Gerd Müller, the German football scar who became known as “Der Bomber” for his scoring ability, died on August 15 in Wolfratshausen, Germany. He was 75.
Bayern Munich, the club he played for from 1964 to 1979, announced his death. Bayern did not specify the cause, but it had announced in October 2015 that Müller had had Alzheimer’s disease for “a long time” and had been receiving professional care since February.
Müller scored 566 goals for Bayern, bringing them four German titles, four German Cup victories and three European Cup victories in 15 years. He still holds the record for most goals in the Bundesliga, Germany’s premier football league: 365 goals scored in 427 league matches.
“Gerd Müller was the best striker there has ever been,” Bayern chairman Herbert Hainer said in a statement.
Müller played 607 league games for Bayern and was the league’s top scorer seven times. He was as instrumental in making Bayern Germany’s powerhouse as his former teammates Franz Beckenbauer and Uli Hoeness.
Müller’s record of 40 goals in the 1971/72 Bundesliga season was only broken last season, when current Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski scored his 41st goal in the last minute of the final game.
Müller also helped West Germany (now Germany) to the European Championship in 1972 and then the World Cup two years later, when he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands. In all, he scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for West Germany, a national record only surpassed in 2014 – and Miroslav Klose, who broke Müller’s record, took 129 appearances to match him.
Müller became a youth coach at Bayern after his playing days.
“His achievements are unparalleled to this day and will forever be part of the great history of FC Bayern and all of German football,” said Bayern chairman Oliver Kahn.
Müller was born on November 3, 1945 in Nördlingen, Germany. His survivors are his wife, Uschi, and a daughter, Nicole.
