German soccer is mourning the death of Horst Eckel, the last surviving member of West Germany's 1954 World Cup-winning side.
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The German Football Association (DFB) announced on Friday that Horst Eckel, the last living world champion from 1954, had died at the age of 89.
Eckel was a pillar of the West German football team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup after pulling off the "Miracle of Bern." The team defeated favorites Hungary 3-2 in the final after trailing 2-0.
The victory helped signal West Germany's nation's political and economic awakening nine years after the end of World War II.
"At the final whistle, we knew we were world champions. But we didn't realize what that meant to the people back home until we stepped on German soil again. It was a great reception," Eckel once recalled.
However, being called one of the "heroes of Bern" had always bothered him. "I remained a completely normal person," he said.
Famed for speed and work rate
The Kaiserslautern right winger was the youngest member of the team captained by Fritz Walter.
Nicknamed "the greyhound," he became an important pillar of coach Sepp Herberger's team during the tournament thanks to his high defensive work rate and passing skill.
Eagle on the chest: Germany football kits over the years
Germany have unveiled their jerseys for next summer's Euro 2020. DW takes a look back at previous efforts - from the monochrome number worn last year to the one West Germany wore when winning their first World Cup.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/adidas
Horizontal stripes
Aren't horizontal stripes supposed to make you look fat? Then again, that's not a problem for members of the Geman national team. Assuming they are fit next summer (and are selected by coach Joachim Löw), this is what Timo Werner, Serge Gnabry and Nico Schulz will be wearing at Euro 2020, or Euro 2021 as it's likely to be. And no, they aren't all wearing captain's armbands on both arms!
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/adidas
Distinct lack of color
This one won't go down as one of the favorites, but that has nothing to do with the aesthetics of the garment. This was the kit Germany wore in their disastrous bid to defend their World Cup in Russia in 2018. Toni Kroos, Mesut Özil and Mats Hummels were part of a team that disappointed an entire nation. It would also turn out to be Özil's last tournament before he ended his national team career.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/adidas
World Cup winner
The 2014 jersey was inspired by the jersey that Germany wore in in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Apparently the three shades of red are meant to represent the black red and gold of the German flag. Instead of the traditional black shorts Germany went with white. Mario Götze will be forever held dearly in German fans' hearts for his winning goal in extra time of the final against Argentina.
Image: Reuters
Men in Black
Prior to World War II, Germany played in black, and the color was brought back for the alternate jersey at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Germany finished third in South Africa, partly thanks to a Sami Khedira (right) goal against Uruguay in the match for third place. Per Mertesacker also looks pumped. Wait a minute… aren't players meant to hate playing in third-place consolation games?
Image: AP
Summer fairy tale
The 2006 World Cup in Germany is remembered in the host nation as the "summer fairy tale." With Michael Ballack in midfield, Germany played more attractive football than they had in years. Italy proved to be Germany's nemesis though, knocking them out with two goals late in extra time of their semifinal. As for the jersey, just a splash of gold and red broke up the white - plus the black trim.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M.Egerton
France 1998
While keeping the traditional mainly white home kit, the jersey Jürgen Klinsmann and Co. wore next door in France in 1998 featured the horizontal black, red and gold stripes of Germany's flag across the chest. Another new element was the three stars above the eagle for Germany's three World Cup titles. It didn't end well for Germany though, as they fell to Croatia in the quarterfinals.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O.Berg
Euro 96 champions!
Oliver Bierhoff's golden goal against the Czech Republic sealed the Euro 96 title for Germany at Wembley. The jersey Germany wore when "football came home" to England differed from its predecessors because it featured a white eagle on a black crest.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AFP
Upside down in the United States
Lothar Matthäus and coach Berti Vogts didn't really have a good time in the United States in 1994. The tournament, which saw Steffen Effenberg sent home early, was largely one to forget, with Germany losing to Bulgaria in the quarterfinals.. As for the jersey, one can only wonder who decided it was a good idea to turn the colors of the German flag upside down…
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O.Berg
Italia 1990
West Germany started wearing this jersey in the 1988 European championship, which the still divided country hosted. Two years later, West and East Germany were just months from becoming one country, and players from both sides featured in the national team that won the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Leonhardt
Green
West Germany and Germany have often worn green as their alternate kit. Captain Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and his teammates made it to the final against Argentina in Mexico City's Azteka Stadium in 1986. Rummenigge scored, but his side were second-best to an Argentine team led by a Diego Maradona at the height of his powers. Argentina won 3-2 to hoist the World Cup for a second time.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts
1974 World Cup
In the 1970s West Germany jerseys were an all-but all-white affair. One notable feature of the jersey worn here by Gerd Müller and Wolfgang Overrath was an eagle that is somewhat bigger than the one on more recent kits. This classic jersey is remembered fondly for the fact that Müller and the rest of the Nationalmannschaft earned the right to lift the World Cup in 1974 in Munich.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Baumann
Miracle of Bern
Similar to the 1974 jerseys, were the ones worn by captain Fritz Walter, Horst Eckel and the rest of West Germany in 1954. West Germany upset the magic Magyars led by the legendary Ferenc Puskas in the World Cup final 3-2. The match was played on a waterlogged pitch in the Swiss capital. This World Cup title, West Germany's first, would be dubbed "the miracle of Bern."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
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While most of the 1954 world champions were still alive, Eckel was sometimes overshadowed by bigger names from the squad. However, after the death of Hans Schäfer in 2017 he was left as the only remaining member.
Eckel was twice a German champion, in 1951 and 1953, with Kaiserslautern and he changed clubs only once - Röchling Völklingen in Saarland in 1960.
Trained as a toolmaker, he studied art and sport after his time as a player and worked as a high school teacher from 1973.