He is a football player whose 1 penalty against Germany in 1976 was much talked about. In the incident in question, Panenka approaches the ball, raises his foot as if he is going to hit it, and waits for 1 second, Maier (German goalkeeper) lies down, and Panenka easily passes the ball over the goalkeeper on the ground and scores the goal.
Antonín Panenka was born on December 2, 1948 in Prague. The former Czech football player, who played in the midfield position, is 81 years old.
Panenka, who played for the Bohemians Prague team for many years, left the team he joined in 1959 in 1981 and was transferred to the Bundesliga (Austria) team Rapid Wien. He won 2 league and 1 ÖFB-Cup championships here. He came on as a substitute in the 1984-85 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final match against Everton, but could not prevent the team from losing the match 3-1. He was later transferred to VSE St Pölten. After that, he continued his football life in the lower leagues in Austria.
Antonín Panenka (born 2 December 1948) is a Czech retired footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He spent most of his career representing Czechoslovak club Bohemians Prague. Panenka won UEFA Euro 1976 with the national team of Czechoslovakia. In the final against West Germany, he notably scored the winning penalty in the shootout with a softly-chipped ball up the middle of the goal as the goalkeeper dove away; a style of penalty now known as a panenka, named after him. In 1980, he won Czechoslovak Footballer of the Year and his team finished third at Euro 1980.
He also served as the president of the Bohemians 1905 club, where he was a football player for many years.
WHAT IS PANENKA PENALTY?
Czechoslovakia, which reached the final of the 1976 European Football Championship, faced West Germany here. At the end of extra time, the 2-2 tie remained intact, and the penalty shoot-out started. Players from both teams managed to convert the first three penalties into goals. After Jurkemik scored with Czechoslovakia's fourth penalty, Uli Hoeneß scored West Germany's fourth penalty over the top. Panenka, who took the ball for the last penalty, would have brought his country to the European championship if he scored. He took the critical penalty by gently lofting it towards the middle of the goal, out of reach of goalkeeper Sepp Maier, who was lying on the left side. This aesthetic kick later became known as the "Panenka penalty" after Panenka.
Even today, it is still debatable that he was cool enough to take such a shot that would have looked stupid had the goalkeeper not flown aside, just as he was taking that crucial penalty. Brazilian football player Pelé commented on this kick: "Someone must be either a genius or crazy to take such a penalty."