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Jack Charlton is dead: England loses a world champion

Wembley world champion with England, hero status in Ireland, forever loyal club legend of Leeds United – and highly respected as a professional, coach and person: English and Irish football mourn Jack Charlton. As his longtime club and family announced, Charlton died on Friday night at the age of 85 after a long illness. Big Jack is still idolized in Ireland because he led the underdog team to the finals of the European Championship (1988) and World Cup (1990 and 1994) as an English coach.

The tall defender was part of the English team in 1966, who won the legendary final at Wembley Stadium in London with a 4-2 win after extra time against the DFB selection. “Jacky” was on the square with his two and a half year younger brother Bobby Charlton when the infamous Wembley goal against Germany fell.

“Another sad day for football,” tweeted goal scorer Geoff Hurst. “He was a great and lovable character. Rest in peace, old friend. “

National team also mourns

Jack Charlton had fallen asleep peacefully alongside his family at home in Northumberland, she said in her message. “He was not only a friend of many, but also a very revered husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather,” it said in the moving statement. “We cannot express how proud we are of the extraordinary life he has led and the joy he has given so many people in different countries and from all walks of life. He was a thoroughly honest, kind, funny and sincere man who always had time for people. “

The English national team showed on Twitter “devastated” by the death message. The Irish Football Association wrote on Saturday that Charlton was the coach “who changed Irish football forever”. “Big Jack”, his nickname because of his height, completed 35 caps and 773 games for Leeds United – club record. In 1950 he came to the club as a 15-year-old, on April 25, 1953 he made his debut against the Doncaster Rovers in a 1-1 draw on Elland Road.

It wasn’t until 1965, at the age of 30, that Jack Charlton made his debut in the Three Lions shirt under coach Sir Alf Ramsey. At the 1966 home World Cup, he completed all games including the legendary final. In 1967 he was voted “Footballer of the Year” in England as the direct successor to his brother Bobby.

After his career as a player ended in 1973, he also worked as a coach, curiously never in Leeds. With Ireland’s national team, he won the first game against England in 1988 at the European Championship finals in Germany. The kickers from the Green Island then missed the semi-finals after a 1-1 loss to the Soviet Union and an unfortunate 0-1 loss to the later European champions, the Netherlands. Also at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Charlton’s Irish won the English 1-1 in the first group game.

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