Germany great Gerd Muller, widely regarded as one of the game’s greatest goal-scorers and nicknamed “Bomber der Nation”, died at the age of 75, his former club Bayern Munich said on Sunday.
Berlin: Muller scored 68 goals in 62 international games for West Germany, including the winner in the 1974 World Cup final. He is third in the all-time list of most goals in the global competition with 14 strikes, behind Brazil’s Ronaldo (15) and Miroslav Klose (16) of Germany. Muller also won the European Championship in 1972 with West Germany.
Having joined Bayern in 1964, Muller – an instinctive striker who was good in the air and quick on his feet – pumped in 566 goals in 607 competitive matches for the club during a 15-year spell. Muller scored a record 365 goals in the Bundesliga in a trophy-laden career that included four league titles, four DFB Cups and three European Cups with Bayern.
He won the ‘Golden Boot’ by scoring 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup before collecting the Ballon d’Or the same year. “Today is a sad, black day for Bayern and all of its fans. Muller was the greatest striker there has ever been and a fine person, a personality in world football,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said in a statement on Sunday.
“Without Gerd Muller, Bayern would not be the club we all love today. His name and the memory of him will live on forever.”
Having joined Bayern in 1964, Muller – an instinctive striker who was good in the air and quick on his feet – pumped in 566 goals in 607 competitive matches for the club during a 15-year spell. Muller scored a record 365 goals in the Bundesliga in a trophy-laden career that included four league titles, four DFB Cups and three European Cups with Bayern.
He won the ‘Golden Boot’ by scoring 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup before collecting the Ballon d’Or the same year. “Today is a sad, black day for Bayern and all of its fans. Muller was the greatest striker there has ever been and a fine person, a personality in world football,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said in a statement on Sunday.
“Without Gerd Muller, Bayern would not be the club we all love today. His name and the memory of him will live on forever.”
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