Bernd Hoelzenbein, who won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974, died at the age of 78, his long-time club Eintracht Frankfurt said on Tuesday.
Hoelzenbein, who could play as a striker or winger, scored five goals in 40 West German appearances. In the 1974 World Cup final versus the Netherlands in Munich, Hoelzenbein won a penalty converted by Paul Breitner, tying the game at 1-1.
Bernd Hoelzenbein was widely chastised by Dutch fans for diving, although he maintained throughout his life that it was a “clear penalty.” Gerd Mueller scored the game-winning goal late in the first half, giving Germany their second World Cup victory.
In the 1976 Euros final, Hoelzenbein scored a late goal to tie the game 2-2 with Czechoslovakia, but Germany lost on penalties. He spent the majority of his career at Frankfurt, where he is still the club’s all-time leading scorer with 160 goals in 420 appearances.
During his 14-year career with Frankfurt, he won three German Cups as well as the UEFA Cup. After leaving the Eagles, he spent several years in the United States, playing for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Memphis Americans, and Baltimore Blast.
Bernd Hoelzenbein
In conclusion, he later returned to Frankfurt and worked for the club as an administrator and scout and also had a significant influence on Eintracht Frankfurt for almost 60 years.
Source: vanguardngr.com
