Gerd Müller
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''A different Gerd Müller (German politician)|Gerd Müller is a German politician''
'''Gerhard 'Gerd' Müller''' (born November 3, 1945 in Nördlingen) is a former Germany|German football (soccer)|football player.
With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances and 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga (football)|Bundesliga games he was one of the most successful strikers of all time. His nicknames are ''"Bomber der Nation"'' (''Bomber of the nation'') and ''"kleines dickes Müller"'' (''short fat Müller'', declension intentionally wrong).
Bayern Munich
Born in Nördlingen, Germany, he began his football career at the TSV 1861 Nördlingen. Müller joined Bayern Munich|FC Bayern München in 1964 where he teamed up with future stars Franz Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier. The club, which would go on to become the most successful German club in history was then still in the Regionalliga Süd (''Regional League South''), which was one level below the Bundesliga at the time. After one season, Bayern Munich advanced to the Bundesliga and started a long string of successes. With his club, Müller amassed titles during the 60s and 70s: He won the German Championship four times, the German Cup four times, the UEFA Champions League|European Champions' Cup three times, the European/South American Cup|Intercontinental Cup once, and the European Cup Winners' Cup once. A supremely opportunistic goal-scorer, he also became German top scorer seven times and European top scorer twice. Müller scored 66 goals in his 74 appearances at European cups, still a record.
The national team
His career in the German national football team|national team started in 1966 and ended on July 7, 1974 with the win of the Football World Cup 1974|World Cup at his home stadium in Munich. He scored the winning goal for the 2-1 victory over the Netherlands national football team|Netherlands in the final. His 4 goals in that tournament and his 10 goals at the combined make him the most successful striker to date.
Müller also participated in the 1972 European Football Championship|1972 European Championship, becoming top scorer with 4 goals and winning the Championship with the German team.
Fort Lauderdale Strikers
After his career in the Bundesliga he went to the United States|USA, where he joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League in 1979. He played three seasons with this team, scoring 38 goals, and once reaching, but losing, the league final.
Life after football
After Müller ended his career in 1982, he fell into a slump and acquired an alcohol addiction. But his former companions at Bayern Munich convinced him to go through substance-abuse rehabilitation|alcohol rehabilitation. When he emerged, they gave him a job as an amateur coach at Bayern Munich, where he still works as of 2005.
Honors
Titles with Bayern Munich
Bundesliga (football)|Bundesliga: 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974
German Cup: 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971
UEFA Champions League|European Champions' Cup: 1974, 1975, 1976
European/South American Cup|Intercontinental Cup: 1976
Cup Winners' Cup: 1967
Titles with the national team
European Football Championship|European Championship: 1972 European Football Championship|1972
Football World Cup|World Cup: Football World Cup 1974|1974
Personal honors
German top scorer: 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978
European top scorer: 1970, 1972
World Cup top scorer (World Cup Golden Boot|Golden Boot): 1970
European Championship top scorer: 1972
German footballer of the year: 1967, 1969
European Footballer of the Year: 1970
External links
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/p/cp/ger/mueller.html http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/mueller-intlg.html http://www.rsssf.com/players/gmueller-in-ec.html
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