Episode 7: Pierre Littbarski
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When Pierre Littbarski was an infant - age one, the Berlin Wall was put up right behind his family home. He remembers as a boy going through ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ and smuggling food to friends and family who found themselves on the wrong side of that structure. Further, he talked about how he and his friends would play games kicking the ball up against that ‘wall of shame’ as it was known in West Berlin. Norman Rockwell could have done well with that.
Pierre is a very unusual name for a German. And it is appropriate that this unique player have an equally rare name. If you watch the West Germany of the 1980’s you will notice a German doing it a little bit differently than his much larger colleagues – as if a Brazilian found his way onto the field. His skill, pace, quickness and vision was World class – on point with the best players in the world of that time.
He was in 3 World Cup finals, lifting the trophy once – and has the record, with Pele and Maradona - for most assists in a World Cup Tournament. Rare company.