JOSEF BICAN would have been as well-known as Pele if he had performed in a unique period.
That’s the view of a Fifa historian as Cristiano Ronaldo hunts down the previous Czech striker’s formidable official aim tally.
Josef Bican is the very best official goalscorer of all timeCredit score: Getty Photos – Getty
Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on Bican’s 805 aim haulCredit score: AFP or licensors
Nobody is for certain of the precise variety of objectives he bagged as Bican’s profession spanned from 1931 to 1955 when document holding was not fairly as environment friendly as it’s in 2021.
However the commonest tally credited to the previous Slavia Prague ace is 805 objectives – 779 for membership and 26 worldwide – in keeping with Fifa.
As with Pele, the strains are considerably blurry on the subject of official and unofficial objectives scored.
The Brazil legend has even changed his Instagram bio to read ‘Highest goalscorer of all time (1,283)’ in a bid to cling onto his self-awarded title.
Pele is definitely solely credited with 757 official strikes – together with his larger whole typically understood to incorporate objectives scored in pleasant and tour matches.
However even on unofficial objectives, Fifa nonetheless give the crown to Bican with a staggering 1,468.
Ronaldo, 35, scored twice as Juventus beat Udinese 4-1 on Sunday to achieve 758 whole objectives and overtake Pele, 80, within the course of.
Fifa word on their web site: “The Brazilian legend [Pele] contains in his tally objectives scored in unofficial video games.
Pele claims he holds the crown however his 1,283 unofficial tally contains objectives scored in friendlies and tour matchesCredit score: Instagram / @pele
“And if we had been to do the identical for Bican, his mark could be an estimated 1,468 – even when these figures are tough to confirm given their period.”
Bican was born born on September 25, 1913 in Vienna and died in Prague on December 12, 2001.
He’s believed to have scored his beautiful 805 objectives in simply 530 video games – a aim charge which might absolutely see him value at the least £300million in immediately’s market.
Bican performed for Austria on the 1934 World Cup in Italy earlier than switching his allegiance to his adopted homeland of Czechoslovakia – now the Czech Republic.
He scored 14 objectives in 19 video games for the Austrians earlier than making the swap – which was nonetheless permitted within the 30s.
Having performed for Hertha Vienna – like his father had – Bican switched to Speedy Vienna in 1931 and began his skilled profession the place he spent six years.
In 1937, Bican transferred to Slavia Prague the place he fell in love with the membership and the nation.
Bican performed for Slavia for 11 years and later grew to become their supervisor.
Throughout his time in Prague, he efficiently utilized for Czech citizenship and performed for the nation 14 occasions between 1939 and 1949 – scoring 12 occasions.
Bican didn’t signify his new nation on the 1938 World Cup in France due to an admin error. And the following two tournaments had been cancelled due to World Battle II.
Highest goalscorers of all time
Lionel Messi, 33, can be on observe to beat Bican’s haul if he performs on into his late 30sCredit score: Getty Photos – Getty
Czechoslovakia – together with a number of different Soviet international locations – refused to take part within the 1950 World Cup.
And these World Cup absences are why Fifa historian Radovan Jelinek thinks the aim machine was no more well-known.
He stated: “Bican was extremely unfortunate on the peak of his profession. There was no World Cup in 1942 or 1946 due to the struggle.
“If the 1942 version had taken place, for instance, he would absolutely have develop into extra broadly recognized. Maybe he may even have been as well-known as Pele.”
Describing his goalscoring prowess on Czech TV in 1990, Bican stated: “After I discuss to younger reporters, they all the time say, ‘Mr Bican, scoring was simpler again in your day.’
“So I ask them, ‘How come? Look, are there alternatives immediately?’ They usually inform me, ‘After all there are, lots of them’.
“And I say, ‘There you go. If there weren’t alternatives, it could be tough. But when there are, scoring is similar because it was 100 years in the past, and it’ll be the identical in 100 years’ time too. It’ll all the time be the identical.”
Reviews recommend Bican may run 100m in 10.8 seconds – simply half a second slower than the world document on the time.
Bican’s father Frantiesk fought in World Battle I and returned unscathed however paradoxically it was soccer that killed him.
The Hertha participant picked up a critical kidney damage throughout a sport and finally died from the issue.
