Who Is Josef Bican? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Josef Bican was born on September 25, 1913, in Vienna, Austria, and became one of the most prolific strikers in football history. Bican spent a significant part of his career playing for clubs like Slavia Prague and Rapid Vienna, and he is remembered for his incredible goal-scoring records. Tragically, he passed away in 2001, but his legacy still shines in the world of football. As of 2025, if he were still alive, he would be 112 years old.
| Occupation | Footballer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | September 25, 1913 |
| Age | 88 Years |
| Birth Place | Vienna, Austria-Hungary |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Date of death | 12 December, 2001 |
| Died Place | Prague, Czech Republic |
Popularity
Josef Bican's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Josef Bican stood at approximately 1.80 meters (5 feet 11 inches) tall. His weight ranged around 77 kg (170 lbs) during his active playing years. Known for his agility and athleticism, Bican's physical attributes played a pivotal role in his success on the pitch.
"Bican was incredibly unlucky at the height of his career. There was no World Cup in 1942 or 1946 because of the war. If the 1942 edition had taken place, for example, he would surely have become more widely known. Perhaps he might even have been as famous as Pele", Radovan Jelinek, sports historian said about him.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Josef Bican was married to his wife, who was a significant part of his life during his football career. While specific details about his family life remain private, it is known that he had children and maintained a close-knit family, which was important to him both during and after his football career.
He was the second of three children, František, Josef and Vilík. His father was from Sedlice in Southern Bohemia, and his mother was a Viennese Czech. Josef's father František was a footballer who played for. He fought in World War I and returned uninjured.
However, František died at the early age of 30 in 1921 after refusing an operation to treat an infected kidney after an injury sustained during a football match. This was when František was just 10, Josef was 8 and Vilík was 3.
Hertha Vienna officials gave František a nice funeral and told Ludmila that they would take care of her sons and would even give them an education. At first they visited the boys every day and would bring something to help out.
However this soon changed as they would come every week, once a fortnight and within three months it was as if they had forgotten about the Bican family. Ludmila was stuck in a desperate situation, she sent Vilík to be looked after by his grandparents in Bohemia, until he was 14.
Ludmila's life got harder as she had to work twice as hard as before, cleaning crayfish and washing dishes at a nearby restaurant. Most days she would have to get up at four in the morning to come home at ten, but sometimes even later.
Net Worth and Salary
Throughout his football career, Bican earned a considerable amount, contributing to his net worth. Although exact figures are hard to pinpoint due to the vintage nature of his era, as of his passing in 2001, estimates suggested his wealth was in the millions. If still living in 2025, his income streams would likely have diversified, including possible royalties from memorabilia and modern reappraisals of his contributions to football.
Career, Business, and Investments
Josef Bican had a remarkable football career, noted for scoring over 800 goals in competitive matches, making him one of football's greatest scorers. After retiring, he remained involved in football, including roles in coaching and mentorship. He may have participated in various investments related to sports and business ventures focusing on promoting football.
Josef "Pepi" Bican (25 September 1913 – 12 December 2001) was an Austrian-Czech professional footballer who played as a striker. He is regarded by some to be the greatest goalscorer in the history of the sport.
He is considered by RSSSF as the second-most prolific goalscorer in history after Erwin Helmchen, with over 950 goals scored in 624 official matches. He scored 591 goals in 301 official games for Slavia Prague across his 11-year playing career at the club.
Social Network
While Josef Bican did not have social media platforms due to his era, today he is commemorated across various social networks. His legacy continues to be celebrated on platforms like Instagram and Twitter, where fan pages share highlights of his career and contributions to football, keeping his spirit alive among the new generations.
The family's poverty meant that Bican initially had to play football without shoes, which helped him improve his ball control skills. Bican attended the Jan Amos Komenský school, a Czech school in Vienna. For entertainment František and Josef would make a football out of old material and sometimes Ludmila would be left without one stocking.
On some days they would arrive at school with dirty clothes and foreheads due to playing football before school. They would play matches between classes and between schools, they had no time to study. Josef would play football so much that she had to lock him indoors to try and get him to study.
The players at his school would whistle and call to Josef to get him to come to a match that day. He lived one story up, but this didn't stop him. He climbed out the window and played the game. The school team was victorious as the score was 12–2, Josef had scored 8 goals.
Education
Bican's formal education details are not widely documented, likely overshadowed by his football career. However, he is known to have had a strong work ethic and discipline, attributes that were evident in his sporting life. After football, he may have been involved in sharing his knowledge about the game, educating aspiring footballers about sportsmanship and skill development.
In conclusion, Josef Bican remains an iconic figure in football history. His contributions to the sport, defined by extraordinary achievements and an unparalleled legacy, continue to inspire future generations of footballers.
In the 1990s, Bican spoke to Czech TV about the difficulty of scoring during his era: "When I talk to young reporters, they always say, 'Mr Bican, scoring was easier back in your day.' But I ask them, 'How come? Look, are there opportunities today?' And they tell me, 'Of course there are, many of them'. And I say, 'There you go.
If there weren't opportunities, it would be difficult. But if there are, scoring is the same as it was a hundred years ago, and will be the same in a hundred years' time, too. It will always be the same." Bican further stated: "Everybody would agree that a chance should be a goal.
If I got five chances, I scored five goals – if I got seven then it was seven."
