Mourning for HSV legend Uwe Seeler: DFB honorary captain died at the age of 85

club confirmed

German football mourns the loss of Uwe Seeler. The 72-time national player died at the age of 85, as confirmed by his former club Hamburger SV, citing the Seelers family. Previously, numerous media had unanimously reported the death of the DFB honorary captain.

Seeler was present at four World Cup tournaments, was runner-up in the 1966 World Cup in England and third in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. As one of the best center forwards of his time, he was a club icon for Hamburger SV, for which he played during his active career. From 1952 to 1973 “Uns Uwe” played for HSV and was a member of the German national team for 16 years. Because of his services to German football, he was named honorary captain of the national team.

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He was the epitome of down-to-earthness, modesty, honesty and loyalty. The popularity of the former top scorer par excellence was not only based on his sporting fame with back-of-the-head goals and overhead kicks, but also on his human qualities. “The best thing in the world is to be normal,” said the bearer of the Great Federal Cross of Merit before his 85th birthday in November 2021. “I’m perfectly normal and I like that.”

This included resisting an offer worth millions from Inter Milan in 1961. Seeler preferred home and family. Despite all the sporting successes, one dream remained unfulfilled. “If I’ve been to four world championships, I would have liked to have won the title once. But I wasn’t lucky. Still, everything was beautiful. I don’t miss anything,” said Seeler.

His track record: More than 400 competitive goals for HSV, 72 international matches with 43 goals between 1954 and 1970, three times footballer of the year, German champion and cup winner. He was married to his wife Ilka for more than 63 years. When “little mouse”, as Ilka Seeler affectionately called her husband, had taken on too much appointments, she was his corrective. Three daughters were born of their marriage. Her grandson Levin Öztunali is a fixture in the Bundesliga.

Germany’s first footballer of the year has recently had to deal with health problems more often. Since a car accident in 2010, he has been deaf in his right ear and complained of problems with his balance. In addition, Seeler received a pacemaker and had to have a tumor in his shoulder removed. He recently fell several times in his house in Norderstedt. He once fractured his right hip and three ribs. He was then fitted with an artificial hip joint. After that he had to use a walking stick. In a fall a few weeks earlier, he had broken a finger and torn his right shin.

He was less and less able to attend appointments and invitations. “You want to make people happy, but sometimes you can’t. It’s hard to tell others that,” he once said.

Great sadness for Uwe Seeler: The honorary captain of the German national team, legendary striker of Hamburger SV and DFL honorary award winner died at the age of 85.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/lTLqh0DHqH

— DFL German Football League (@DFL_Official) July 21, 2022

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