Nördlingen (dpa / lby) - The Swabian Nördlingen is memorializing the deceased world-class goalscorer Gerd Müller. The life-size statue will be unveiled in the football world champion's hometown on Thursday (6 p.m.). The occasion is Müller's birthday - the future FC Bayern star was born on November 3, 1945 in Nördlingen. The city announced that Müller's companions, who celebrated successes with him as football professionals, would also come to the unveiling.
In the future, the bronze sculpture will stand in its former quarter in the old town, the administration reported. Müller describes the city of around 22,000 citizens as her "most famous son". He died in August 2021 at the age of 75. The striker is also known as the "bomber of the nation" because of his numerous goals.
The monument shows Müller at the most important goal of his career, the winning goal in the 2-1 win over the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup final in Munich's Olympic Stadium. The statue was designed by the Aschaffenburg sculptor Herbert Deiss and manufactured by the bell and art foundry Rincker in the Central Hessian sense.
Initially, the municipality wanted to erect the monument outside the city wall. On the other hand, there were protests because residents demanded a more central location. After collecting signatures, the city council then determined a new location for the footballer memorial in the city center. The German Football Association (DFB) and FC Bayern Munich also contributed to the financing.
