Former Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Muller, who is the Bundesliga’s all-time top scorer, is suffering from Alzheimer’s, his club said on Tuesday. Nicknamed “Der Bomber” for his scoring prowess, Muller is a 1974 World Cup and 1972 European Championship winner, who also won three consecutive European Cups with Bayern.
For some time now Gerd Muller has unfortunately been ill. He is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Since February 2015 Gerd Muller has been treated professionally with strong support from his family.
– Bayern Munich statement
Muller, who won 13 titles at Bayern, played for the club from 1964 to 1979, scoring 533 goals in 585 games in all competitions -- 365 in the Bundesliga. He also scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for Germany, a mark surpassed only recently by Miroslav Klose.
Gerd Muller is one of the greats of world football. Without his goals Bayern and German football would not be what they are today. Gerd was the kind of striker you will most likely never see again.
– Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern Munich CEO
Muller’s turn and speed plus his ability to score from every position made him the iconic figure of the 1970s Bayern and Germany teams but he was always more shy and reserved than his teammates Franz Beckenbauer and Uli Hoeness
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