Former Dinamo goalkeeper Georg Koch died at the age of 54.
The German goalkeeper revealed in an interview in May 2024 that he has cancer pancreas in the terminal phase and that the doctors told him that he would die soon. Estimates were that he would die after six months, but Koch fought on more from a year and gender.
It was a long struggle, a long farewell for the goalkeeper, who between 1990 and 2009 played a total of 213 games in the Bundesliga and 165 games in the 2nd Bundesliga. With Dynamohe played in goal for Kaiserslautern, Energy Cottbus, Arminius Bielefeld and MSV Duisburg.
But above all, he played for his great love, To Fortune Dusseldorf . With the Rhineland club, he achieved promotion from the 3rd Bundesliga all the way to the 1st Bundesliga.
He played for Dinamo for a short time, but won over the fans
Koch came to Dinamo in the summer of 2007. as a free agent after terminating his contract with Duisburg. He played for Dinamo 39 match and won championship title and Cupand at the end of the season he left Maksimir after returning Tomislav Thigh.
He was in that legendary team that in October 2007 beat Ajax in Amsterdam 3:2.
Although he was in Maksimir for only one season, the German quickly got under the skin of Dinamo fans. He also had atypical style defendingand won them over with unusual statements. The most famous was certainly this one:
I love this Maksimir. When you enter the stadium, it smells like football. There is a smell in the toilet sweat, smoke and urine countless generations that built the clubhe said when he was a member of Dinamo, and a few years later he gave an interview when he visited Maksimir. He was surprised by the new changing rooms and hotel for the players.
I watch everything new. Hotel and changing rooms as if I was on Allianz Arenas. Where is my Maksimir? When I left in 2008, I was devastated. I know some will say I’ve only been here for a year, but I have a special connection with club, to the fans and Zagreb. Some bonds that are unbreakable. I guess because of my character.
He was wearing Dinamo’s jersey at the farewell
On behalf of the club, Dinamo sent a retired goalkeeper to his farewell match in 2024 Ivana Kalawuwho presented him with a jersey that says “Koch mit uns”, which means “Koch with usa”.
It was in May, and five months later he organized humanitarian match. The former goalkeeper wanted to enjoy football that day for the last time, as he said. About 1,500 people gathered, he reports Index.hr.
In the last interviews, Koch showed incredible strength: “This is my last interview. I know that day is coming“, he said with teary eyes to Sport1 in September 2024, emphasizing the love for football that kept him alive.
In front of German television cameras, he wore a T-shirt with the inscription “to the bitter end”. “That’s my humor, that’s who I am“, said Koch and added that he must persevere and fight.
(www.jabuka.tv | Photo: X)
