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 2 with Jean-Pierre Papin.
Goal of the Year 1995: Jean-Pierre Papin vs. Uerdingen
"Of course I have fond memories of that goal at the Olympiastadion, it was certainly one of the best goals I ever scored. However, I scored a few goals like that, both for Marseille and for the national team, my goals even got a nickname: the 'Papinade'. That was kind of my trademark. I always practised volleys in training, but it's also about having that instinct and coolness.
I also was on the end of a perfectly timed cross from Markus Babbel for that goal. Everything was just perfect. I didn't think at all, it was 100% spontaneous. As soon as you start thinking, even for a fraction of a second, it's impossible for an overhead kick to succeed. I also remember well how the Südkurve exploded with joy when the ball hit the back of the net. It gave me real goosebumps!"
Papin: "Joy, emotion, the adrenaline's enormous"
I felt particularly good that night after being out for more than eight months due to a rupture of my cruciate ligament and I was feeling like I was getting back to top form bit by bit. It was also my first start, which gave me a bit of freedom. The fact that I trusted myself to do an overhead kick was also a nod to my physical condition: that I'm back.
After such a goal, you feel joy, emotion, the adrenaline's enormous. The fact that people still talk to me about the goal makes me happy. I'm proud of that, just as I'm proud of the fact that it was voted 'Goal of the Year'."
In Part 1, Giovane Élber talks about his 1999 "Goal of the Year":
