Berlin, May 16 (IANS) A touching gesture followed the 40th goal of this season of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski in their 2-2 Bundesliga draw against SC Freiburg.
After having equalled the 49-year-old Bundesliga record of legendary German striker Gerd Muller, the 32-year-old Pole lifted his playing shirt showing an undershirt with a print of Muller’s face and the written message: “4ever Gerd”, reports Xinhua.
Bayern’s entire squad lined up along the side-line to cheer Lewandowski after his opening goal in the 26th minute. With a bright smile on his face, the Bayern striker went through the guard of honour, receiving his teammates’ congratulations.
“I achieved a goal that once seemed impossible to imagine. I’m so unbelievably proud to make history for FC Bayern and to play a part in creating the stories that fans will tell their children — following in the footsteps of legends like Gerd Muller,” Lewandowski wrote on social media.
“It’s a great honour for me. What Gerd Muller did was incredible,” he said in a TV interview.
Muller’s record of 40 goals in 34 matches was set in the 1971-72 season. He is the all-time leading goal scorer of the German league.
The former German international’s feat for decades appeared untouchable. Sixty-eight goals in 62 internationals also make him the German national team’s second-highest scorer behind Miroslav Klose (71 in 137 games).
Muller won the Bundesliga’s top scorer award seven times during his Bayern career, which lasted from 1964 to 1979. With 365 goals in 427 games, he is the most prolific striker in Bundesliga history.
Fans named Muller “Der Bomber” for his goalscoring exploits.
With 278 goals in 349 games, Lewandowski is second on the all-time list, so breaking another long-standing Muller record could be the next challenge for the Poland captain.
–IANS
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