Gerd Müller

(Redirected fromGerd Muller)

Gerhard"Gerd"Müller(German pronunciation:[ˈɡɛʁtˈmʏlɐ];3 November 1945 – 15 August 2021)[2]was a German professionalfootballer.A prolificstriker,especially in and around thesix-yard box,he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers and players in the history of the sport.[3]With success at club and international level, he is one of nine players to have won theFIFA World Cup,theUEFA Champions Leagueand theBallon d'Or.

Gerd Müller
Müller withBayern Munichin 1973
Personal information
Full name Gerhard Müller
Date of birth (1945-11-03)3 November 1945
Place of birth Nördlingen,Southwest zone,Allied-occupied Germany
Date of death 15 August 2021(2021-08-15)(aged 75)
Place of death Wolfratshausen,Germany
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1958–1963 1861 Nördlingen
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1963–1964 1861 Nördlingen 31 (51)
1964–1979 Bayern Munich 453 (398)
1979–1981 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 71 (38)
Total 555 (487)
International career
1966 West Germany U23 1 (1)
1966–1974 West Germany 62 (68)
Managerial career
1992–2014 Bayern Munich II(assistant)
Medal record
Men'sfootball
RepresentingWest Germany
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1974 West Germany
Third place 1970 Mexico
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1972 Belgium
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

At international level withWest Germany,he scored68 goalsin 62 appearances, and at club level, in 15 years withBayern Munich,in which he scored 365 goals in 427Bundesligamatches, he became—and still is—record holder of that league.In 74 European club games he scored 65 goals. Averaging over a goal a game with West Germany, Müller was, as of 11 July 2021, 21st on the list ofall time international goalscorers,despite having played fewer matches than every other player in the top 48. Among the top scorers, he has the third-highest goal-to-game ratio. He also had the highest ratio of 0.97 goals per game in theEuropean Cup,scoring 34 goals in 35 matches.[4]

Nicknamed "Bomber der Nation"(" the nation's Bomber ") or simply"Der Bomber",[3]Müller was namedEuropean Footballer of the Yearin 1970. After a successful season at Bayern Munich, he scored ten goals at the1970 FIFA World Cupfor West Germany where he received theGolden Bootas top goalscorer, before winning the1970 Ballon d'Or.In 1972, he won theUEFA European Championshipand was the top goalscorer, scoring two goals in thefinal.Two years later, he scored 4 goals in the1974 FIFA World Cup,including the winning goal in thefinal.

Müller held theall-time goal-scoring record in the World Cupwith 14 goals for 32 years.[5]In 1999, Müller was ranked ninth in the European Player of the Century election held by theInternational Federation of Football History & Statistics(IFFHS), and he was voted 13th in the IFFHS'World Player of the Centuryelection.[6]In 2004,Pelénamed Müller in theFIFA 100list of the world's greatest living players.[3]

Club career

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Bayern Munich

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Born 3 November 1945, inNördlingen,Germany, Müller began his football career at his hometown clubTSV 1861 Nördlingenyouth ranks in 1958. Aged 18, Müller joinedBayern Munichin 1964, where he teamed up with future starsFranz BeckenbauerandSepp Maier.The club, which would go on to become the most successful German club in history, was then still in theRegionalliga Süd(Regional League South),which was one level below theBundesligaat the time.

Müller autographing a football in 1967. To his left areFranz BeckenbauerandWerner Olk

After one season, Bayern Munich advanced to the Bundesliga and started a long string of successes. With his club, Müller amassed titles during the 1960s and 1970s: he won the German Championship four times, theDFB-Pokalfour times, theEuropean Cupthree consecutive years (the first West German team to win it; Müller scored in the1974 finalreplay and the1975 final), theIntercontinental Cuponce, and theEuropean Cup Winners' Cuponce.[7]

An opportunistic goal-scorer, Müller also became German top scorer seven times and European top scorer twice. Müller scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches for Bayern Munich, 53 goals over the second-most successful Bundesliga scorer,Robert Lewandowski,since 2022.[7]

Club goal records

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At his peak, Müller held the single-season Bundesliga record with 40 goals inseason 1971–72,a record that would be held until Lewandowski scored 41 goals during the2020–21 season,also for Bayern Munich.[8]Then, he also held the record for most club goals scored in all European club competitions in one season for 40 years,scoring67 goals during the1972–73 FC Bayern Munich season,and 85 (72 for Munich, 13 West Germany) goals in total during 1972. However, that record was surpassed byLionel MessiofFC Barcelonain Spain who scored 73 in the2011/12season, and 91 goals in the calendar year of 2012.[9][10][11]

Fort Lauderdale Strikers

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After his career in the Bundesliga, Müller went to theUnited States,where he joined theFort Lauderdale Strikers(based in theMiami area) of theNorth American Soccer League(NASL) in 1979.[12]He played three seasons with this team, scoring 38 goals,[12]and reaching, but losing, the league final in 1980.[13]

International career

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Müller (right) celebrating after winning the1974 FIFA World Cup.To his left isWolfgang Overath.

Müller scored68 goalsin 62 games forWest Germany.[7]He was Germany's all-time leading scorer for almost 40 years until surpassed byMiroslav Klosein 2014, though Klose required over double the number of caps to do so, scoring his 69th goal in his 132nd appearance.[14]Müller's international career started in 1966 and ended on 7 July 1974 with victory at the1974 FIFA World Cupat hishome stadiumin Munich.[15]He scored the winning goal for the 2–1 victory overJohan Cruyff'sNetherlandsinthe final.His four goals in that tournament and his ten goals at the1970 FIFA World Cupcombined made him the all-time highestFIFA World Cupgoalscorer at the time with 14 goals. His record stood until the2006tournament, coincidentally held in Germany, when it was broken by Brazilian strikerRonaldo,who also required more matches than Müller to achieve his tally.[5]Müller also participated in the1972 European Championship,becoming top scorer with four goals (including two inthe final) and winning the Championship with the West German team.[7]

Müller quit playing for West Germany after the 1974 FIFA World Cup triumph following an argument with theGerman Football Association(DFB) at the post-tournament celebration, when officials' wives were allowed to attend but players' wives were not.

Life after football

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Müller in 2006

After Müller ended his career in 1981, he fell into a slump and suffered fromalcoholism.However, his former companions at Bayern Munich convinced him to go throughalcohol rehabilitation.When he emerged, they gave him a job as a coach atBayern Munich II.

He held the position from 1992 until he retired in 2014 due to health problems. There is also a collection of apparel released by sporting giantsAdidasunder the Gerd Müller name. It is part of the Adidas originals series. In July 2008, the Rieser Sportpark, in Nördlingen, where Müller had begun his career, was renamed the Gerd-Müller-Stadion in his honour.[16][17]

On 6 October 2015, it was announced that Müller was suffering fromAlzheimer's disease.[18]He died on 15 August 2021 in a nursing home inWolfratshausen,aged 75.[19][20]

Player profile

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Style of play

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Müller,Ruud KrolandJohan Cruyffin 1978

In his book,Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football,authorDavid Winnerwrites, "Müller was short, squat, awkward-looking and not notably fast; he never fitted the conventional idea of a great footballer, but he had lethal acceleration over short distances, a remarkable aerial game, and uncanny goalscoring instincts. His short legs gave him a low center of gravity, so he could turn quickly and with perfect balance in spaces and at speeds that would cause other players to fall over. He also had a knack of scoring in unlikely situations."[21]

Müller used extreme acceleration, agility, and deceptive changes of pace to get to loose balls first, and bypass defenders.[22][23]His teammateFranz Beckenbauerhas emphasized Müller's unusual speed: "His pace was incredible. In training I have played against him and I never had a chance."[24]

A prolific goalscorer, Müller was also known for his movement, coordination, intelligence, and clinical finishing inside the penalty area.[23][25][26][27]He had the ability to score goals from awkward positions with almost any part of his body, not only with his head or either foot.[23][28]

Legacy

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Müller is widely considered to be one of the greatest strikers and goalscorers in the history of football. He is seen as the greatest "goal poacher"in history,[26][29][30]withGary Linekercalling him "the ultimate goal poacher".[31]He is one of only two players, alongsideLionel Messi,to have won theFIFA World Cup,theUEFA Champions League,theBallon d'Orand theEuropean Golden Shoe.[32]After his death in 2021,FC Bayern MunichpresidentHerbert Hainerdeclared that Müller was "the greatest striker there's ever been", whileFranz Beckenbauerstated that Müller was "the most important player in the history of Bayern Munich".[33]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[34][35][36][37]
Club Season League DFB-Pokal Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
TSV 1861 Nördlingen 1962–63 Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord 3 4 3 4
1963–64 Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord 28 47 28 47
Total 31 51 31 51
Bayern Munich 1964–65 Regionalliga Süd 26 33 8[a] 8 34 41
1965–66 Bundesliga 33 15 6 1 39 16
1966–67 Bundesliga 32 28 4 7 9[b] 8 45 43
1967–68 Bundesliga 34 19 4 4 8[b] 7 46 30
1968–69 Bundesliga 30 30 5 7 35 37
1969–70 Bundesliga 33 38 3 4 2[c] 0 38 42
1970–71 Bundesliga 32 22 7 10 8[d] 7 47 39
1971–72 Bundesliga 34 40 6 5 8[b] 5 48 50
1972–73 Bundesliga 33 36 5 7 6[c] 11 5[e] 12 49 66
1973–74 Bundesliga 34 30 4 5 10[c] 8 48 43
1974–75 Bundesliga 33 23 3 2 7[c] 5 43 30
1975–76 Bundesliga 22 23 6 7 6[c] 5 1[f] 0 35 35
1976–77 Bundesliga 25 28 4 11 4[c] 5 4[g] 4 37 48
1977–78 Bundesliga 33 24 3 4 6[h] 4 42 32
1978–79 Bundesliga 19 9 2 4 21 13
Total 453 398 62 78 74 65 18 24 607 565
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1979 NASL 25 19 2[i] 0 27 19
1980 NASL 29 14 7[i] 2 36 16
1981 NASL 17 5 17 5
Total 71 38 9 2 80 40
Career total 555 487 62 78 74 65 27 26 718 656
  1. ^Six appearances inBundesliga promotion play-offswith 6 goals and two appearances in theSouth German Cupwith 2 goals.[38]
  2. ^abcAppearances inEuropean Cup Winners' Cup
  3. ^abcdefAppearances inEuropean Cup
  4. ^Appearances inInter-Cities Fairs Cup
  5. ^Appearances inDFB-Ligapokal
  6. ^Appearance in theUEFA Super Cup
  7. ^Two appearances and three goals inUEFA Super Cup,two appearances and 1 goal inIntercontinental Cup
  8. ^Appearances inUEFA Cup
  9. ^abAppearances inNASLplay-offs

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year[39][40]
National team Year Apps Goals
West Germany Friendlies – 1966 1 0
Friendlies – 1967 1 1
UEFA Euro 1968 qual. 3 6
Friendlies – 1968 1 0
1970 FIFA World Cup qual. 6 9
Friendlies – 1969 3 2
Friendlies – 1970 5 2
1970 FIFA World Cup 6 10
Friendlies – 1971 4 7
UEFA Euro 1972 qual. 7 6
Friendlies – 1972 3 8
UEFA Euro 1972 2 4
Friendlies – 1973 8 7
Friendlies – 1974 5 2
1974 FIFA World Cup 7 4
Total 62 68

Müller scored 68 goals in 62 games for West Germany. His 14 goals in FIFA World Cup tournaments were a record between 1974 and 2006. This score was bettered in 2006 by Brazil's Ronaldo, and eight years later by German Miroslav Klose, who also broke Müller's record for goals for Germany.[41][42]However, Müller managed to score eight hat-tricks in his international career.[43]

Honours

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Bayern Munich[3][44][45]

West Germany[3][44]

Individual

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Shared withGünter Netzer

References

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Records
Preceded by FIFA World Cup top goalscorer
7 July 1974 – 27 June 2006
Succeeded by