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 - in the hope that the award will finally come back to a Munich player after 22 long years... Part 7 with Uli Hoeneß on the 1976 Goal of the Year from Gerd Müller.
Goal of the Year 1976: Gerd Müller vs. Baník
“Sadly I have to speak here on behalf of our beloved Gerd, who left us in August and who we will carry in our hearts for eternity. And I’m afraid I also have to make a confession: I don’t remember Gerd’s goal against Baník Ostrava in autumn 1976 that well – personally I would’ve rather chosen his lob to make it 3-0 in the 1974 European Cup final against Atlético Madrid as the ’Goal of the Year’, as that was a magnificent goal which I’ll never forget.
“In this second round first leg in Ostrava, we struggled and were already 2-0 down after 30 minutes. It finished 2-1. Gerd’s header after a cross from the right was wonderful. The ball was too high for me but he was always in the right place – he just had that unmatched instinct. The ball sailed into the corner, but we couldn’t profit from it.”
Hoeneß on Müller: A great pal
“We won 5-0 in the second leg. Gerd was of course on the scoresheet again, twice in fact. Particularly now, at the end of the year in which he died, I think about him often. He was a great pal, and the world will never see another striker like him. Gerd scored from all positions, you could never let him out of your sight. FC Bayern would never be where it is today without him. His many, many goals included countless ones that would also have deserved to be voted ‘Goal of the Year’. Dear Gerd: you always be a defining part of FC Bayern! Thank you for everything! Your Uli.”
In the sixth part of the series, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge spoke about his ‘Goal of the Year’ in 1980:
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