Nottingham Forest Football Club announced today, Thursday, the death of its legendary Scottish winger, John Robertson, nicknamed “the Picasso of football,” at the age of 72, leaving behind a rich sporting legacy as one of the greatest players in the club’s history and a two-time European Cup winner.
The English club expressed, in a statement, its deep sadness over the loss of Robertson, describing him as a “legend and dear friend” who marked the club’s history with his unique talent and unparalleled sincerity, stressing that his historical contributions, especially in the continental coronation, will remain engraved in the memory of Forest fans forever.
The sporting career of the late man, who was born in Lanarkshire on January 20, 1953, has witnessed a radical transformation since 1975 under the leadership of the famous coach Brian Clough, who discovered his exceptional talent in the left wing position, despite his faltering beginnings, to later lead the team from the second division to the throne of English and European football.
Robertson played a decisive role in the European Cup finals in 1979 and 1980, where he was the architect of the victory by assisting in the coronation goal against Malmo of Sweden, and scoring the only winning goal against Hamburg of Germany, which prompted his coach Clough to liken him to an “artist” and to the great Brazilian and Italian players in terms of passing accuracy.
At the international level and his coaching career, Robertson participated in 28 international matches with the Scotland national team, and also represented his country in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups, before moving to the field of coaching, where he served as assistant coach to Martin O’Neill in several prominent British clubs, including Celtic, Aston Villa and Leicester City.
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