Germany's veteran physiotherapist Adolf Katzenmeier died on Wednesday aged 81.
Katzenmeier worked for the German FA (DFB) for 45 years, 34 of them as the national team's physiotherapist.
He was called up to the DFB by Bundestrainer Sepp Herberger in 1963, and for 11 years worked for the youth teams as well as the Olympic Games squad.
Ahead of the 1974 World Cup in Germany, he was promoted to the national team where he was first occupied the role of massager and later became the chief of the physio-department.
#DFB trauert um Adolf Katzenmeier. https://t.co/KkEJazdWzM pic.twitter.com/a3vLU7oV1V
- DFB (Verband) (@DFB) October 19, 2016
Until his final tournament, the 2008 European Championship, he worked with the national at to seven World Cups and eight continental championships, and also was part of the 1988 Olympic Games staff.
"The news of his death makes me very sad," Germany general team manager Oliver Bierhoff said. "I link a lot of nice experiences to him. He was highly regarded because of his competence.
"He was reliable and honest. And he was popular among the sporting hierarchy, players and staff because of his helpfulness and humanity. Adi will be greatly missed."
After retiring in 2008, Katzenmeier kept a physiotherapy office in one of the wings of the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt, and he remained a face of the German FA.
"He belongs to the DFB like players who have won 100 caps or like long-time coaches because he embodies continuity on his field of expertise, something the national team has radiated and distinguished for several decades," former DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach said during the celebrations of Katzenmeier's 80th birthday in late 2014.