Franz Beckenbauer died at the age of 78.
“We had a lot of respect for each other,” the PAP said after learning of the deaths of prominent German soccer player and coach Franz Beckenbauer and Poland's Władysław Zmuda, who finished third at the World Cup. 1974 and 1982
“I have photos with this famous player. I remember he was at a meeting of the Polish Football Association. We kept in touch. We had a lot of respect for each other. I will remember him as a great world-class person. He inspired the game. Over the years, both club and national team. He played in defense , but he did not hesitate to move forward, he looked elegant and dignified,” says Zhmuda, the silver medalist of the 1976 Olympic Games.
1. About Streilau Beckenbauer. “brilliant player”
“I still remember our match to reach the final against Germany, the hosts of the 1974 World Cup, in rainy conditions in Frankfurt, Main. I remember how the organizers asked us to play despite the difficult conditions. It seems that someone else finally decided that the match should go ahead: “No goal in the 76th minute It was a draw and Gerd Müller tipped the scales in favor of the hosts,” added the participant of four World Cup tournaments from 1974-1986.
Franz Beckenbauer later said of the match: “Under normal circumstances, we probably wouldn't have had a chance to win.”
Zmuda was a key player in Kazimierz Gorski's team in 1974, playing all seven of Germany's World Cup matches and winning the tournament's best young player award.
mtu, PAP
