Soccer star led West Germany to 1974 title
‘Der Bomber’ used whole body to score goals
Gerd Müller, who played for what was then still West Germany, was widely considered one of the greatest goal scorers in the history of world soccer, notably netting the winning goal in his nation’s memorable 1974 World Cup final over Holland’s great “total football” team captained by Johan Cruyff. He scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for his country, an astonishing ratio of more than a goal a game.
After retiring from his career-long club Bayern Munich, for whom he scored 563 goals in 605 competitive matches, Müller played for three years with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the old North American Soccer League, scoring 40 goals in 80 appearances, including 19 goals in 1979 alone.
He died Aug. 15 at 75 in a care home in Munich after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for six years, according to a statement from the International Football Federation (FIFA). His wife, the former Ursula Ebenböck, whom he married in 1967, told the German news media that he had become increasingly debilitated. Survivors also include their daughter, Nicole.
Gerhard Müller, the youngest of five children, was born in Nördlingen, Bavaria, on Nov. 3, 1945.
His first coach at Bayern Munich dubbed him “short fat Müller” because he was squat and stocky with the thighs of a weightlifter. Unlike modern-day greats such as Argentina’s Lionel Messi or Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Müller scored few goals from outside the penalty area, but he was lethal “in the box.” He was nicknamed “der Bomber” because of his effect on opposing defenders.
Müller had exceptional speed over short distances and the balance of a gymnast. Although he stood just 5 feet, 8 inches tall, he was an extraordinary leaper. He used every soccer-legal part of his body to score goals, from the back of his head to his chest, knees, shins and heels — even his backside.
When he scored his winning 1974 World Cup goal against the Netherlands, he had his back to goal when the ball arrived but, in a single movement, pivoted to beat defender Ruud Krol and Dutch goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed.
In the Guardian, sportswriter Scott Murray called the German “the greatest goalscorer of all time. Clinical and classy.”