Daily Times

PARIS: French football legend Raymond Kopa, who won the European Cup three times with Real Madrid in the 1950s, died Friday aged 85 after a long illness, his family said. The French Football League announced that a minute’s silence would be observed before all weekend games in honour of the man who rose from a poor mining family in northern France to become one of Europe’s greatest players. At the pinacle of his career in the 1950s he played in a Real Madrid team alongside Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas and was honoured with three European Cup titles and the Ballon d’Or player of the year award. Real Madrid issued a statement lamenting the loss of a “great star” and offered commiserations to his family. “He was a player of exquisite technical gifts,” the statement said. “The Frenchman remains one of the great stars of his epoch.” Kopa was also central part of the French side beaten by Pele’s Brazil in a classic World Cup semi-final in 1958. “He died at 8.15 am after his illness worsened. Raymond had been in hospital since Sunday,” his son-in-law William Boucher said. In a statement French Presient Francois Hollande said Kopa was “one of France’s most admired sportsmen.” Winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1958, the attacking midfielder, whose real name was Kopaszewski played football after he failed to qualify for a job down the pit.