From Uvil Zajmi
Memorie.al / It were and remain the strongest number 9 in world football. Gerd Myler, has passed away at the age of 75 from Alzheimer’s, (on August 16, 2021) from which he suffered for more than ten years. Player of Bayern Munich, of the national team of the Federal Republic of Germany, absolute scorer in three World Cups, 1966-’70-’74, European champion 1972, world champion 1974 (the author of the second goal in the final 2-1 against the Netherlands), three times winner of the Champions Cup with Bayern Munich and four Bundesliga titles.
Achiever in all ways, which even today is still talked about by sports fans, footballers, commentators, coaches, enthusiasts, who are connected to the image created by the German bomber. The statistics of his excellent career are truly frightening: 563 goals scored with Bayern Munich in 605 matches and 68 goals in 62 matches with the West German national team, 5 of which he has against Albania.
We had the good fortune to see Gerd Myler up close at the national stadium “Qemal Stafa”. The first time with the national team of the Federal Republic of Germany, then runner-up in the world, (after losing the final at “Wembley” in England in 1966, England-Federal Republic of Germany, 4-2), in 1967, in Dortmund. It was April 8, Saturday, and it was played for the European Championship qualifiers. We were in Group 4 and the match between the Federal Republic of Germany and Albania ended 6-0 for the hosts. Gerd Myleri was the author of four goals: ‘5, ’23, ’73, ’85 (11 m.).
While in the second match, on December 17, 1967, Gerd Myler would not come to Tirana and West Germany would be eliminated after a sensational 0-0 draw at the “Qemal Stafa” Stadium. But Myler will be decisive in the third meeting, one of the most historic in our capital. It was Wednesday, February 17, 1971 and it was played for the qualifiers of the European Championship. We were in Group 8 and the match Albania – RF. Germany finished 0-1. Scorer, the regular Gerd Myler in the 38th minute.
It was a match beyond a 90-minute, spectacular, against the most famous team of the Federal Republic of Germany, in its history. Extraordinary interest in Tirana and great curiosity to see the FRG of Gustav Majer, Frans Beckenbauer, Schnelinger, Overat, Netzer, Müller, Hejnkes and Grabovski.
Organized at the “Dajti” hotel in Tirana, the training was carried out the day before at the “Dinamo” stadium, which was followed by thousands of curious spectators. Sometime later, it was also rumored about Myler’s crush on the waitress of the “Dajti” hotel. Much was speculated about the impossible love of the former German attacker with an Albanian beauty, but her identity was never specified. It was said to be called the Moon, but that’s all.
Meanwhile, the match was played in cloudy weather, typical of winter, slippery ground and fatal minutes for the red and blacks, the result was the 38th: after the execution of a foul by Netzer, inside the area, Myler escaped the cover of Bujar Can and Gëzim Kasmit, and with his left, from 12 meters diagonally, he scored at half-height, to the right of goalkeeper Koço Dinella, from the northern gate of the stadium. 1 – 0, and in that edition, Federal Germany would be declared the champion of Europe. Memorie.al
