When Rabeh Madjer started playing football in his homeland at the age of 11, he never imagined that one day he would lift the European Cup. However, in 1987, the celebrated striker became the first Arab player to reach the pinnacle of club football, instantly providing inspiration for other Arabs to follow in his path.
Madjer was famous for a series of unforgettable goals during his career: the most memorable a beautifully back-heeled equaliser in the European Cup final 22 years ago, scored past German giants Bayern Munich at Vienna's Prater Stadium.
The glitz of that Austrian adventure was a far cry from the Al Abyar area in the Algerian capital where he grew up. Born on December 15, 1958, football was always Madjer's passion. His love affair with the game started while playing for Milk Company's junior side in the Hasan Dai neighbourhood, where he stayed at the third division club for 12 months.
Aged 13, Madjer then joined Hasan Dai Club, graduating to the senior team five years later. Having enhanced his reputation in Algeria, he moved to Racing Paris in France, where he spent two seasons before Portuguese heavyweights Porto came calling. Despite hailing form North Africa, his new team-mates were convinced their most recent signing was born much nearer to them.
"When I arrived at Porto, the players did not realise I was Algerian, thinking that because I played for Racing Paris that I was French," recalls Madjer in an exclusive interview with Emirates Business. "Once people found out I was Algerian and Muslim, the fans loved me very much.
"Competition among the players at Porto was great and the team contained a lot of fine players, such as Fernando Gomes, Europe's top scorer at the time. So I had to give 100 per cent during training if I wanted to make the starting line-up."
He started the cup final in 1987. A goal down against a formidable Bayern Munich side captained by Lothar Matthaus, Madjer found himself in the penalty area when the ball fell to him in the six-yard box. With only 12 minutes remaining, the No8 dispatched substitute Juary's pass with a dainty flick of his heel. The hitman then turned provider, setting up the Brazilian Juary to net the winner two minutes later. Madjer's goal, though, will always live with the player.
"There was no time to think," says the 50-year-old. "I back-heeled the ball spontaneously because if I waited to think the German defender would have noticed the danger and cleared the ball.
"A back-heel was the only solution. I felt huge pleasure when it went in because I'd scored a remarkable goal in the final of the European Cup. I always used to watch the competition on television and then I had the trophy in my hands. It was a dream come true for me.
"I never expected I would play in the final, and score a goal and make the other. I felt great happiness. Thank God I won the title, which will always be written in history's records," he adds.
The cup hero returned to Porto with his team-mates two days later to be greeted by a huge reception at the airport. He claims it took him some time to realise the value of the goal, the magnitude of which driven home once he read newspapers and watched various television reports.
"The whole world was talking about the win and my goal," he says triumphantly. "But, frankly, at the time I wished I could celebrate it with my people in Algeria. All Algerians were happy for Porto winning the European Cup because I scored.
"The winning of the cup was a source of pride for all Arabs. When I travelled to Algeria later, the Minister of Youth and Sports organised a reception party for me in the ministry. I was the first Arab player to win the title and I hope another can do the same."
Despite his telling contribution against Bayern, Madjer cites the 1982 World Cup as providing the most treasured moment of his career. Representing a relatively unknown Algeria side, the Africans took on West Germany and gave world football one of its greatest ever shocks – that despite minnows Northern Ireland defeating hosts Spain in the same tournament.
Madjer gave the underdogs a surprise lead in the Group Two opener in front of 25,000 people who packed El Molinon stadium in Gijon, only for the European champions – boasting a team made up of established stars such as Toni Schumacher, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Paul Breitner and Pierre Littbarski – to equalise in the second half.
However, the Desert Warriors were not finished there, Lakhdar Belloumi immediately restoring the lead for Algeria to hang on and prove to the world that African football was full of potential and talent. Their side, together since 1979, was packed with speed, stamina and attacking intent and laid down a marker for the rest of the continent to follow in their now-fabled footsteps.
"It was my best moment," says Madjer. "The first goal I scored was great and it will go down in history."
Madjer is still involved in football and was offering his analysis on the Al Jazeera sports channel until the close of the football season in May. He admits he does not know what the future holds and is taking time to think about the next move in his stellar career.
Understandably though, when the famous striker is asked to speak about his legacy thoughts turn back to that final in Vienna in 1987. It defined the player and started a craze in European football.
"Following that game, the scoring of goals by back-heel became second nature for me," he says. "I played a game in the first or second matchday of the season in the Portuguese league against Belenenes, where I scored a hat-trick which included a back-heeled goal even more beautiful than the goal I scored in the final of the European Cup.
"Therefore, back-heel goals became my trademark. Even now, whenever there is a back-heeled goal, people say it is a goal scored in the Rabeh Madjer way."
Professional career
- 1976-1983: Hasan Dai (Algeria)
- 1983-1985: Racing Paris (France)
- 1985-1988: FC Porto (Portugal)
- 1988-1989: Valencia (Spain)
- 1989-1992: FC Porto (Portugal)
- 1992-1993: Qatar Club (Qatar)
Top achievements
- Three Portuguese Superliga titles
- One European Cup
- One Intercontinental Cup
- Selected by the Confederation of African Football as one of the top 10 African players of the past 50 years.
- Voted as the African Player of the Year by France Football in 1987.
- Chosen by the Abu Dhabi-based Arabic daily Al Ittihad as the best Arab player in the past century.
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