MADRID, 21 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Former Manchester United striker Bobby Charlton, Red Devils legend and world champion with England in 1966, died this Saturday at the age of 86, his family confirmed in a statement.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Sir Bobby passed away peacefully in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was surrounded by his family,” said the note shared by his family. “Manchester United is in mourning after the death of Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the greatest and most beloved players in the history of our club,” the English club also indicated.
Charlton, a Manchester United player between 1954 and 1973, was one of the survivors of the Munich air disaster, when the plane in which the English team was traveling crashed in the German city while returning to England on February 6, 1958 after playing the second match of the European Cup quarterfinals against Red Star Belgrade.
After overcoming that tragedy, he participated in the team’s first European Cup victory, in 1968, which went along with three league titles and an FA Cup. In total, he played 758 games and scored 249 goals during 17 years as a player. the ‘red devils’, where he formed the legendary ‘United Trinity’ alongside Denis Law and George Best.
With England, with whom he played in four World Cups, he played a total of 106 international matches in which he scored 49 goals, contributing to the great historical success of winning the 1966 World Cup in his country. Furthermore, he won the Ballon d’Or in 1966.
“Sir Bobby was a hero to millions of people, not just in Manchester or the United Kingdom, but wherever football was played in the world. He was admired as much for his sportsmanship and integrity as for his outstanding qualities as a footballer; Sir Bobby “He will always be remembered as a giant of football,” said Manchester United.