Germany’s football great Gerd Müller dies at 75

Müller made 607 competitive appearances for Bayern. He was the league's top-scorer on seven occasions.

Munich: Gerd Müller, the Bayern Munich and former West Germany forward who scored 566 goals for the club and still holds the record for the most goals scored in the Bundesliga with 365, has died. He was 75.

The Bavarian club announced his death on Sunday. “Gerd Müller was the greatest striker there’s ever been, and a fine person and character of world football,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said in a statement posted on the club’s website.

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“We’re all united in deep mourning with his wife Uschi as well as his family.” Müller made 607 competitive appearances for Bayern. He was the league’s top-scorer on seven occasions.

Müller joined the Bavarian club in 1964 and won four league titles and four German Cup titles.

Müller also helped West Germany win the European Championship in 1972, then the World Cup two years later, when he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands.

Altogether he scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for West Germany.

“His achievements are unrivaled to this day and will forever be a part of the great history of FC Bayern and all of German football,” Bayern chairman Oliver Kahn added in the club statement.

“As a player and a person, Gerd Müller stands for FC Bayern and its development into one of the biggest clubs in the world like no other. Gerd will forever be in our hearts.”