Biography
Günter Netzer began playing football at nine years old with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Starting in 1963, he competed for the club in the regional league. Two years later, at nineteen, he achieved his first major national success. Under coach Hennes Weisweiler’s leadership, Netzer helped the team earn promotion to the Bundesliga. He won the German championship with Borussia consecutively in 1970 and 1971. In 1973, Netzer made a memorable impact in the DFB Cup final against 1. FC Köln, scoring a remarkable goal shortly after coming on as a substitute, securing a 2-1 victory. This match at Düsseldorf’s Rheinstadion is famously known as the "game of the century."
That same year, 1973, he transferred to the Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, where he continued his career. With Real Madrid, he won the Copa del Rey in 1974 and 1975 and secured the Spanish league title in 1975 and 1976. Afterwards, Netzer moved to Zurich to play for Grasshoppers Zurich. After one season there, he retired from professional football. His impressive career includes 82 goals in 320 Bundesliga matches, 37 international appearances between 1965 and 1975, six international goals, the 1972 European Championship title, and participation in the 1974 World Cup held in Germany.
Netzer was named Germany’s "Footballer of the Year" twice, in 1972 and 1973. He was known for his precise passing, powerful shooting, intelligent game management, and creative offensive play, executed with skillful technique. Following his playing days, Netzer managed Hamburger SV from 1978 to 1986, guiding the club to German championships in 1979, 1982, and 1983, as well as the European Cup victory in 1983. In the 1991/92 season, he served as a consultant for FC Schalke 04 and also worked as a co-host of the sports program "Anpfiff" on RTL.
Later, Netzer focused on running a Swiss sports agency in Zurich that handled television rights and advertising. He also provided football commentary and wrote sports articles. At the 1998 World Cup in France, he offered expert game and player analyses for ARD. Together with sports reporter Gerhard Delling, he received the Adolf Grimme Prize in 2000 for their insightful coverage. In 1993, author Ulfert Schröder published a biography titled "The Football Field is Also a Stage and Netzer is its Best Mime."
With his distinctive style on the pitch and iconic long hair, Günter Netzer became a cult figure in both German and international football. Even 25 years after retiring, he remains well-known and respected as a football expert.
Günter Netzer is married and has a daughter.
