Antonín Panenka

Antonín Panenka was born on 2 December 1948 and spent most of his playing years as an attacking midfielder at Bohemians Prague. In 1976, Czechoslovakia reached the final of the European Championship against West Germany, and when the match went to penalties, Panenka stepped up for the decisive kick. Instead of driving it hard, he lofted a soft chip straight down the center as the keeper dove, sealing the title and creating a template that would carry his name forever. He later moved to Austria, playing for Rapid Wien among other clubs, won Czechoslovak Footballer of the Year in 1980, and helpe…