HSV legend Uwe Seeler (85) died in his sleep | Foreign football

HSV has not yet confirmed the club legend’s death. Seeler is said to have passed away peacefully in the immediate family circle. His family hopes privacy will be respected. Seeler had fallen many times in recent months. As a result, things recently went from bad to worse for the football legend.

Seeler played for HSV from 1953 to 1972. He scored 490 times in 580 games for the former top club from Hamburg, winning the national championship in 1960 and the DFB-Pokal in 1963. Seeler made a very brief comeback in 1978, when he scored two more times in a match for the Irish Cork Celtic. Seeler also scored 43 times in 72 international matches for West Germany. He scored nine goals in 22 World Cup matches. He was in the world finals of 1958 (semi-final), 1962 (quarter-final), 1966 (lost final) and 1970 (bronze).

From 1995 Seeler was chairman of Hamburger SV. He withdrew from that position after more than two years due to a financial affair. Although he was not accused of it, he did feel responsible for it.

Seeler came from a sporty family. His father also played football at Hamburger SV, his brother became captain and his sister reached the top in handball. Hamburger SV was a sleeping giant until Seeler came. With him, Hamburger SV reached the cup final in 1957 and 1958, but lost it twice. In 1963 Seeler still won the cup, three years after the club had also become national champion.

Seeler remained loyal to Hamburger SV throughout his career, turning down offers from Internazional and FC Barcelona. He retired in 1972 at the age of 36 but returned to Cork City for one more game in 1978, aged 42 at the time.