50 years ago, viewers of the ARD Sportschau primetime sports magazine voted for a "Goal of the Year" for the first time. Overhead kicks, scissor kicks, volleys, shots from the corner flag or the halfway line and many other goalscoring works of art have been recognised since then, with Bayern picking up the most awards (seven). Members' magazine "51" reminisces with our "Goal Scorer of the Year" - in the hope that the award will finally come back to a Munich player after 22 long years... Part 1 with Giovane Élber.
Goal of the Year 1999: Giovane Élber vs. Rostock
"When Martin Pieckenhagen, Rostock's goalkeeper, ran out to the corner flag, I asked myself: What is he doing here? He tried to block me and let the ball go out of bounds. But he didn't catch me, instead he fell down and I trapped the ball on the byline. Then everything happened in a flash. Pieckenhagen wasn't in his goal, a defender came running towards me, so I thought to myself: now I just have to hit the target somehow - with my left, that was the most difficult part of it all. And it worked.
It was one of those moments in football when everything falls into place. Afterwards, I couldn't quite believe that the ball had gone in. I ran to the linesman and asked him: 'Did I really score? Surely not!"
Élber: The best goal in my career
"Unfortunately, it was my last Bundesliga goal that season. A week later, away at HSV, I injured my knee. I was out for the rest of the season. Sitting in the stands was tough, especially for the Champions League final in Barcelona. But what I always look back on fondly from that season is the goal in Rostock, the best of my career.
I've scored many other goals, against great opponents, but I mainly talk about this goal against Hansa Rostock. Is it really the last Bayern goal to be voted 'Goal of the Year'? Wow. Since then, so many wonderful goals have been scored by Arjen Robben, Franck Ribéry, Robert Lewandowski... It's about time that another Bayern player finally won this award again."
Upamecano in interview:
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