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Paul
Breitner
(West
Germany)
Nicknamed
“Der Afro” for his big curly hair, Paul Breitner
was a starplayer at an early age. He signed for Bayern
Munich when he was nineteen in 1970 and made his debut
for the West German national team the following year.
Paul started his career as a full-back, but moved up
in midfield towards the end of his career. He had a
very good right foot shot which he used frequently
with great results.
Breitner was a member of
some of the finest teams Europe has produced. West
Germany won the European Championship in 1972 and two
years later, on home soil, they mopped up their second
World Cup title. Breitner scored three goals from his
defensive position, two long range thunderbolts
against Chile and Yugoslavia and a penalty in the
final against Holland. Also in 1974, Bayern Munich won
the European Cup making it a fantastic year for “Der
Afro”. At 22, he had already won everything a
footballer could dream about winning.
Breitner now searched
abroad for new challenges. Real Madrid was next
destination and he continued to win more trophies in
the Spanish capital. When he came back to Bayern after
three years in 1977, he had won two league
championships with Real and a Spanish Cup title.
Paul’s international career was in the meantime
temporarily over. Disagreements with the coaching
staff and certain players made him stay away from the
West German national team for several years, but he
changed his mind on the eve of the 1982 World Cup in
Spain. Rummenigge was one of several players who said
the team needed him after a run of poor results in the
build-up to the finals.
In his midfield role,
Breitner guided West Germany to the final where Italy
beat them 3-1. Breitner scored the West German goal
making him only the third man, after Pelé and Vava,
to score in two World Cup finals. He retired in 1983
having won many trophies including seven league
championships in Spain and West Germany. Breitner was
also named German Player of the Year once.
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