PAUL BREITNER

Paul Breitner (born 5 September 1951 in Kolbermoor, Bavaria) is a former German footballer, who played as a midfielder or as a defender. His early success was as a free roaming left back, as likely to score from the right midfield as to stop an attacker in his own penalty area. Later in his career he moved to midfield and became one of the top midfielders through the early 1980s. One of the greatest German players of all time, Breitner was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Time Team.

Breitner's football career lasted from 1970 until 1983, mainly playing for Bayern Munich (1970–74 and 1978–83) and Real Madrid (1974–77), with one season playing for Eintracht Braunschweig. During his club career, Breitner won seven National Championships with Bayern Munich (1972, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981) and Real Madrid (1975, 1976), the Champions' Cup (1974)[7] as well as the German (1971, 1982) and Spanish Cups (1975). During his spell with Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and he formed such a formidable one-two-punch that they were often called Breitnigge.

The early peak of Breitner's long and successful career was at age 21 in 1972 as part of the winning German European Championship team. Two years later he won the 1974 FIFA World Cup.[5] The final was played in Munich against the Netherlands, and Breitner scored the first German goal on a penalty kick. In the final, he, Franz Beckenbauer and Berti Vogts formed a formidable unit at the back, their resolute defense preventing the Dutch from getting many scoring chances. He then withdrew from the West German squad, remaining off the side until enticed to return by Jupp Derwall in 1981. He starred at the 1982 World Cup, driving West Germany to the final, as well as becoming one of only four footballers to have achieved the feat of scoring in two different World Cup final matchessharing that honour with Pelé, Vavá, and Zinédine Zidane. Germany lost the final and Breitner never played for the national team again.