Helmut Duckadam

Duckadam in 1986
Personal information
Date of birth	(1959-04-01)1 April 1959
Place of birth	Semlac, Romania
Date of death	2 December 2024(2024-12-02) (aged 65)
Place of death	Bucharest, Romania[1]
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1974–1975	Semlecana Semlac[2]
1975–1977	Şcoala Sportivă Gloria[2]
1977–1978	UTA Arad[2]
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1977–1978	→ Constructorul Arad (loan)[2]
1978–1982	UTA Arad	53	(0)
1983–1986	Steaua București	80	(0)
1989–1991	Vagonul Arad
1993–1994	CPL Arad[3]
International career
1981	Romania U21	4	(0)
1982	Romania	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Helmut Duckadam (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈhelmut dukaˈdam]; (1 April 1959 – 2 December 2024) was a Romanian professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Duckadam was dubbed "the Hero of Seville" due to his performance in the 1986 European Cup Final, won by his club Steaua București, where he saved all four penalties against Barcelona in the penalty shootout, for the first time in football history. He represented three other teams in a 14-year senior career.

He regularly appeared as a guest on Digi Sport's "Fotbal Club" programme.^[4]

Born in Semlac, Arad County of Banat Swabian (German) descent, Duckadam started playing in the regional leagues, before moving to FC UTA Arad in 1978 to become professional. He earned two full caps for Romania in 1982 and, subsequently, was signed by country giants Steaua București.

Duckadam, who was instrumental in helping the capital side to two consecutive Liga I titles, was also between the posts for the 1986 European Cup Final against FC Barcelona, which was played in Seville, on 7 May 1986. He saved four consecutive penalty shots in the shootout, from José Ramón Alexanko, Ángel Pedraza, Pichi Alonso and Marcos, being the first one to do so in an official European competition. Steaua won the shootout 2–0 and Europe's most important club trophy for the first time, and much of the credit for the surprise victory was given to him; he scored one goal for his main club, through a penalty kick against AFC Progresul București in the domestic cup.^[5] Duckadam was nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 1986.^[6][7]

In 1986, Duckadam suffered a rare blood disorder only few weeks after the Seville performance,^[8] and would only resume his career three years later, finishing it with lowly Vagonul Arad in the second division. According to a personal interview given in 1999, he had become a major with the Romanian Border Police (Poliția de Frontieră) in his hometown; additionally, he opened a football school in the city, named after himself.^[9]

On 25 March 2008, Duckadam was decorated by the President of Romania, Traian Băsescu, with Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" – ("The Sportive Merit" Order – class II), for his part in winning the 1986 European Cup. Two years later, on 11 August, he was named honorary president at FCSB. He left the club in 2020.^{[citation needed]}

Duckadam died on 2 December 2024, at the age of 65.^[10][11]

Steaua București^[12]

• Divizia A: 1984–85, 1985–86
• Cupa României: 1984–85
• European Cup: 1985–86

Individual

• Romanian Footballer of the Year: 1986^[13]
• Ballon d'Or: 1986 (8th place)^[6][7]

• Duckadam, Helmut (1989). O victorie aplaudată (in Romanian). București: Editura Militară. ISBN 978-9-7332-0102-1.

• Helmut Duckadam at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
• Helmut Duckadam at IMDb
• Helmut Duckadam at National-Football-Teams.com
• Helmut Duckadam at EU-Football.info