For four decades, goalkeepers have been haunted by the “Panenka”

penalty kick that leaves them diving to the side while the ball falls

slowly into the middle of the net.

The western world first became aware of the kick a year after it had

been invented by then-Czechoslovak midfielder Antonin Panenka when, in

the 1976 European Championship final, he fooled West German ‘keeper Sepp

Maier to hand his country a surprise win.

“If I had missed then, I would have been a turner with a forty-year

record in the job today,” smiles the 66-year-old, still sporting his

trademark moustache.

The Belgrade final headed into penalties as Czechoslovakia and West Germany were tied 2-2 after extra time.

Four Czechoslovaks and three Germans scored while Uli Hoeness failed, the score being 4-3 before the last penalty.

Panenka took a quick run up, looking set for a fierce blast and Maier

dived to his left while Panenka checked his run and his gently-chipped

shot took a slow curve and landed safely in the net.

“Definitely you must have some courage, but in the first place it is

necessary to practise hard, otherwise it would be too risky to try this

kick,” Panenka told AFP.

“I myself perfected it during the months before Euro 1976.”

The idea of fooling goalkeepers in this way came to the Bohemians

Prague playmaker almost by accident, and some time ahead of its

televised grand premiere in Belgrade.

“We regularly practised penalties and free kicks with our ‘keeper

Zdenek Hruska, betting a small amount of money, a beer or a chocolate

bar on each penalty,” Panenka expained.

“Since Zdenek quite often cleared my kicks, they became quite costly for me.

“He systematically dived to the right or left, so I tricked him

before kicking the ball gently into the middle — he didn’t stand a

chance.

“The only trouble was that I started to put on weight because of all that chocolate and beer!”

The trick remained hidden from the western world, separated from the East by the so-called Iron Curtain.

Panenka introduced the kick step by step, in friendlies and in the Czechoslovak league.

And then June 20, 1976 came and Panenka found his way into the football history books.

Brazilian legend Pele once said that “only a fool or a genius” could

venture to take such an unexpected kick at a crucial moment like the

last penalty kick of a European tournament.

A French journalist once dubbed Panenka “a football poet”.

“I certainly don’t think I’m a fool,” says Panenka.

Czechoslovakia shed its Communist rule in 1989 and split peacefully into the Czech Republic and Slovakia four years later.

After the 1976 Europeans, Panenka went on to trick French ‘keeper

Dominique Dropsy in April 1979, in a qualifier for the 1980 tournament

in Italy when Czechoslovakia finished third..

In a shoot-out in the third-place play-off against Italy, as well as

at the 1982 World Cup, Panenka changed his strategy, scoring with shots

into the corner.

“The ‘keepers already knew me and they didn’t move any more,” said

Panenka, who scored 17 goals in 59 games for the Czechoslovak national

team.

Panenka, who left Bohemians Prague for Rapid Vienna in 1981, enjoys

watching the growing list of his followers, including Zinedine Zidane,

Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti, Helger Postiga, Sergio Ramos or Zlatan

Ibrahimovic.

“I am very happy that my idea is not dead,” beams the man who is president of his beloved Bohemians.

He said his only regret was that he could never copyright his famous invention.

“If I could have that, I wouldn’t be here with you but somewhere in

Hawaii, sipping my cocktail in an armchair on a beach. I would be pretty

rich.”