Hero of the 1986 European Champion Clubs’ Cup final has died
Helmuth Duckadam, former Steaua Bucharest goalkeeper, was 65; he saved four penalties in the final
Helmuth Duckadam, one of the great legends of Steaua Bucharest, died this Monday at the age of 65. The former goalkeeper did not survive a heart attack, according to the Romanian press.
Having played for Constructorul Arad, UTA Arad and Vagonul Arad, as well as Steaua , Duckadam’s greatest moment in his career came on 7 May 1986. On that day, the European Champion Clubs’ Cup final (the precursor to the Champions League) was played between Barcelona and Steaua , with the score 0-0 after 120 minutes of play.
In the penalty shootout, Duckadam shone, saving four penalties from the Blaugrana players, and giving the Bucharest team the European title, in what is considered the greatest achievement in the history of Romanian football. He also won two league titles and a cup with the club.
The hero of the Seville final is gone, but will forever be marked in the history of Romanian and European football.
