Antonín Panenka

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Antonín Panenka
Personal information
Full name Antonín Panenka
Date of birth December 2, 1948 (1948-12-02) (age 61)
Place of birth    Prague, Czechoslovakia
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Senior career1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1967–1981
1981–1985
1985–1987
Bohemians Praha
Rapid Vienna
VSE St. Pölten
00? 0(?)
0127 (63)
0126 (63)   
National team
1973–1982 Czechoslovakia 0059 (17)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Antonín Panenka (born December 2, 1948 in Prague) is a former Czech footballer.

Contents

[edit] Career

An attacking midfielder known for the quality of his passing and his free kicks, Panenka played for Bohemians Prague for most of his career, joining the club as a youth in 1959. In 1981 Panenka left Bohemians for Austrian club Rapid Vienna, where he won two Bundesliga titles and an Austrian Cup. In 1985 Rapid reached the Cup Winners' Cup final; Panenka played as a substitute, but his side lost 3-1 to Everton. Later that year Panenka moved to VSE St. Pölten, and played two more seasons before moving into the lower leagues in Austria, playing from 1987-89 for Slovan Vienna, from 1989-91 for ASV Hohenau and from 1991-93 for Kleinwiesendorf.

[edit] International Career

He came to international prominence playing for Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship; Czechoslovakia reached the final, where they faced Germany. After extra time, the result was 2-2, and so the first penalty shootout in a European Championships final ensued. All the kicks were converted, until Germany's fourth penalty taker, Uli Hoeneß, ballooned his shot over the bar. With the score 4-3, Panenka stepped up to take the fifth and final Czechoslovakian penalty, to win the match. Despite the immense pressure, he fooled German goalkeeper Sepp Maier into diving for a save, before coolly chipping the ball straight down the middle and into the net[1]. The sheer cheek of the goal led a watching French journalist to dub Panenka "a poet", and to this day his winning kick is one of the most famous ever, making Panenka's name synonymous with that particular style of penalty kick.

As well as winning the 1976 European Championship, Panenka helped Czechoslovakia come third in the 1980 tournament, and qualify for the finals of the 1982 World Cup; Panenka scored twice, but his team failed to progress beyond the first group stage.

[edit] Coaching Career

Today he works as a president for Bohemians 1905.

[edit] References

[edit] External links