Helmuth Duckadam

1978/82 UT Arad (ROM) 53 matches

1982/86 Steaua Bucharest (ROM) 105 matches

1989/91 Vagonul Arad (ROM)

With the National Team :

2 caps

(Friendly matches: 2 caps)

1st cap: September 1, 1982 against Denmark (1-0)

Last cap: November 17, 1982 against East Germany (1-4)

Helmut Robert Duckadam

Born April 1, 1959 in Semlac (ROM)

Romanian, Goalkeeper, 1m93

Nickname: The Hero of Seville

Helmuth Duckadam was born on April 1, 1959 in Semlac, Romania. He began his career in the regional league before signing for UT Arad in 1978. At the same time, he became a professional player. Good enough, he was selected in 1982 to play with the Romanian national team. His adventure with Romania would not last, and he played his second and last match for his country on November 17, 1982.

His performances at the club still allowed him to join the big club Steaua Bucharest during the year 1982. With his new club, he successively won the Romanian championships of 1985 and 1986, allowing him to play in the 1985/86 Champions League.

The goalkeeper performed well in the round of 16 and round of 16, conceding only 4 goals in 4 games. In the quarter-finals, he improved his level and kept 2 clean sheets. In the semi-finals, he kept another clean sheet in the second leg and sent his club to the Champions League final.

He then had his best season both individually and collectively. The Champions League final took place in May 1986 in the city of Seville. The Romanian goalkeeper had a perfect final, stopping each of Barcelona's attacks. As the big favourites for the match, FC Barcelona was unable to get past Duckadam.

The match went to a penalty shootout. On the first 2 penalties, the Steaua Bucharest attackers failed to score. But Duckadam also stopped FC Barcelona's first 2 shots. In total, he stopped all 4 Barcelona penalty kicks. 4 consecutive penalty kicks.

Steaua Bucharest then won the Champions League to everyone's surprise. And Duckadam became "the hero of Seville". This feat was the first victory in the Champions League by a club from an Eastern European country. To everyone's surprise, the Romanian club's game was able to beat the great club FC Barcelona.

However, while the goalkeeper was having the best season of his career, he was going to be the victim of a blood disease, a thrombosis in his right arm, from which he narrowly escaped having his arm amputated. Duckadam was then forced to end his football career, a career he would resume in 1989 in the lower divisions of Romanian football.

He definitively ended his career in 1991 after 2 years at Vagonul Arad. He was then 32 years old. Another version of his arm problem in 1986 emerged in the 2000s. Shortly after the match against Barcelona, ​​the president of Real Madrid allegedly contacted the Romanian to reward him for contributing to the defeat of the rival team. He allegedly offered him a Mercedes. Upon his return to Bucharest, Duckadam was allegedly summoned by Nicu Ceaucescu, the dictator's son. The latter allegedly asked him for the car in question, even before the footballer had received it. Buoyed by his success, Duckadam allegedly refused. But later he allegedly received a visit from the henchmen of the Securitate who allegedly turned his fingers one by one and broke his wrist. However, this version has never been confirmed by the player.

- Voted Romanian Footballer of the Year in 1986

- 8th in the Ballon d'Or in 1986

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