Raymond Kopa continental gold and enamel 1957 European Cup Winners medal

Raymond Kopa continental gold and enamel 1957 European Cup Winners medal, the obverse inscribed COUPE DES CHAMPIONS EUROPEENS, the reverse inscribed VAINQUEUR 1957 with ring suspension In the second year of the competition Real Madrid successfully retained the European Cup and this was Raymond Kopa's first of his three-in-a-row winners medals. In the match played on 30th May 1957 at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid defeated Fiorentina 2-0 Provenance: Mullock Madeley, Football Memorabilia including The Raymond Kopa Collection, 11th April 2001, Lot 607 Raymond Kopa was integral to the legendary Real Madrid team of the 1950s, playing and winning the European Cup three years in a row, the club winning the first five finals since the competition's inception. Often considered one of the best players of his generation, Kopa was an attacking midfielder agile, quick, and known for his dribbling, play making and prolific scoring. Awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1958, in 1970, he became the first football player to receive the Legion d'honneur and in 2004, Pele named him one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony. The following lots 621 to 668 relate to the career of Raymond Kopa