Former German player Bernd Hölzenbein, world champion in 1974 together with Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller, has died at the age of 78, Eintracht Frankfurt announced this Tuesday (16), the club where he played for 14 years.
“An Eintracht player through and through. A legend as written in the book. One of the greatest we’ve ever had. Bernd Hölzenbein, honorary captain of Eintracht, died on Monday aged 78 surrounded by his family.”
A Eintracht player through and through. A legend as written in the book. One of the biggest we’ve had.
Bernd Hölzenbein, honorary captain of Eintracht, died on Monday at the age of 78 surrounded by his family 🖤 pic.twitter.com/BJRCZDGDGP
— Eintracht Frankfurt (@Eintracht) April 16, 2024
An attacking midfielder for the West German national team from October 1973, he played six of the German team’s seven games at the 1974 World Cup.
In the final of that World Cup, at the Olympic Stadium in Munich, in the 25th minute he suffered a penalty (converted by Paul Breitner) that allowed Germany to draw against Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands. Germany ended up winning 2-1 with a goal from Gerd Müller at the end of the first half (43′) and won their second title (after the 1954 World Cup title in Switzerland).
In the 40th and final game for the national team, in Córdoba (Argentina), in the 2nd group stage of the 1978 World Cup, Hölzenbein scored his fifth goal for the German team, which was not enough to avoid defeat against Austria and elimination from the tournament. .
His club career is linked to Eintracht Frankfurt, which he joined on July 1, 1967 from the youth teams.
Top scorer in Eintracht’s history (160 goals in 420 matches), Hölzenbein won the German Cup three times (1974, 1975 and 1981) and, most notably, the UEFA Cup, predecessor of the Europa League, in 1980. On the straight At the end of his career he played for several seasons in the United States, for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Memphis Americans and Baltimore Blast.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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