Raymond Kopa, French football legend, is no more
Q. Who was known as the Napoleon of football?- Published on 06 Mar 17a. Raymond Kopa
b. Jean-Pierre Papine
c. Zinedine Zidane
d. None of the above
ANSWER: Raymond Kopa
Raymond Kopa, a former Real Madrid attacking midfielder known as the “Napoleon of football” who helped the team win the European Cup three times, died March 3rd, 2017 in Angers, France at age 85.
Small in stature like the French emperor, Mr. Kopa earned the “Napoleon” nickname after an incredible performance with France in a 2-1 win over Spain in 1955.
A talented player with a magnificent eye for passing and for goal, he won the Ballon d’Or in 1958 when he played for Real Madrid.
He won the European Cup three times with the Spanish club, from 1957-59.
A versatile midfielder who could also play centre forward, Mr. Kopa was also gifted with spectacular dribbling skills and speed, qualities that have often lead to comparisons with Lionel Messi.
Mr. Kopa was born Raymond Kopaczewski in Noeux-les-Mines in northern France, on Oct. 13, 1931.
As a youth, he worked in the mines like his father and lost two bones in his hand as a result of the strenuous work.
He started in soccer with Angers before joining Reims, the club where he spent most of his career.
After winning four French titles with the eastern team and guiding it to a runner-up finish in the 1956 European Cup, Kopa joined Madrid for 52 million francs, a very high price at the time.
The first big star of French soccer, he was part of the great Real Madrid team that dominated Europe at the end of the 1950s, playing alongside Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.
Crowned after Stanley Matthews and Di Stefano, Mr. Kopa won the Ballon d’Or 25 years before Michel Platini secured it three years in a row.
Two other French players have won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, Jean-Pierre Papin and current Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.
Mr. Kopa returned to Reims in 1959 and retired when he was 35 before embracing a successful career in the sports business.
He played 45 times for France, scoring 18 goals.
He led the French team to third place at the 1958 World Cup and was elected the tournament’s best player after helping Just Fontaine set the record for most goals scored in a single edition of the tournament (13).
