Paul Breitner
Left-Back / Central Midfielder · Bayern Munich · West Germany
About Paul Breitner
Paul Breitner is one of football's most versatile and politically outspoken players — a World Cup winner in 1974 as attacking left-back and again in 1982 as an attacking midfielder, the only German to score in two World Cup finals, and a player who publicly declared his admiration for Mao Zedong while winning the Bundesliga. He won the European Cup with Bayern Munich (GER) and La Liga with Real Madrid — a career of consistent trophies at the highest level.
Paul Breitner's story
The Political Player
Breitner was unusual among footballers of his era — or any era — for his public political declarations. He expressed admiration for Mao Zedong, wore a beard that was considered radical in 1970s German football, and challenged the DFB on player rights. He was simultaneously one of West Germany's finest players and its most controversial. He won the World Cup and European Championship while making headlines in Germany's quality press.
Two World Cup Finals
Breitner is the only German to score in two World Cup finals. In 1974, he scored the penalty that made it 2-1 against the Netherlands — West Germany went on to win 2-1. In 1982, he scored West Germany's second goal against Italy in the 1-3 defeat. Across both finals, he was West Germany's most complete outfield player — playing left-back in 1974 and central midfielder in 1982, eight years later.
Real Madrid
After winning the World Cup and European Cup with Bayern Munich (GER), Breitner moved to Real Madrid in 1974 — winning two La Liga titles in three seasons. He was one of the first German players to succeed outside Germany, demonstrating that Bundesliga quality was transferable to different tactical environments. He returned to Bayern in 1978 and won four more Bundesliga titles.
Did you know?
- 🌍 He publicly declared admiration for Mao Zedong while winning the World Cup and European Cup with West Germany — one of football's most extraordinary combinations of athletic achievement and political outspokenness.
- ⚽ He scored in two World Cup finals — the 1974 penalty vs Netherlands and the 1982 goal vs Italy — the only German to achieve the feat, playing in different positions eight years apart.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married; has children. He settled in Germany and became a television pundit. Known as 'The Revolutionary' for his political views during his playing days.
- 🌟 Franz Beckenbauer said: "Paul Breitner was the most complete player I had alongside me. He could play anywhere, he could score, he could defend. And he was never afraid to say what he thought."
- 📊 He made only 48 international appearances — a modest total given his quality — partly due to his public political positions creating friction with German football authorities.
- 🏆 He won the European Cup with Bayern (1974), the World Cup with West Germany (1974), the European Championship (1972), and two La Liga titles with Real Madrid — trophies across four different competitions.
- 🇪🇸 His three years at Real Madrid (1974-77) helped establish the template for German footballers succeeding in Spanish football — a path followed by players from Bernd Schuster to Toni Kroos.
- 🎓 After retiring, he became a noted football analyst and media personality in Germany — known for forceful opinions and a willingness to criticise Bayern Munich's management publicly despite being a club ambassador.
- 👊 He once described professional footballers as "a commodity" and called for player unions to represent their interests — a radical position in 1970s European football that prefigured the labour relations debates of the following decades.
Honours
- FIFA World Cup: West Germany (1974) — scored the penalty that levelled the final
- European Championship: West Germany (1972)
- European Cup: Bayern Munich (1974)
- La Liga x2: Real Madrid (1975, 1976)
- Scored in Two World Cup Finals: 1974 (penalty) and 1982 (goal) — the only German to score in two finals
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