos Babington will always hold a special place. He was likely one of the greatest footballers this league has ever seen. The story of the Argentine magic trickster in the Cobblestone League is still fondly remembered in Wattenscheid to this day. It's just a shame it didn't have a happier ending. SG Wattenscheid 09 only managed to secure a spot in the Bundesliga in 1990, after the return of Klaus Steilmann's former protégé, Hannes Bongartz. And that's just one of the many fascinating stories from 50 years of the 2nd Bundesliga, as recounted by Hardy Grün in his entertaining book "First Class. 50 Years of 2nd Division."
The Argentinean magic trickster, Carlos Babington, found himself in Germany's Second Football League, specifically playing for SG Wattenscheid 09, after his dreams of playing in the English First Division and Italian Serie A fell through due to bureaucratic issues. His arrival caused a stir in the region, and he was hailed as a sporting enrichment for the league, scoring 46 goals in 120 games.
As Grüne explains in his book, Babington's time in the Second Football League was marked by his exceptional skill, but his teammates struggled to keep up, and despite his contributions, SG Wattenscheid 09 could not secure promotion to the Bundesliga.
