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Sat 05 June 2021 | 13:30

Paul Breitner Biography

A dignified man, a valid legend, and a leader who battled for every shirt he wore in his career. Paul Breitner is one of the great legends in Germany, so today, we will talk and write about Paul Breitner's biography. Stay tuned.

Paul Breitner was born on September 5, 1951, in Kolbermoor, Bavaria, Bavaria,

Germany

. If we want to talk about one of the best central midfielders in football history, one of the best options available would be Paul Breitner. The German legend, who has excelled in both defense and midfield positions, is considered by many to be the best left-back in Bayern Munich history.

Breitner was one of the most controversial players in German football history, playing 48 games for West Germany. Together with Berti Vogts, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, and Franz Beckenbauer, he was part of one of the most formidable defensive lines in football history, and strangely enough, his main position was as a midfielder.

He is one of the most successful players in German football history, which included in the list of 125 players of the living world football legend selected by Pele in 2004. Breitner has some interesting records in the world of football. Along with Pele and Zidane, he is the only player in World Cup history to have scored in two finals. Maybe that's why FIFA has put him in the squad for all World Cups.

Paul Breitner nationality

is German, and he is known as one of the most controversial players in German football history. Paul Breitner was a great defender-midfielder and, without a doubt, is one of the legends of Bayern Munich. Sure it is not all about Breitner's life story as there is so much to say. Stay tuned as we take a look at Paul Breitner biography.

All You Need to Know About Paul Breitner Biography

Paul Breitner was born on September 5, 1951, in Kolbermoor, Bavaria, Germany, and is now 69. He started his football career with Bayern Munich at the age of 19, when he was a member of the club's second team, and during the 13 seasons he played for the Bavarians, he achieved important club titles.

Breitner played four seasons for Bayern Munich, scoring 109 games and 17 goals beside three Bundesliga titles and a German FA Cup title (DFB Pokal) European Club Cup in the 1973-74 season. 1974 was the best year for the German Breitner in his career; that year, he won the 1974 World Cup with West Germany and the European Club Cup, and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. Breitner joined Real Madrid in 1974 with a wealth of success, titles, and trophies and played for Real Madrid for three seasons.

At

Real Madrid

, the situation was in line with this German player, and he returned to his favorite position of midfielder, and along with 'Gunter Netzer', had given a new life to the Real Madrid midfield. 84 games and 10 goals, along with winning two La Liga titles and a Spanish Cup, have been the outcome of three seasons in the Real Madrid squad. Breitner left Madrid in 1977 for a return to the country and joining Eintracht Braunschweig.

n one season, he played 10 goals in 30 games, and in 1978, he finally returned to his former team Bayern Munich. Breitner played for another five seasons at Bayern Munich until he retired from football in 1983. Breitner is one of the most honorable players in the history of German football. Two years after winning the 1972 European Cup, Bavaria-born Paul made the way easy for Germans to pass Johan Cruyff and win the 1974 World Cup.

After a few years away from the national team, Breitner wore the national team captain's armband at the 1982 World Cup in Spain and led his team. Breitner and Rummenigge took Germany to the World Cup final, but Breitner's beautiful goal was not enough to defeat Tardelli and powerful Azzurri.

On the International level, Paul Breitner wore the German shirt for eleven years (1971-1982) in various competitions. Paul Breitner is considered one of the best midfielders in the history of the German national football team.

Paul Breitner Information

In this part of Paul Breitner biography, you could find some general information about Paul Breitner listed down here.

Paul Breitner Bio

  • Full Name: Paul Breitner

  • Nickname: “Der Afro”

  • Profession: Former Professional Football Player

Paul Breitner Physical Stats

  • Weight: 73 Kilograms

  • Height: 1.76 Meters

  • Eye Color: Blue

  • Hair Color: Dark

Paul Breitner Football Information

  • Position: Left-back, Midfielder

  • Jersey Number: 8

  • Professional Debut: 2001

Paul Breitner Date of Birth and Personal Info

  • Date of Birth: 1 September 1951

  • Birth Place: Kolbermoor, Bavaria, West Germany

  • Zodiac Sign: Virgo

  • Nationality: German

Paul Breitner Early Life

Paul Breitner was born on September 5, 1951 in Kolbermoor, Bavaria, West Germany. 

Paul Breitner childhood

 was not all about football. Paul has done sports since childhood, although Breitner was not engaged only in football. 

Paul Breitner was born on September 5, 1951, in Kolbermoor, Bavaria, West Germany. From an early age, he was encouraged to think independently of his parents. He was taught never to submit to authority just for power's sake, a lesson he will always keep close to his heart.

He grew up to be a tall, strong, and athletic boy with an acute interest in sports. He became a skilled footballer during his youth, especially skilled as a striker. He was selected in the Under-18s of West Germany as a 17-year-old, marking the beginning of his sporting career. He scored a goal in his debut, a 4-1 defeat in Yugoslavia.

He joined

Bayern Munich

in 1970 but soon received an order to join the military. He tried to escape, although, in the end, he had to serve in the army for a short time. Until 1971 he managed to establish himself as a popular player for Bayern Munich. He achieved his first great success in 1972 when he was part of Germany that won the European Championship.

Paul Breitner life story

is filled with memories of joyful moments, which probably makes him one of the best personalities in football history.

Paul Breitner Profile

In this section of 

Paul Breitner biography

, we will take a look at his professional career from his early days until now. Born in Bavaria, he became interested in football at an early age. Bony, strong, and blessed with good strength, he gained attention for his playing skills as a teenager.

He was selected in the Under-18s of West Germany as a 17-year-old who set the pace for his glorious future career. A bold and rebellious young man, he began to quarrel quite early in his career with politically incorrect comments. However, his impeccable style of play was compensated for his kindness, and he soon settled in the Bayern Munich club, where he will spend most of his career.

In 1972, he was part of the German team that won the European Championship and two years later helped his team to win the 1974 FIFA World Cup. After retirement, he began working as a commentator, pundit, and columnist. Stay tuned to read more about Paul Breitner biography and get to know him better.

Style of Play

Regarding Paul Breitner’s style of play, he used to play as a midfielder and Left-back. He acted as a solid left-back. He had a powerful right foot that allowed him to send powerful shots to crack the opponents' net. Most of the attackers tried to avoid confronting him as he had a strange ability to defend.

Paul Breitner was one of the best players of his generation who greatly influenced the new generation of German football. In general, it can say that his slender appearance caused many opponents to make mistakes because, after a physical duel, they would notice Breitner's strange physical strength.

Reception

Paul Breitner is 69 and has retired from football. In 1976, he starred in Potato Fritz's film, a spaghetti western about Germans who come across some gold thieves. The idea of theft was seemingly on his mind late that year when, in an interview with Playboy, he indicated that he had wanted a slice of the 3,000,000 DM his club had paid for his services. "The whole business of transfer fees is unlawful," he said.

"It's contrary to human rights and basic human dignity." It was not difficult to see why his critics felt his Marxist principles had been stretched to breaking point. However, few people say that this man is not respectable and has no special place in the hearts of Bayern Munich fans. Still, many refer to Paul Breitner as one of the greatest legends in German football history.

Goal Celebration

Paul Breitner's goal celebration was not very special but he really used to do it with a certain enthusiasm. Imagine an Afro-haired man with lamb-chop sideburns steps up to the penalty spot and coolly dispatches the ball past Dutch keeper Jan Jongbloed. He raises his hands in celebration before promptly trotting back to his position on the pitch; this was the way Paul Breitner celebration looked like. He used to do it over and over.

Paul Breitner Outside Football

Paul Breitner outside football is a very respected person, but Paul also has a story like every person. Extra controversial or traditional football fans punished him for his radicalism and "revolutionary" mentality and his proclivity for sharing strong views on major political and social issues, especially when Germany was still divided by the Berlin Wall.

He got attention as a result of his overspending on houses and cars, as well as his appearance in lucrative commercials. Breitner also served as a writer for the Bild newspaper and acted in the Western Potato Fritz. In 1978, Bavarian television created “Paul Breitner Futballmagazin,” a six-part series in which he and his Eintracht Braunschweig squad and youth players introduced technical fundamentals of the game and insights into the daily life of a football professional. Stay tuned to read more about 

Paul Breitner biography

 and get to know him better.

Paul Breitner Personal Life

Many people may roughly know about Paul Breitner's personal life. 

Of course, it's not their fault, as Paul himself, despite being a very controversial and passionate person, never wanted his affairs or personal problems to be leaked, so you will probably get less information in this part. We should also note that

Paul Breitner religion

is Christianity.

Family, Children and Relationships

He is married to Hildegard Breitner, with whom he has three older children; the most famous one is Max Breitner, a sports journalist. 

He is also a great grandfather who loves his grandchildren completely.

Philanthropy

Paul Breitner has done charity work with NGO, and McDonald’s. Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.

RMHC has a global network of chapters in 64 countries and regions under three core programs: Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. There are currently 214 Ronald McDonald's Family Rooms in 24 countries. These rooms accommodate over 3,000 families each day who live in the community and do not need or do not meet the prescribed criteria to stay at a Ronald McDonald House.

Moreover, ‘The Life Foundation’ is a registered Non-Government Organization based in Jeypore, Odisha, India, purposed towards sharing abundant life. The Life Foundation fulfills this purpose by imparting love, nurture, education, training, resources, and life skills to children from birth through to adulthood. No wonder, we said that Paul Breitner is an exceptional person. Keep reading to know more about Paul Breitner Biography and see if he has had any legal issues so far or not.

Legal Issues

We have already said in a part of the article that Paul Breitner was a controversial person. Off the field, Breitner was criticized by traditional German football fans for his controversial behavior. He used to comment on political and social issues, especially since Germany was divided by the Berlin Wall, and he usually attended rehearsals with the Chinese Communist Party Red Book.

Before the 1982 World Cup, he made a strange and controversial decision; He received 150,000 marks to shave his beard and promote a Dutch shaving company. Still, many football fans do not know if he was left-footed or right-footed. After giving specific information about Paul Breitner's legal issues, we go to the next part, the Paul Breitner career statistics part.

Paul Breitner Career Statistics

Paul Breitner statistics are just fantastic Paul Breitner signed a professional contract in the 1970 and went on to appear in 21 Bundesliga games, helping Bayern to Cup Winners' Cup title. The next season he played 30 Bundesliga games. Paul Breitner was moved from striker to left-back position at Bayern Munich at the beginning of his career, unusual for a right-footed player. He quickly made use of his offensive nature in a new role and from then on acted as an aggressive defender.

After starting as a striker, Breitner made his name as a full-back, perhaps fittingly on the left. Blessed with powerful legs, he was a strong shooter and a hard tackler. In 1972, Breitner powered the Munich outfit to the Bundesliga title - the first of three consecutive championships wins. That same year, he featured in the German side that would win the Euros, a side that is often regarded as the greatest ever to grace the competition.

As a player and all-rounder, Breitner was an individualist and lateral thinker off the pitch. Photos showing him with the Mao Bible gave him the image of a revolutionary. 

Excursions into the film business caused an additional sensation, as did his spectacular return from Spain from Real Madrid to

Eintracht Braunschweig

in 1977. After his subsequent move to Munich, he built on earlier successes with his parent club.

Club

Breitner had some perfect years at Bayern Munich. He managed to establish himself as a great player before joining Real Madrid. Real Madrid played very poorly at the end of the 1976-77 season, and the team was eliminated from the European Cup in the second round. In Madrid, however, he was more Bavarian than ever.

He had sausages shipped in from Germany every week, and after just three years in Spain, he longed to return home after Madrid hit a bad patch. In the summer of 1978, Breitner moved back to Bayern Munich, which going through a transition period, retired in 1983 after a very successful club career. He won seven National Championships - five with Bayern Munich and two with Real Madrid. He helped his team win the Champions Cup in 1974 and the Spanish Cup in 1975.

Breitner was inspirational in the 1979-80 season and would strike up a famous partnership with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as Bayern Munich reclaimed the Bundesliga title for the first time since 1974. They won the title again the following season, and his influence at the club was growing ever stronger. After he and Rummenigge were sent off in a 1981 Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu game against Real Madrid, Breitner was apparently responsible for abandoning the game.

International

Paul Breitner has a 11-year history for the German national team. One of the nation's most famous and controversial players, he played an important role in winning West Germany in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, scoring in the final. He won 48 caps for West Germany throughout his career and was named to the FIFA World Cup team. In scored two important goals in the group and intermediate rounds by pushing forward from his traditional position and being successful with a powerful long-range shot.

In the final against the

Netherlands

, he scored his third tournament goal with a penalty, which meant it was 1-1 equalizing, which paved the way for the World Cup title. 8 years later, he scored another goal in a World Cup final, but this time only the consolation goal to make it 3-1 against Italy. Nevertheless: In addition to Breitner, there are only three other players in football history, the Brazilians Pele and Vava and the French Zinedine Zidane, who were successful scorers in two World Cup finals.

Breitner has a total of 48 international matches. It could undoubtedly be more, but differences of opinion with DFB officials and the then national coach Helmut Schon meant that between 1975 and 1981, he did not appear in the national team. Stay tuned to read more about Paul Breitner Biography and find out what awards and titles he has won.

Managerial

After retirement, his flustered relationship with the German football association and the Bayern Munich board would continue. In 1998, however, he would be appointed the head coach of the national team of now-unified Germany. It did not last long, though, after disagreements with several officials, he reconsidered after only 17 hours in charge.

Today, he is a newspaper columnist and TV pundit and occasionally plays for the Bayern Munich All-Stars in charity games. If one were to point to a rebel without a cause in the footballing world, it would be Paul Breitner. Always changing his allegiances and supposed “beliefs,” the only thing he can be credited to have done off-the-pitch consistently is show disdain for the management. Stay tuned to read more about 

Paul Breitner biography

 and find out what awards and titles he has won.

Paul Breitner Honors

The former German star performed brilliantly, especially when he was with Bayern Munich, winning the 1974 World Cup with the German national team. He won five Bundesliga titles and two

DFB-Pokal

titles with the Bavarians.

Two La Liga and a Copa del Rey with Real Madrid in addition to a European Championship in 1972 with Germany and a European Champion Clubs' Cup title are other honors of Breitner. Paul Breitner was also named Footballer of the Year in Germany in 1981 and was able to add another great achievement to his honors.

Of course, Paul Breitner could have won more honors, but midway through the 1982-83 season, the 31-year-old announced that he would retire at the end of the campaign. And that was the end of an adventure and a sign of saying goodbye to Paul Breitner. Few could claim Breitner would not have won so many trophies if he had not retired from football at 31.

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