German World Cup winner Bernd Holzenbein died at 78

Former German professional footballer and 1974 World Cup winner Bernd Holzenbein died at the age of 78-year-old. His former football club Eintracht Frankfurt revealed it in a statement.

The club also stated that Bernd Holzenbein passed away on April 15, 2024, among his family. The deceased played with the German team that won the World Cup in their own country in 1974.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Eintracht Frankfurt Official (@eintrachtfrankfurt)

Bernd began his career in their youth system and won three German Cups with Eintracht Frankfurt in addition to the 1980 UEFA Cup. Between 1967 and 1981, he made 532 competitive appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt and scored a club-record 215 goals.

Bayern Munich, a well-known Bundesliga football club, also expressed their sympathies. They stated Bayern and the German football community are sad over Bernd Hoelzenbein’s death.

Bayern Munich wrote Bernd was a real legend on and off the field. They send sincere condolences to his friends, family, and everyone they know. Peace be with him.

Der FC Bayern trauert mit der deutschen Fußballfamilie um Bernd Hölzenbein. Weltmeister 1974 und Ikone von Eintracht Frankfurt – er schrieb Geschichte, als Spieler und Persönlichkeit. Unser Club steht an der Seite der Familie, Angehörigen und Freunde von Bernd Hölzenbein. Ruhe in… pic.twitter.com/17yOk3EIIA
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) April 16, 2024

Click here to read updates on Columbian footballer Guillermo Denis who died during training

According to a statement released by the club’s CEO, Axel Hellmann, Bernd had a significant impact on Eintracht for nearly 60 years. He was a member of the club’s ‘Football 2000’ era at the beginning of the 1990s when he was vice-president, as well as the golden generation of the 1970s, the 1980 UEFA Cup victory, and the early 1990s.

Axel also said they are losing not just one of the most iconic members of the team. But they also lost a devoted teammate and close friend with the death of Bernd.

Bernd also played for the United States with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Memphis Americans, and Baltimore Blast after leaving Eintracht in 1981.

Following his career’s end, he returned to Eintracht Frankfurt and took on the roles of vice president and general manager. Under his direction, the Eagles made it to Europe six times consecutively in the 1990s.

However, German World Cup winner Bernd Holzenbein died after a long illness suffering. He was suffering from severe dementia for several years which led to his death. People suffering from dementia can live for years as it eventually leads to death.