There are moments that will forever be linked to a footballer, like Maradona and his 60-yard run against England at the 1986 World Cup, Gerd Müller's goal in the 1974 World Cup final or Lothar Matthäus' solo run against Yugoslavia in 1990. Moments that were not only unique and decisive but also showcased the player's nature: his instinct, his style of play, his exceptional talent.
Franz "Bulle" Roth's free-kick in the 1976 European Cup final against Saint-Étienne is one of those essential moments. 55th minute, free-kick for Bayern, about 20 yards out, inside left. Bulle Roth faces a six-man wall and goes for the left corner. He later reminisced: "Just let fly, past the wall. If the keeper gets his fingers to it, they too will end up in the net. I was the 'Bull', after all, I had enough power."
A belter, the only goal, the third consecutive European title.
Bulle Roth has scored a total of three goals in European Cup finals, an incredible rate for a midfielder. How did he do it? Bulle's hard, precise shots were legendary, as was his physical power. Force was his trademark.
From "Muh" to "Bull"
"That's Franz Roth, he's got power like a 'Muh'", the legendary Croatian coach Zlatko "Cik" Čajkovski said when he introduced Roth to some Bayern players in July 1966. "We call it a bull here", Sepp Maier replied. Franz Roth's new nickname was born.
What Čajkovski, blessed with vision and wit, wanted to say: The young Franz Roth was very quick, strong in tackles and had two very strong legs. "Cik" believed in the 20-year-old from the Allgäu. "He gave me the trust a young player needs", said Bulle Roth: "He told me, you can learn the technique, but you need to have the physical requirements for quick and powerful play." The youngster had them without a doubt.
Born in Memmingen in 1946, he grew up with five siblings on a farm in Marktoberdorf. He worked on the farm on a daily basis and played football at the local club. At the age of 18 he joined SpVgg Kaufbeuren and got promoted to the third tier with them. In May 1966 Bayern general manager Robert Schwan called. Legend has it that Franz was carrying grass for the cows when his mother called him to the phone. He first thought it was a joke. A few days later he inked his first contract with Bayern: 900 DM per month, two-year term. Nobody knew he would only leave the clubs 12 years and 440 competitive matches later, boasting 95 goals and four European Cup triumphs.
Bulle Roth's role on the pitch was soon clear. After playing in attack at first, he later mainly featured in midfield, where his job was to neutralise the opposing playmaker. He was predestined for it thanks to his tackling skill, speed and sturdiness. But he was attack-minded too, a combination his opponents struggled with. "With a man-to-man marking strategy, the playmaker had to follow me. Many struggled with it during matches," he once said.
One of the most important goals in club history
In his very first season at Bayern, 1966/67, Bulle Roth made 20 Bundesliga appearances, scoring seven goals. Along with Maier, Beckenbauer and Müller, he advanced to the first European Cup final in club history. Glasgow Rangers were favourites in the European Cup Winners' Cup final. 70,000 spectators flocked to the stadium in Nuremberg on 31 May 1967. Bulle focused on neutralising Rangers playmaker Alex Smith but also joined the attack again and again. 18 minutes into extra time he still had enough power to put in a lot of legwork, despite driving rain and a heavy playing surface. Rainer Ohlhauser's long ball found the charging Roth, who was almost upended by Dave Smith in the box but still managed to lob over the onrushing keeper on the volley. It was one of the most important goals in the history of FC Bayern.
After the match, he was an undisputed regular and dreaded in the Bundesliga. "I still remember Wolfgang Overath or Günter Netzer panicking for days because they knew they'd be up against the Bull for 90 minutes in the next match," Paul Breitner said. Roth did not hold his fire in training either. "I wore shin pads during training because I knew that if Franz was angry at me he'd floor me", Uli Hoeneß once said. In Bulle Roth's words: "It was important to train competitively. I can't back down for five days and fight on the sixth day." The same went for shooting: "Sepp Maier cursed so often in training," Paul Breitner recalled.
The man with the hardest shot
How big was Bulle's shooting power? Unfortunately it was rarely tested back then. Sponsor Adidas provided a speed measurement stand only once. 137 km/h were measured in Bulle Roth's case. For comparison, Roberto Carlos’ legendary free-kick against France in 1997 was just as hard, an Arjen Robben shot is said to have clocked 190 km/h. However, Bulle Roth's equipment was incomparable to modern high-tech balls and shoes.
Was it down to power or technique? The former, according to Roth. But his technique too was very good. He was very explosive in the run-up. During his spell at Casino Salzburg (from 1978) he once broke a hole in the net. Legend has it that he shot the stadium clock to the ground at Grünwalder Stadion, but he actually only hit the board displaying the scoreline and it rattled.
In the face of all the anecdotes regarding Bulle Roth's power, one aspect tends to get overlooked: his mental strength. One of the reasons Roth scored three crucial goals in European Cup finals was that he held his nerves in decisive moments.
The best example: The hard-fought European Cup final agaist Leeds United in 1975. It was goalless for a long time. Leeds had the better chances, Bayern had the bit of luck you need. In the 72nd minute Munich had one of their few chances, Conny Torstensson teeing up Bulle Roth after Müller's long ball. Roth controlled the ball with his right foot, took a few steps and nutmegged his opponent with his left foot to find the far corner of the net. A slow shot for Roth, but a precise one. Instead of relying on brute force, he kept his cool and did the right thing at the right moment. Having enormous power but cleverly controlling it: another thing that made Bulle Roth so strong.
Unmatched - Bastian Schweinsteiger:
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